Monday, 26 October, 2009
I have to say how fortunate I consider myself that my husband, Bret, was able to tag along with me for this trip to England, so that we could combine my educational experience with a little bit of vacation. Neither of us have “crossed the pond” before, so it’s going to be an exciting trip!
We landed at London’s Heathrow airport after a pleasantly uneventful (albeit long) flight to find it delightfully sunny and warm. Taking the Heathrow connect to Paddington Station, we hired a cab to take us to our first night’s destination: The Americana Hotel on Gloucester Street.
We decided to capitalize on our early arrival with a visit the Royal Mews (also known as the Queen’s Stables), as they close for the season beginning 1 November.
We found our way to the Baker Street tube station and purchased Oyster passes to allow for easy travel. We hopped on the Jubilee line, then Victoria, and emerged to find the Royal Mews a few short blocks away.
Admittance for the Mews was steep at 7pounds 50 (about $12 American), especially after hearing that most of the horses were offsite for exercises presented to visiting heads of state. Still, it was a worthwhile tour, as we managed to see a couple of Her Majesty’s Horses as well as a majority of the coaches used for various official functions.
Of particular interest was the Golden Coach used for every coronation since George IV in 1821, its opulence fitting a royal ceremony. The display presented in the Mews was nearly as magnificent as the coach itself, incorporating four life-sized waxwork horses and two riders. Incredibly lifelike, these models allowed us to better visualize how impressive the coach must be, especially when considering that it requires 8 horses, not 4, to pull.
We ambled around Buckingham Palace for a bit after visiting the Mews. We were still dazed from the flight so we retired early.
