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after all she is
a tour consultant who highly advocates the idea of exploring places on your own rather than be bound by several constraints of travelling in a large group.
Starting from August you will read her exciting experience comprising of highs and lows of going in a group tour including valuable tips on choosing a tour
operator. So enjoy your travel across Europe with Sanaya….
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I left Mumbai on 15th May 2005 with a lot of hopes, expectations and enthusiasm with my family. The whole itinerary was booked on Gulf Air. We left home
well in advance to combat the Mumbai traffic. It took us about an hour to go through the airport formalities. When we were exploring the duty free section of
Mumbai airport, I came face to face with Australia's most successful cricket captain Steve Waugh who was on his way home on Qantas heading for Sydney
which departed just before Gulf Air. When I noticed him in the Kashmiri Emporium at the airport, I just couldn't help but ask him for an autograph. He willingly
gave me his autograph and a broad smile which I am forever going to treasure. Our Gulf Air flight departed at 1940 hrs and it was a two and a half hour flight
to Abu Dhabi via Muscat transiting at Seeb International Airport and arriving at Abu Dhabi at 2225 hrs local time. Our connecting
flight was at 0215 hrs from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow. We spent our free time gazing at the Duty Free Shops and the Jaguar Car which was kept on display for the Raffles Contest.
The flight departed on time and this time it was a seven and a half hour long journey reaching London at 0625 hrs on 16th May 2005. |
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Counting back the
hours it took us almost 16 hours of travel from Mumbai to London leaving us totally exhausted . We were not in any position to enjoy the beauty around us
especially after a kilometre long walk from the aircraft to the exit. After a long wait at the airport our tour leader arrived and we were transferred to the Hotel
Sheraton Heathrow. When we arrived at the hotel we were asked to get back into our coach to depart for a visit to Windsor Castle.
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A Broken
Promise by our Group Tour Operator Immediately on
Arrival…
Some tour operators make false claims that they transfer the passengers to the hotel to freshen up and have breakfast and later depart for the tour.
However our first setback of the tour we experienced immediately on arrival as we were straightaway taken after a 16 hour flight to the Windsor Castle.
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About
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A royal palace and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle
remains a working palace today. Visitors can walk around the State Apartments, extensive suites of rooms at the heart of the working palace; for part of the
year visitors can also see the Semi State rooms, which are some of the most splendid interiors in the castle. Today The Queen uses the Castle both as a
private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties. Every year The Queen takes
up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April), known as Easter Court. During that time The Queen hosts occasional 'dine and
sleep' events for guests, including politicians and public figures.
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The Queen is also in residence for a week in June, when she attends the service of the Order
of the Garter and the Royal Ascot race meeting. Many parts of the Castle are open to the public, including the precincts, the State Apartments, Queen Mary's
famous dolls' house, St George's Chapel, and the Albert Memorial Chapel. When The Queen is in official residence, 'Changing the Guard' provides a colorful
spectacle in the quadrangle.
Entrance Fees: £12.5 ( Rs 975 approx.)
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A Day that began and seems
to never End
After this short visit for 2 hours we were brought back to the Hotel for lunch although we were more eager to check-in to our rooms & freshen up a bit.
However, we had to finish off our lunch first. Even hunger had taken a toll over us as we had not eaten anything since 0530 in the morning. After lunch we
were finally allotted the rooms and asked to assemble at the reception for Madame Tussauds Museum and London City Tour in just one and a half hour.
Regrettably in the last 24 hours from the time we left Mumbai we have had no rest at all except for a few hours sleep in the aircraft.
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Madame
Tussauds - The House of Wax
At Madame Tussauds we browsed through the various chambers starting with the Spirit of London.
Spirit of London- is going thru’ 400 years in one ride. The Spirit of London takes us on a journey through one of the greatest cities in the world. You'll witness
the achievements of the greatest Londoners of all-time-from Shakespeare to the swingers in the 60s. It's amazing how much London has changed. The Spirit
of London shows you how London has survived Plagues, Fires, World Wars and even the terrifying Punk years!
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World Stage:
Very rarely do we get the opportunity to meet our political leaders face to face. Much of the time, it seems they are not even interested in
meeting each other. Madame Tussauds has gathered them all together - they almost look like one big happy family! It's not easy getting your photo taken
with the Queen... except at Madame Tussauds. You'll also be able to stand on the podium to address the nation.
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Premier Night: Nothing beats the glitz and the glamour of a Premiere Night... except perhaps a premier night that spans the age of the silver screen.
Premier Night at Madame Tussauds is a lavish production with a dazzling cast of Oscar-winning actors from 1914 to the present day.
Frankly, the Indian figures don’t quite resemble the Mahatma Gandhi or Amitabh Bachchan or Aishwarya Rai that we know.
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At The
Queens' Residence
After visiting the Museum we were taken for a City Tour which included most of the important sightseeing such as Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace has
served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the
eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence. Although in use for the many official events and receptions held by
The Queen, areas of Buckingham Palace are opened to visitors on a regular basis. Visits to Buckingham Palace can be combined with visits to The Queen's
Gallery, which reopened in May 2002. The nearby Royal Mews is open from 5 March to 31 October 2005.
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Around
the City Centre
Piccadilly Circus: Piccadilly takes its name from a 17th century frilly collar called a 'picadil'. A dressmaker grew rich making them and built a house in the
vicinity. A circus is where major roads meet. For many years, Piccadilly Circus - at the junction of five busy streets - has been a famous London Landmark. At
its heart and backlit by colorful electric displays is a bronze fountain topped by a figure of a winged archer. The statue is popularly called EROS, the pagan
god of love. All distances in kilometers are measured from Piccadilly Circus.
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Trafalgar Square: The main hub of Central London was built in honour of Admiral Nelson after his victory in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, off the coast of
Spain. The center piece is Nelson's Column, which supports a large statue of Nelson on the top. Nelson, atop the column, looks minute from the ground but
is actually 18ft high. Four bronze lions by Edwin Landseer stand at the base of the column. Trafalgar Square is also famous for its pigeons. The local
authorities try to discourage people from feeding them, but the pigeons are still very popular with Londoners and visitors alike.
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Westminster Abbey: Known as the House of Kings, the Abbey is the final resting place for monarchs including Edward I, Henry V and Henry VI who built a lady
chapel here. The abbey has been the setting for coronations since that of William the Conqueror in 1066 and is home to the Coronation chair. It has also
witnessed numerous other royal occasions such as weddings and funerals.
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Big Ben: This 316ft clock-tower was completed between 1858-59.Big Ben is named, probably, after Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works. Big
Ben was first broadcast on New Year's Eve in 1923. The light above the clock is lit while the Commons are sitting. Big Ben weighs over 13 tons. The clock
mechanism, alone, weights about 5 tons. The figures on the clock face are about 2 feet long, the minute spaces are 1 feet square; and the copper minute
hands are 14 feet Long.
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Tower Bridge: One of London's most famous landmarks, was constructed at the end of the 19th century. It stands as striking testimony to the vision and skills of the Victorian Engineers involved in its conception. Two walkways were built to link the spectacular Gothic towers allowing foot passengers to cross over the River Thames, whilst the roadway was lifted upwards to allow tall ships to enter London.
Tips
for Elite Shopaholics
Oxford Street has one of the highest concentrations of large shops in the world. More than 300 shops sell thousands of lines of goods from inexpensive gifts
to haute couture. The most famous shops include Debenhams, D H Evans, John Lewis, Selfridges, and flagship branches of BHS, Marks & Spencer and the
Burton/Top Shop group.
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They are primarily located on the north side of the west of Oxford Street. The HMV record and multimedia store at 363 Oxford Street
is the oldest record shop in the entire world!
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Regent Street: Regent Street forms a neat dividing line between swanky Mayfair to the West and trendy Soho to the East. The main shopping section of the
street lies between Oxford Circus to the north, and Piccadilly Circus to the south - a distance of about 3/4 of a mile. The shops here can all appear rather
uniform due to the regulations that they must blend in with the elegant architecture of the street. Mappin & Webb Store was the most impressive, it provided
the very best in silverware and jewellery since 1774. From the most extravagant of designs to the most prestigious of customers, Mappin & Webb is well
placed to serve your jewellery and silverware needs. Fine jewellery and exquisite silverware always holds a unique and personal appeal. It's not just the
beauty of the piece but also the significance and sentimental appeal that it holds.
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Mappin & Webb is also famous as they were also entrusted with some of
Her Majesty's most valuable and exquisite jewellery pieces to renovate and refurbish them back to their original, glorious condition.
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On our return to the Hotel Sheraton our guide told us that very soon the Double Decker buses will be discontinued in London. It has been an important part
of the city for 56 years but now due to the regulations dictated by Belgium to have uniform style of buses all over Europe they will have to scrap the Double
Decker buses. So hurry - Visit London before the tall red buses disappear from the streets. This marked the end of our stay in London. The following day we
were transferred to Dover to board the P&O Ferries heading towards Calais in France. In our next issue look out for Paris - The City of Romance and into
mainland Europe….
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...to be continued
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