The Trooping of the Colour

This Saturday June 15^th, 2013 is the annual Trooping of the Colour in London. I bet you are wondering what exactly this Trooping thing is.  Well, every year on a Saturday in June London celebrates the official birthday of the Sovereign. Although the actual birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is April 21^st - a day in the summer has been set aside to celebrate the Monarch’s birthday in the hopes of better weather. Also known as the Queen’s Birthday Parade the Trooping is a fabulous passing of marching troops and military bands in all of their glory. This is a military ceremony dating back to the 18^th century where the colours (flags) were carried (trooped) so that a particular division could be recognized.

The public can stand along the Mall to watch the procession of troops while the majority of marching and performances take place inside Horse Guards Parade in a grand stand area.

Click here for a lovely example of the Grenadiers Quick March on Horse Guards Parade during the Trooping of the Colour.

Interesting facts:

• Since Edward VII the Sovereign has taken the salute in person
• Queen Elizabeth II has attended every trooping except for 1955 when a rail strike cancelled the event
• Queen Elizabeth II rode a mounted horse during the trooping until 1987 – she now goes by carriage
• In 1981 on horseback the Queen’s horse was startled by someone firing a gun with blanks at her during the ceremony

The last time I was in London I happened to catch the Colonel’s Review – which is the dress rehearsal for the actual trooping ceremony. This happens one week before the actual Trooping of the Colour. I stood along the Mall as the participants marched down to Horse Guards Parade. Here are some of my pictures!

Happy Birthday Your Majesty!

Royal Alert! That's Prince Philip! 

A Perfect Day in London

As an American that thinks of London on a daily basis (no longs for London on a daily basis) I am thrilled to be seeing the capital city of England and the UK during the Olympic coverage.

The Olympics are exciting, but if I were in London right now I would just be happy wondering around and taking in the sights of the city.


Walking is a very British thing to do so I have created a unique walk tailored to the city of London and my current favorite BBC show Sherlock.


Using the massive amount of resources at www.Sherlockology.com (a fabulous website to check out if you are a Sherlock fan!) I created a walk comprised of filming locations for the BBC hit TV show. Then I added in the famous Sherlock Holmes pub (I am ashamed I have never been!), and I am sure you could have a wonderful day’s walk in London.


I am in the process of planning a trip to London next year (third time), and I can’t wait to try this walk!


So this is how I would spend my day. You may think it geeky or dorky or what have you. I just know this would be my perfect day in London.

The Jet Lagged Vagabond Sherlock Walk

The walk starts at 187 North Gower Street, Camden, London NW1 2NJ.
Tube Stops: Euston or Euston Square


This is the filming location of 221B Baker Street – the home of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson and their loveable housekeeper landlady Mrs. Hudson. Next door is Speedy’s Café. Speedy’s is a real working café and is featured in the background of the show as characters come and go from 221B Baker Street.

http://www.speedyscafe.co.uk/

I start the walk at Speedy’s with a full English fry up followed by some photos of the 221 B front door located to the left of Speedy’s. I better fill up this is an all day walk!

Click here for a picture of Speedy's from Google maps!

From Speedy’s the walk heads to St Bart’s Hospital West Smithfield London EC1A 7BE via Russell Square Gardens.

The journey is 2.1 miles and will take 45 minutes not counting any time to stop and take photographs.

Click here for Google map.

 Russell Square Gardens was used in the Sherlock episode A Study in Pink (Series 1, Episode 1). This is where John Watson runs into an old friend who in turn introduces Watson to Sherlock Holmes at his place of work St. Bart’s Hospital.


Side note: From Russell Square to St Bart’s the path will pass the Renaissance Chancery Court London at 252 High Holborn. This is the hotel where I stayed in 2004, and I absolutely love it. For a chain hotel it has a fantastic location with a convenient tube stop and the building is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend! Note: I just read that the Chancery Court has changed ownership –shame!


Now on to St. Bart’s a real working research hospital that is featured in many episodes as the workplace of Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper. However St. Bart’s roof top plays an important part in The Reichenbach Fall (Series 2 Episode3). Beware of messenger bikes and cell phones that have the Staying Alive ringtone!

Click here for Google map.

From St. Bart’s head south to my favorite church St. Paul’s Cathedral and keep going until you come to Sir Norman Foster’s Millennium Bridge. Cross the Thames to the South Bank and hope you get a text message from Sherlock as Irene Adler did.

Click here for Google map.



Photo from Wikipedia



Now we are South of the Thames. I absolutely love to walk along the South Bank and that walk has been in my mind for weeks as I think about London. For the purposes of the Sherlock walk the path will head west towards the Battersea Power Station.

Note: this part of the walk goes past: The Tate Modern, Blackfriars Bridge, views of St. Paul’s across the Thames, the Oxo Tower, the National Theatre, Jubilee Gardens, London Film Museum, the London Eye, Westminster Bridge, views of Parliament and Big Ben, and Lambeth Palace and Gardens all leading to Battersea Power station. Indulge as much as you like!


Don’t worry there are plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants along the way to refresh and soak up the views!

Click here for Google map.

Battersea Power Station is a disused, well power station that has become an icon of London. In Sherlock it appears in A Scandal in Belgravia (Series 2, Episode 1).

Speaking of THAT scandal in Belgravia we now cross back over the Thames via Chelsea Bridge for a quick 30 minute walk towards 44 Eaton Square in Belgravia also known as Irene Adler’s home.

Click here for Google map.

The walk left Speedy’s Café nearly three hours ago. I think a pint is in order.

Therefore the next destination is the Sherlock Holmes Pub located at 10 Northumberland Street St James London WC2N 5DB.

http://www.sherlockholmespub.com/

Click here for Google map.

After a pint or two it’s off to dinner at Tapas Brindisa Restaurant 46 Broadwick Street Westminster London W1F 9

Tapas Brindisa is featured in Sherlock A Study in Pink (Series 1, Episode 1). The restaurant has changed its look from the time of filming, but the distinctive lights in the front window are still there.

http://www.brindisa.com/restaurants/tapas-brindisa-soho/

Click here for Google map.

And there you have it. A nice long walk taking in the sites of London and hopefully some great food and drink as well.

Remember to not just look but to also observe. You never know if and when you will run into Holmes and Watson! 



July 29, 1981

You will have to go all the way back to this day to understand why travel is my passion. Do you remember where you were? I do and I will never forget that day because it is one of my greatest childhood memories.

For an entire week I was staying with my Great-Grandmother which meant great food and anything goes! So being the wonderful person she was she woke me up at 6 am on the morning of July 29th to witness something magical – something I didn’t really quite understand.
It only took her a few times to get me moving (I’m not a morning person by any means) and all she had to do was tell me I was missing it!

I scurried to the living room and turned on the big giant TV and waited for it to warm up (can you ever believe we had to wait for the TV to warm up?). Finally after what seemed an eternity - at least for a young girl - the picture appeared before me. There it stood. A glass carriage and inside it a woman hidden beneath yards and yards of an ivory veil. She gracefully exited the carriage and stepped onto a long red carpet. She turned and waved to a large crowed of people. Then she made her way up the red carpeted steps amid trumpet fanfare into the biggest church I had ever seen.

At that age I didn’t know princesses really existed outside a Disney movie. Or that a girl really could marry a prince. That was the first thing that intrigued me about the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. It was an honest to God fairytale.

I sat on the floor all day that day as close to the TV as I could get and just watched in awe. Where was this place? Who were these people? Can I go there? My Great-Grandmother was a real trooper that day bringing me food and drinks so I wouldn’t miss a minute. I don’t ever remember leaving the vicinity of the living room!

I dreamt of London after watching the wedding. I wanted to go there. Heck I wanted to live there. Books on London and Diana became the priority. That Christmas I received two that are true favorites: Invitation to a Royal Wedding by Katherine Spink and The Prince and Princess of Wales’ Wedding Day.

Those books went everywhere with me as I studied and planned. Someday I was going to go to England.

I finally made it 20 years later. It was everything I knew it would be. It felt like home.

I used those two books I received at Christmas as a child to help plan our trip to England. And once I got there I was filled with so much joy and passion for travel I couldn’t contain myself. That is what travel is for me – an emotional journey of seeing new places, learning new things and reliving childhood memories.