My First European Trip (part 2)
Here's part 2 and a continuation of my first European trip experience. In this second part, we were back to England and were off to London for a few days and two nights stay. Then, we spent a day (and night) in Paris, France and then back to London, England and back to Bakewell, Derbyshire for the remainder of my vacation.
Sept. 16th - After our brief, overnight stay in Lincoln, the next day...later in the morning, we left Lincolnshire for London. On our way there, we passed by Stamford and Burghley House (unfortunately, we didn't get to stop by there and see the stunningly beautiful house (at least the exterior of it), as seen famously as Lady Catherine's estate in Rosings in P&P movie, due to lack of time or day...we didn't even expect to spend the night at Lincoln, so passing by Stamford was pretty nice even though we didn't get to go there and see Burghley House)...We arrived in London early in the afternoon just in time to check in our hotel for a two night stay...
In our first day in London, we went to see these famous London attractions: Big Ben (in the clock tower, where we heard the bell chimes 6x by 6 pm and music played at exactly 6 pm), The London Eye view, the Houses of Parliament, and the Westminster Abbey. Also, we went to the busy Piccadilly Circus (which looks similar to NYC's Times Square, which I had visited years ago) where we saw the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum just across the plaza where we took a break and sat by the memorial fountain with Eros statue on it, took some pics, and shopped for souvenirs by the Cool Brittania store nearby.
London Attractions
1) Big Ben (clock tower) with 2) London Eye
6)Front view of Westminster Abbey
(The Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster)
Piccadilly Circus: 1) Adverts sign 2) Cool Brittania store
3) A silver mime (a street mime dressed in silver paint)
3) A silver mime (a street mime dressed in silver paint)
4) Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum
Sept. 17th - On our second day in London...we went sightseeing and saw some famous tourist attractions such as the Buckingham Palace (home of Queen Elizabeth II. We missed the Changing Guard as we arrived there by noon...but we got to see a lil' parade of knights in their horses though and marching guards, which my niece called, "the marchers," lol) and took lots of pics including The Victoria Memorial, the golden statue of Queen Victoria which sits in front of the Palace facing down The Mall.
The Buckingham Palace
After the Buckingham Palace, we went to see the Victoria & Albert Museum (there was Style Icon: Grace Kelly exhibition, but it was at night and we didn't get to go see it, unfortunately). Next, we went inside The Natural History Museum. On our way to the famous Harrods shopping store (we had a nice tea time after our lil' shopping that afternoon...), we saw some store displays for London Fashion week (for Monday, the following week). Then, we went to see The Tower of London and the last place we went to see for this day was St. Paul's Cathedral. After that, it was night time and we head back to our hotel to sleep early for an early morning check in to St. Pancreas railway station for a Eurostar train ride to Paris, France...
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Natural History Museum
1) London Fashion Week store display 2) Made In Dagenham bus poster
The famous Harrods department store in London
(with a memorial shrine of the late Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed, late son of Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed)
Tower of London
Sept. 18th - We departed London, England very early in the morning (5:30 am, actually had to walk to an empty London streets to the train station nearby for our 6:30 am check in...) for an over 2 hours train ride to Paris, France...arrived in Paris Nord (Gare du Nord or "North Station") train station by around 9 am (Paris time, it's an hour ahead than London)...
Paris, France
Notre Dame Cathedral (La cathedrale Notre-Dame)
and The Louvre Museum
Louvre Pyramid (La pyramide du Louvre)
(Basilique du Sacré-Cœur), a Roman Catholic church in Paris
View of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica from the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower (La tour Eiffel)
Sept. 19th - The next day and morning, after our wonderful day in beautiful Paris, we checked out from our hotel and rode the city bus to Gare du Nord station and took the Eurostar train (where we were moving backwards, lol) back to London. We arrived late in the afternoon (and stayed a bit) in London. By night time, we left London and drove back to Bakewell, Derbyshire for the rest of our holiday.
Sept. 20th - On this day, during the morning, we strolled around the town of Bakewell (where the bridge and River Wye was just a short walking distance to where we were staying at as well as Rutland square and Rutland Arms Hotel, The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop, The Peacock Pub, the town market, and Bakewell parish church to name a some).
1) A bridge over River Wye (Bakewell) 2) Bakewell Parish Church
1) After the rain, we saw a rainbow appeared 2) an unusual fog during the early morning (too bad Mr. Darcy wasn't there...lol)
Rutland Square and Rutland Arms Hotel
Interesting Jane Austen/P&P tidbit from The Rutland Arms Hotel:
Of the 35 individually styled bedrooms, it is believed that Jane Austen stayed in room number two whilst visiting Chatsworth and revising the final chapters of her novel Pride and Prejudice.Also, according to my brother-in-law's parents when he was a young boy, their family stayed in that same hotel for a night and at the same room (#2) where Jane Austen was believed to have stayed in when she was visiting Bakewell, Derbyshire. See first pic above where the 2nd window on top of the hotel and its name "Rutland" is below it.
1) Bakewell Gift & Bear Shop 2) The Peacock Pub
Later in the afternoon, we went to Denby shop to shop for some plates and tea cup sets, and spent the night at a friends' house for dinner...
Sept. 21st - In our last full day in Bakewell, Derbyshire, we drove to Matlock Bath to shop (and eat lunch) at Masson Mills (Shopping Village), went to see the Museum (inside Masson Mills), and toured Haddon Hall (one of P&P movie's filming locations). There was one more place we've wanted to go, the Stanage Edge, Hathersage Moor, Hathersage, Derbyshire (in which Keira Knightley's Lizzie Bennet was seen famously standing on precipice getting some fresh air at the Peak District scene in P&P movie) but unfortunately, wasn't able to go due to lack of time or day.
A museum inside Masson Mills
Haddon Hall (exterior)
Haddon Hall (interior)
The Banqueting Hall as the inn at Lambton in P&P movie
and the other room was where Lizzie was distress to read Jane's letter
over the news that their youngest sister Lydia eloped to Wickham.
Also, the dining hall was used as Elizabeth's bedroom (though we didn't see it in the movie).
Visit Pride & Prejudice Country for more P&P filming locations!
and the other room was where Lizzie was distress to read Jane's letter
over the news that their youngest sister Lydia eloped to Wickham.
Also, the dining hall was used as Elizabeth's bedroom (though we didn't see it in the movie).
Visit Pride & Prejudice Country for more P&P filming locations!
Besides Pride & Prejudice (2005), other movies (I've seen them too) that were filmed at Haddon Hall, Bakewell, Derbyshire, England, UK...
The Princess Bride (Cary Elwes and Robyn Wright)
Jane Eyre (all tv and film versions including the new one with Mia Wasikowska, Judi Dench, and Tamzin Merchant)
The Other Boleyn Girl (Natalie Portman, Eric Bana, Scarlett Johanssen)
Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett)
Lady Jane (Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes)
Sept. 22nd - Our last day in Bakewell, Derbyshire (England and Europe)...I woke up early morning for our early check in at Manchester airport. I was sad to leave Derbyshire, the beautiful countryside (I missed it already!) UK/Europe, but with all good things that must somehow come to an end, it's time to go home. As much as I loved and enjoyed my trip (and It was a much needed lil' escape, getaway, or change of scenery for me for a change, as sometimes it's good to be away from my usual and typical activities, lol...and just enjoy, refresh, relax, and have some fun. I'm very glad I did, as I definitely had a fantastic time), I did miss home sweet home and my own bed (and family and friends), but I definitely had an unforgettable and memorable experience visiting Europe for the first time and it was all worth it!
After our fun-tastic two weeks vacation in Europe, it was time to go home. We drove (and I looked around outside the car window and lingered to see Bakewell, Derbyshire one last time as we were driving by and exiting the beautiful countryside...we also passed by the Peak District, which was still dark and foggy much like in the scene in the P&P movie when Lizzie was in the carriage in tears, hastily leaving Derbyshire and back to her home in Longbourn after reading Jane's [bad news] letter that youngest wayward sister Lydia eloped to the wicked Wickham. It sure was dark and very misty early that morning...it also reminded me of when Darcy was walking through the misty morning scene, lol...) to Manchester airport, returned our rented car, departed Manchester and flew back to the U.S. of A!
The End.
That's all, my dear readers! Thank YOU all for reading both parts of my first European trip experience. I appreciate it and hope you have enjoyed reading and viewing all the photos (sorry for the not so good shots...) here as much as I enjoyed posting and sharing them with you all. :-)
On 2008, I went in European tour with my wife. Personally we both liked “The Eiffel Tower” and “River Wye” in whole trip.
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