by Ron Largent | Dec 21, 2017 | Asian Travel, Britain, British Open, Cruise Line Deals, England, European Travel, Germany, Great Britain, International Travel, London, London Marriott Hotel, Organist, Piccadilly Circus London, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Albert Hall London, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, St Martins in the Field Church London, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized
Wednesday was a quiet morning…then leaving for the Royal Albert Hall at 1 PM….taking the bus through the heavy traffic arriving at about 1:45…..went to the café to wait for Dawn and Carrie and William…Dawn was there and Carrie came about 2:15…we went up to our seats and the program began.
There are few musical experiences (in my opinion) in the world that can equal the concerts at Royal Albert Hall (RAH)…if you are looking for the total orchestra, band, choir, and soloist all in one performance…but here it is. These RAH Christmas programs run right up to Christmas and start late November….some days with 2 concerts a day.
This concert, which is the first of three for us, featured the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Chorus, and the Coldstream Guards Band, plus a Tenor from the London Opera. The program was entitled Christmas Carols and was a 3 hour concert that included the audience singing Christmas Carols along with the orchestra and chorus, and the huge and unbelievable organ…that is clearly the biggest sound of any organ that we have ever heard. RAH seats about 10,000 and is the main entertainment venue for London, and to a degree, England. It is a wonderful place to listen to concerts…and even though we are in the high up “cheap seats”… I think they are the best in the Hall…for you can get the full impact of the huge musical production. For the program, the variety of music is from classical to modern arrangements of both familiar and not so familiar Christmas songs. I could go on and on…but suffice it to say…this was a wonderful musical moment….a once in a lifetime experience for a music and concert lover like me…performed by some of the best musicians in the world….as good as it can get.
Back to the hotel as we were too late for the Charles Dickens program, so will try and reschedule. Today is the Churchill War Rooms….then a full afternoon of tourist things…with another RAH concert this evening at 7:30 PM…
Should be a fun day…….
by Ron Largent | Dec 20, 2017 | European Travel, International Travel, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized
Thanks to Audy, and her friend, Dawn….we spent Tuesday at Hampton Court Palace, which is about a 40 minute train ride south into Surrey from Waterloo Station….and a wonderful day, especially if you like Henry VIII….the King with the wives…..as Hampton Court was “his palace”.
We took a Taxi over to Waterloo station, which is one of 4 big train stations that serve all of England from LONDON. As with all mass transit here, these stations are the epitomy of organization and efficiency, as they move thousands of people every day…and the system works perfectly, barring any unforeseen events.
We met Carrie and William at the station, as they had gone to the Globe Theater to see the theater where Shakespear did his work….and off we went to Hampton Court.
From the entrance, the palace does not compare with Windsor Palace….but as you get into the palace itself, it is very different than Windsor, it that it is spread out over a huge area with many connecting buildings….and they give you a map when you enter…which you need as you go from room to room and period to period.
It is impossible to explain the Palace in a blog like this…detail is all on the internet, but suffice it to say that if you want to see the Palaces-Castles where history was made, Hampton Court is right up there along with Windsor Castle….- Castles that have shaped Europe and the Western World for centuries.
We spent about 4 hours in the palace….then visited the shops, watched the rehearsal for their Christmas program with the musicians dressed in period clothes and playing period instruments and music….just a fun and very enlightening time.
We then went over to the little town of Hampton Court to an Emporium…which is a gigantic antique and collectibles store….thousands of these in the country, but this one is famous as they have it on TV from time to time.
Then on to a very nice restaurant nearby that Dawn knew of…and on to the Christmas musical back at the Palace…..and it was a beautiful 45 minute program with both the boys choir and the adult mens choir….very typical and very good….a great concert in the Chapel of the Castle setting….as good as it can get…enjoyed by all.
Took the train back to: Waterloo…back to the hotel…a full day. Wednesday will be a quiet morning…then Royal Albert Hall at 2: 30 then Dickens Christmas Carol at 5…..should be fun….
More to come…
by Ron Largent | Dec 20, 2017 | Britain, England, European Travel, Germany, Great Britain, International Travel, London, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Viking Cruises
I am often asked, Why London at Christmas? This being my 5th year here in the last 6….I guess I know it is safe to say…”the most Christmas music of any city in the World at Christmas”…..and this includes the full spectrum of music, from the broadway musicals in the West End, to the most professional classic music at St Martin’s……to the unbelievable production programs at Royal Albert Hall….London has it all.
In addition to the music, and more on this to come….the lights decorating the City are the most dazzling, extensive, and creative of any city in the world. From the exotic street lighting decorations to the fabulous window decorations….nothing in the world compares. Having been in NYC a few years ago …. no comparison with London. And, along with the decorations, come the crowds….and they come from all over LONDON and England, but from all over the world….so you have big crowds everywhere. It is one of the busiest times in the year for LONDON.
The music is the big draw for me….and it has to do with the churches and Royal Albert Hall, which is the main music center for the country. It is our Kennedy Center in NYC, etc….or the Staples Center in LA….RAH has it all, and it has it all year round. Starting, though, in early December, RAH becomes the center for Christmas musicals, and music activing. It is a huge circular hall, so probably seats 10,000 visitors, and has been remodeled several times to make it acoustically near perfect. Even though you can sit in the “cheap seats”, which I do and like, every seat in the hall is a good seat. I sit up high in the back, as you can get a good perspective of the entire Hall and the music is clear and loud, when needed…and when the audience is singing, it is a sight to behold and to hear. Really, nothing like it in the world, in my opinion.
Then, there are the churches. From Westminster Abbey to St Paul’s Cathedral….there is some kind of church service or Christmas music service every day…and at some of the churches, twice a day. It is tradition….and for hundreds of years, the churches have been the foundation for music at Christmas. At some of the churches, like the Piccadilly Church a block from Piccadilly Circus….they have a daily hour long music offering at noon…for all of those that are in the area at the time. Each day at St PAUL’S, there is a music and prayer hour….and so it goes. This year we have 7 musicals scheduled in 6 days…a couple of years ago, 8 programs in 8 days…..and these will range from an organ concert at Westminster to a full blown musical production at RAH.
Then, there is West End, or the Broadway of LONDON. All of the major productions are running, so all of the attractions connected with the Theater are in full operation, which includes the Jazz Clubs, Rock music clubs, etc. it is just a vibrant time in the entire Covent Garden – Leicester Square area….literally the “Times Square” of London….but full of music.
So, London at Christmas…means Music at Christmas for me….and there is nothing better in the World if you like classical and concert music….in a marvelous Christmas celebration environment.
More to come…
by Ron Largent | Dec 20, 2017 | European Travel, Germany, International Travel, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized
In that we have been to London many times after living in England for 3 years…..London is almost a 2nd home. This year we are staying at the Marble Arch Marriott….it is convenient to both bus and tube (metro) travel…and pretty close to most of the activity we are interested in.
We connected with Carrie and William in the morning and headed to Westminster Abbey for their ticketed tour. Over the years we have visited the Abbey several times, but usually only for the services, the music, and the organ. This year we took the Abbey tour and I will highly recommend it. It is a self guided tour with explanations on all that you can see…and that it a lot. The descriptions are in good detail, but then allows you to go into more background, add the organ music, etc….very well done. The Abbey itself is a history museum in its own way…..with hundreds of years of history both buried here and re-counted here. Just very well done, but takes a minimum of 2 hours…and then some if you want to visit the guest shop, etc….well worth the time.
We took a break and back to the hotel…with plans to join up at St Martins in the Field Church at Trafalgar Square at 6 PM for dinner in the Crypt, which is the restaurant under the main church, where they have set up a buffet restaurant….a rest area…a shop, and just a good spot to wait for the program or take a break after the program….and they have music programs all year round. We had tickets for their Christmas Carols program….and after a soup and sandwich dinner we went up to the concert at 7:30 PM. We had seats in the Nave, towards the back of the church, and although this is a good place to hear all…I prefer being upstairs, as you can look down on the orchestra, singers, etc. It was an excellent classical Christmas program…with a small chamber orchestra and then a violin soloist that was extremely good. A great 90 minute concert and both Carrie and William really enjoyed it.
We then caught the bus from Trafalgar back to the hotel…getting off a block away….a fun and full first day back in London.
More to come….
by Ron Largent | Dec 13, 2017 | Alaska, Alborg, alpine, Asian Travel, Austria, Bavaria, Bella Russe, Bergen, Bern, Budapest. Hungary, Bullet Train, Copenhagen, Cruise Line Deals, Danube River, Danube River and Viking River, Denmark, Eastern Europe, Eastern Germany, Eidfjord, European Travel, Finland, Fjords, Gdansk, Geneva, Germany, Gstaad, Hapsburg Dynasty, Helsinki, Holland America Cruise Lines, Hungary, Hungary food, International Travel, Latvia, Lausanne, Leipzig, Lenin Square, lucerne, Maria Theresa, Matthias Church, Munich, Northern Europe Cruise, Norway, Poland, Russia, Russian Market, Salzburg, Sitka, Ski The Alps, South Sawyer Glacier, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, St Stephens Basilica, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Sweden, Switzerland, Tallin, The Alps, The Fjords, Tracy Arn Fjord, Travel, Travel the World, Ultimate Sports Events., Uncategorized, US Open, Vienna, Viking ATLA River Cruise Ship., Viking Cruises, Viking River, Viking River Cruises, Vikings, Volcano Island, Warnemunde, Warsaw, Wimbledon, Zurich
Vienna, Austria……ship was delayed in the locks leading into Vienna on Monday night…and we first heard about it early Tuesday morning with the daily announcements. Apparently late Monday night the winds picked up on the Danube and by the time we got to the locks….too high to go through….so we were put on hold in the River for about 2 hours….there were then additional delays and finally cleared the locks at 5 AM…which made us about an hour late to get into Vienna. In that it was a full day, plans were changed and we proceeded to dock at another town about an hour drive away from Vienna. We then boarded Viking buses…and off we went into Vienna, through beautiful farm lands and small towns…arriving about 10 into Vienna.We then had the included panorama tour of Vienna, as well as the walking tour of the Old City….a magnificent old city with gorgeous buildings….just a beautiful place to see and walk through, etc.
Being late, Viking decided to give us a 25 Euro credit per person for lunch….and we ate behind St Stephens church at a great restaurant….finishing up by 2 when we met up again, and then went on the optional tour to the Schonbrunn Palace.
The Palace is a showplace for Emperoress Maria Theresa and the Hapsburg Dynasty….and I cannot say enough in this blog about her and her reign…and I bought a book at says it all, including her 16 children. A powerful woman like Queen Victoria in England……Maria Theresa being the daughter of Charles VI. The Hapsburg Dynasty in Central Europe in itself is a Masters Thesis…what a fascinating story of reign for 650 years. This is a MUST visit….
Back to the ship for dinner…then on to our Optional Concert of Mozart and Strauss by the Vienna Residence Orchestra. This is a small chamber orchestra obviously hand picked as they put on quite a show of music and humor to this private concert. Just a thrilling and fun performance with soloists, ballet dancers, and a great orchestra….a fun evening and well worth it…even for non-music lovers.
Back to the bus by 11…a great day in Vienna…one of the World’s Great Cities…and the 2nd one we have been part of on this trip…the other Budapest.
More to come……
by Ron Largent | Dec 12, 2017 | Alaska, Alborg, Asian Travel, Bergen, Budapest. Hungary, Danube River, Denmark, Eastern Europe, Eastern Germany, European Travel, Germany, Holland America Cruise Lines, Hungary, Hungary food, Iceland, Iceland Hiking, Iceland Tours, Icelandair, Inter City Express (ICE), International Travel, Juneau, Latvia, Lausanne, Leipzig, Lenin Square, Matthias Church, Mercedes, Montreaux, Munich, Northern Europe Cruise, Norway, Organist, Poland, Russia, Russian Market, Salzburg, Sitka, Ski The Alps, South Sawyer Glacier, Special Events Travel Deals, Special travel deals, St Stephens Basilica, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Sweden, Switzerland, Tallin, The Alps, The Fjords, Tracy Arn Fjord, Travel, Travel the World, Uncategorized, Viking Cruises, Viking River Cruises, Vikings, Vikinh Alta Cruise Ship., Warnemunde, Warsaw, Wimbledon, Zurich
We had decided early on to do some “catch up” on our last day so started off by going to the old Train Station that Audy had remembered. Still there and still old…but a new section built on as well as a huge underground West End Mall…that runs back under the entire busy traffic corner. Then went across the street to the Libri Department store…found a good cap for me and some clothes for Audy…great prices.
Back to the hotel to pack and get ready to board the ship…and left the room about 4 PM to taxi to the boat dock about 1/4 mile away. The greeting from Viking starts at the curb when they get your luggage and take it directly to your room (we had it all labeled in advance)….and immediately felt at home and very comfortable. The folks at the front desk were perfect…check in took maybe 2 minutes.
These Viking River Cruise boats, which are also called shipped, and referred to as a ship by the staff…..are specially made long boats made in Germany…and made for this specific purpose…to transport people up and down and around the Rivers of Europe and the world. Initially designed for the European Rivers…they now are used worldwide, and have become very popular. Viking River Cruises was one of the first to do this…and they are the largest fleet now, and voted #1 by a number of Travel rating services. Clearly #1 at this stage for us.
The first night was introductory…dinner at 7, etc…an outstanding briefing on what was planned for Monday….just a great professional opening experience to start the Viking River Cruise.
Monday started with an early sit down or buffet breakfast in the restaurant, and they only have one big restaurant, but there are options for sit down or buffet, and very well laid out. At 8 we exited the ship and boarded the Mercedes Benz busses for the 4 hour Budapest Panorama Included Tour. . Very well done, and saw areas, such as the Hero’s Square, that we had not seen before…and ended up on Castle Hill at the Matthias Church. This in itself is almost worth the trip to Budapest, but the guide gave us a complete tour of the magnificent church, which sits on the top of the Buda hill overlooking Budapest and Hungary, for that matter. Photos, of which I have many, will attest to both the indoor and outside grandeur. I know this will sound like a record, but one of the most outstanding churches we have ever seen, or been in.
So, in Budapest, 2 magnificent churches, St Stephens Basilica and Matthias Church….the overwhelming Parliament Building right on the river, and the Castle Hill area and Gellert Hill overlooking the Danube River….which is the center of the entire area as it goes under the 9 massive bridges, including the historic and famous Chain Bridge.
The 4 hour bus tour ended up about 30 miles to the north, where we caught up with the Ship and re-boarded….lunch was ready…and off we went up the River…and the days activities on the Ship began. A full schedule from lectures to a Champaign welcome party to the Captains briefing …all very well done.
Our room is more spacious than and on the Cruise Ship….and each room has a full glass window-wall to view the river and the villages and cities that we pass. The beds are comfortable; the rooms are so quiet….the bathroom is plenty big, and the storage areas are great.
At this point, for us…this is the nicest set up we have had on the Cruises…can’t wait for the rest of today.
And, Viking Cruises will be added to my list of Cultural Events and Activities that I will be emphasizing…as this is among the very best way to fully appreciate the culture and history of Europe and the world for that matter….this will sell, as it has over the years, and I am happy to be part of “this world”.
After the trip I will start listing the upcoming Viking Cruise Ship trips, programs, tours, etc…and having been on 3 of them within the past year…can give first hand experience thoughts…so stay tune…all for now…Tuesday morning, Dec 12th……
