June 23

We got up early so we could make sure we were on time for the Eurotunnel, aka the Chunnel.  It literally is a train that you drive onto and it proceeds to take you under the English Channel.  We got there a little too early so parked our car and watched the monitor for when we should line up.  We had time for a coffee while we waited. Since we were leaving England and entering Ireland we had to show our passports and then were instructed to enter the train car.  Fascinating!  Driving into a train car!  We stayed with our car chatting with a couple and their dog from Germany.  They were on their way to Wales for a two week holiday in Wales and they said they always take the Chunnel as it is a much quicker way to travel.  It may cost more but it only takes 30-40 minutes vs 2+ hours of the ferries.  

It was easy on and off, but we had to remember that they drive on the other side of the road here!  We had to constantly remind ourselves to drive on the left!  It took both of us to focus to to make sure we stayed on the left! It doesn’t help that parking is also random in London and people just park whichever way they want.   The drivers drove fast and they beeped at everything.  The lights are barely green, and BEEP, motorcycles cut in front of you or a pedestrian decides to walk across on their green light, but the car was there too, BEEP BEEP.  It was nerve-wracking!  We drove by Big Ben, Westminster, and Buckingham Palace but sure didn’t stop.  TRAFFIC!!   Andrew was amazing and we got to our hotel even with our GPS directing us to streets we couldn't go on to the London street department closing others. Parking is always a problem and their parking lot was sort of tucked in behind their building.  We knew we weren’t going to be driving at all while there so we dragged our bags in and then Cheryl took the lift and the bags up (the lifts are about the size of telephone booths--very, very small!); we unpacked and decided what we could do that evening.  

We decided on Abbey Road but to get to Abbey Road we first walked to Notting Hill and found the apartment were Jimi Hendrix died.  Moment of silence, please. He is actually buried in Renton, Washington, USA. Side note: we also happened upon the famous blue door from the Notting Hill movie featuring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.  That was actually an accident as we had stopped for a drink and restroom break and saw people across the street getting their picture taken while knocking on a door.  It is amazing what you can find instantaneously on Google!  Famous blue door in Notting Hill told us why they were taking their picture there!  

Abbey Road is actually a real thoroughfare and is best known for the Abbey Road Studios and the 1969 album Abbey Road by none other than the Beatles.  The Beatles (and many others) have recorded at Abbey Road Studios and they named their last studio album after this very street.  The cover photo shows the Beatles walking across the crossing just outside the studio entrance.  This crossing is very popular for those wanting to recreate this album cover and this crossing is still a very BUSY thoroughfare with lots of traffic!  We, as well as MANY others, had to endure BEEP BEEP BEEP of cars and buses as we tried to recreate that famous album cover.

Apparently they have to repaint the wall next to this crossing every 3 months to cover the graffiti!  The gates for the studio were actually open and there were people walking in with guitar cases and such--someone was going to be recording something in the same space as the Beatles!! We didn't recognize them at all, but maybe someday we might!  Andrew meandered into the lot so we got a picture of him actually at the entrance of Abbey Road Studios!!  If only those walls could talk!  Andrew and Cheryl both got to walk the famous walk, Andrew even walked barefoot!  

We aimed ourselves next to the location of the Beatles “last” concert, a rooftop concert.  It was their final public performance and they surprised the neighborhood with their impromptu performance atop Apple Records.  They played 42 minutes before the police asked them to turn it down a bit.  Now this building houses an Abercrombie Kids store--yes, you read correctly.  We did go in and tried to convince the sales clerk to let us on the roof but she said they only lease the building and don’t even have keys to the roof.  There were two large curios as you entered filled with Beatle memorabilia.  We stood on the street and imagined what it must have been like. Awe..amazing.

Piccadilly Circus is the English version of Times Square, busy, busy, busy and colorful and full of life.  There were many high end stores amid the older buildings, a wonderful side trip, around the block moment of our journey. 

Andrew wanted to see where Keith Moon died so we hunted up the address.  It turns out the street address was changed from Curzon Place to Curzon Square so we went to one first and it just didn’t match up with the picture we’d found on the Internet.  Keith Moon was a former drummer of the Who from 1964 until his death in 1978, ironically from an overdose of a drug designed to help with alcohol addiction withdrawal.  We Googled some more and found the renamed address and were actually close.   Whew. We'd walked a bunch already! Amazingly enough, a kind gentleman was exiting what we thought was the right building and he confirmed that it certainly was the right place.  For anyone who remembers the Mamas and the Papas, Mama Cass Elliott also died in this same apartment but in 1974.  She had performed several weeks of concerts, retired for the night after her concert and died in her sleep.  No drugs or addiction, but heart failure.

Back to our hotel! Another big walking day, and some very, very tired Verkamps.

Nighty night.