FirstTimeCaller
I got my ears! See.
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We Be Trippin': The Great DIS-nee Road Trip
- Thread starter DISgeeksfromDC
- Start date
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
Ok well hop aboard the plane
and I'll see you at the other end! Safe journey!!!
and I'll see you at the other end! Safe journey!!!
Circusgirl
Queen of the Moisture Festival. Allora!
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2007
I've always wanted to fly VA! Yaaay!
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
Sorry it's taken me so long! Been a bit tied up!
So welcome the United Kingdom, more specifically England!!
My first stop on our tour is a pleasant trip to a near-by castle, Leeds Castle (not the same as the Leeds Miss Stitch is from, this is a village!!).
Aptly named the ‘loveliest castle in the world’ the castle is set on two islands on the River Len in the heart of Kent, has been home to royalty, lords and ladies for over 1000 years, the most famous being Henry VIII, who I’m guessing you’ve all heard of!
The castle you see today is the result of over 900 years of alterations and changes. It has Norman foundations; a mediaeval gatehouse; the Gloriette, built by Edward I and updated in Henry VIII’s times; a Tudor tower; and a 19th century country house - all of which were substantially refurbished in the 20th century.
As well as the building itself the castle also boasts a top class avairy, a maze and a grotto, so why don't we go and explore?
It's one of the renowned places to take a hot air balloon ride from and get a better glimpse of the beautiful Kent countryside, the balloon well seen site if you look to the sky on a summer's evening Despite the fact it's not summer there is some good news! Today there is a balloon launch and I’ve organised for everyone to go in a hot air balloon!
enjoy....
(these pictures are from www.leeds-castle.com)
So welcome the United Kingdom, more specifically England!!
My first stop on our tour is a pleasant trip to a near-by castle, Leeds Castle (not the same as the Leeds Miss Stitch is from, this is a village!!).
Aptly named the ‘loveliest castle in the world’ the castle is set on two islands on the River Len in the heart of Kent, has been home to royalty, lords and ladies for over 1000 years, the most famous being Henry VIII, who I’m guessing you’ve all heard of!
The castle you see today is the result of over 900 years of alterations and changes. It has Norman foundations; a mediaeval gatehouse; the Gloriette, built by Edward I and updated in Henry VIII’s times; a Tudor tower; and a 19th century country house - all of which were substantially refurbished in the 20th century.
As well as the building itself the castle also boasts a top class avairy, a maze and a grotto, so why don't we go and explore?
It's one of the renowned places to take a hot air balloon ride from and get a better glimpse of the beautiful Kent countryside, the balloon well seen site if you look to the sky on a summer's evening Despite the fact it's not summer there is some good news! Today there is a balloon launch and I’ve organised for everyone to go in a hot air balloon!
(these pictures are from www.leeds-castle.com)
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
With it being Christmas time the festive season has kicked off and Leeds castle is one of the best places to go! It looks so beautiful all lit up and the Christmas trees are some of the most amazing you will ever see (sadly however there is no disney theming to them!)
Father Christmas even pays a special visit
I'll leave you to wander around the castle and it's grounds for a bit, I'll come back a bit later and let you all know about the fantastic sleeping arrangements we have for tonight!
Father Christmas even pays a special visit
I'll leave you to wander around the castle and it's grounds for a bit, I'll come back a bit later and let you all know about the fantastic sleeping arrangements we have for tonight!
Disneyfalcon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2003
WOW!!! That is amazing!! This is going to be a great stop!!
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
Right, after today I’m guessing we are all exhausted, so before visiting Kent itself tomorrow I’ve made reservations at the castle to stay in the rooms it offers. “Each bedroom has its own character and charm enhanced by original furnishings and antiques. All have en-suite bathrooms and many offer breathtaking views over the moat and surrounding parkland”
Sleep well!!!
Sleep well!!!
catotigger
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
Ooooooooh!
Aaaaaaaaah!
A night in a castle - a dream come true!
Super job so far, disneyhockeymad!
Aaaaaaaaah!
A night in a castle - a dream come true!
Super job so far, disneyhockeymad!
Circusgirl
Queen of the Moisture Festival. Allora!
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2007
Hooray for the breathtaking beauty and Christmas touches!
A slumber party in a castle - it doesn't get better than that!
I had fabulous princess dreams....
A slumber party in a castle - it doesn't get better than that!
I had fabulous princess dreams....
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
Apologies for the delay I have an essay due in tomorrow so I'm finalising that at the moment!!!!
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
(big apologies for being late, my mum paid me a suprise visit this weekend!)
I trust everyone slept well in their 4 poster beds... fit for a king and all that! We’ve got a busy day ahead of us, I’ve planned for us to take in the sights and sounds of the garden of England, Kent, appropriately named for its rolling green hills, apples, flowers and general loveliness of the county.
First off is Canterbury, home to the oldest cathedral in the UK, and also home to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England in the UK
“Until the 10th century the Cathedral community lived as the household of the Archbishop. During the 10th century, it became a formal community of Benedictine monks, which continued until the monastery was dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1540.
Augustine's original building lies beneath the floor of the nave– it was extensively rebuilt and enlarged by the Saxons, and the Cathedral was rebuilt completely by the Normans in 1070 following a major fire. There have been many additions to the building over the last nine hundred years, but parts of the quire and some of the windows and their stained glass date from the 12th century.
By 1077, Archbishop Lanfranc had rebuilt it as a Norman church, described as "nearly perfect". A staircase and parts of the North Wall - in the area of the North West transept also called the Martyrdom - remain from that building.”
There is much to see and do in the cathedral so I will leave you to explore for a while. We’ll reconvene at lunch time for a trip to a traditional English pub, The Thomas Becket, named after the famous archbishop who was murdered in the Cathedral.
Ok, after a hearty lunch we’re off again, I hope you’ve all remembered your walking boots because we’re off on a walk along the Kent downs, ‘an area of outstanding natural beauty’.
There are many walks to do so we’ll take the North Downs way, the most walked area and, in my opinion, the most beautiful.
Take your time to enjoy the beauty!!
I've called for a bus to take us to the largest shopping centre (what you would call a mall!) in Europe... Bluewater! (yes it has a Disney Store!)
I trust everyone slept well in their 4 poster beds... fit for a king and all that! We’ve got a busy day ahead of us, I’ve planned for us to take in the sights and sounds of the garden of England, Kent, appropriately named for its rolling green hills, apples, flowers and general loveliness of the county.
First off is Canterbury, home to the oldest cathedral in the UK, and also home to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England in the UK
“Until the 10th century the Cathedral community lived as the household of the Archbishop. During the 10th century, it became a formal community of Benedictine monks, which continued until the monastery was dissolved by King Henry VIII in 1540.
Augustine's original building lies beneath the floor of the nave– it was extensively rebuilt and enlarged by the Saxons, and the Cathedral was rebuilt completely by the Normans in 1070 following a major fire. There have been many additions to the building over the last nine hundred years, but parts of the quire and some of the windows and their stained glass date from the 12th century.
By 1077, Archbishop Lanfranc had rebuilt it as a Norman church, described as "nearly perfect". A staircase and parts of the North Wall - in the area of the North West transept also called the Martyrdom - remain from that building.”
There is much to see and do in the cathedral so I will leave you to explore for a while. We’ll reconvene at lunch time for a trip to a traditional English pub, The Thomas Becket, named after the famous archbishop who was murdered in the Cathedral.
Ok, after a hearty lunch we’re off again, I hope you’ve all remembered your walking boots because we’re off on a walk along the Kent downs, ‘an area of outstanding natural beauty’.
There are many walks to do so we’ll take the North Downs way, the most walked area and, in my opinion, the most beautiful.
Take your time to enjoy the beauty!!I've called for a bus to take us to the largest shopping centre (what you would call a mall!) in Europe... Bluewater! (yes it has a Disney Store!)
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
Welcome to Bluewater, home to over 330 stores and many food outlets, a 12 screen cinema, a climbing wall, an adventure play park and a ‘Wild Explorer Discovery Trial’.
I’ll give you a bit of time to explore the numerous shops and spend some of that hard earned money on the fabulous things 'British' shops have to offer, some shops you'll recognise, some you won't! I've booked a stop off at Pizza Express for an amazing home made Italian pizza, choose whatever toppings you want!
(I got some info from http://www.visitkent.co.uk/ , http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/ , www.bluewater.co.uk )
I’ll give you a bit of time to explore the numerous shops and spend some of that hard earned money on the fabulous things 'British' shops have to offer, some shops you'll recognise, some you won't! I've booked a stop off at Pizza Express for an amazing home made Italian pizza, choose whatever toppings you want!
(I got some info from http://www.visitkent.co.uk/ , http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/ , www.bluewater.co.uk )
Disneyfalcon
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2003
Wow, I'm so in awe. It is just beautiful! And I think I need a few days at that mall, so I'll catch up with ya'll later!!
DSNY4ever
I am going to keep hunting
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
Yeah! I am glad to see the road trip (or rather air trip now) moving again! England is so beautiful so far. I have only been there once for about 5 days, which was no where near enough time. That looks like the most gorgeous hot air balloon ride view! Love it!
Circusgirl
Queen of the Moisture Festival. Allora!
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2007
Lovely day, and very timely shopping opportunity!
Seeing the cathedral was fantastic. It's great to be in a place
that is truly old echoing with history.
Seeing the cathedral was fantastic. It's great to be in a place
that is truly old echoing with history.
catotigger
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
Excellent job!
The countryside is lovely, and the cathedral is impressive!
And that mall - wow!
The countryside is lovely, and the cathedral is impressive!
And that mall - wow!
Marshay
I'm Goofy for Mickey.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2007
Oh the cathedral was impressive. My only time over in Europe was to Spain and I was just amazed by the cathedrals...now we have the National Cathedral here in Washington, DC but it's just not the same.
The countryside is so pleasant looking!
Wow! That mall is huge!! Just in time for Christmas, too, I see! Think I'll do some Xmas shopping ... or rather all my Christmas shopping here!
The countryside is so pleasant looking!
Wow! That mall is huge!! Just in time for Christmas, too, I see! Think I'll do some Xmas shopping ... or rather all my Christmas shopping here!
disneyhockeymad
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
I've given those 'lagging behind' a chance to catch up but I am mighty glad you're all loving England so far, Kent really is one of the prettiest places in England, along with Yorkshire (in the North) I don't think you could get better!!!
Hope everyone is prepared for our trip to London today! I’m seriously excited I love London and I love showing people the amazing sites and sounds of our capital city!
I’ll be giving you a whirlwind tour of London and the sites it has to offer, from the home of our queen to the different museums and art galleries to the theatres, I hope you enjoy!
And of course we’ll be getting to them using the world famous London Underground system, although be careful to ‘mind the gap between the train and the platform when disembarking’!!
Right first off we have one of the main attractions in London, Buckingham palace…
The Monarchy is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom and dates back as far as 849AD, with numerous different Kings and Queens within that time frame, examples being King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I or Queen Victoria I. The Monarchy each held different surnames, for example the Tudors or the Stewarts, at the moment we have the Windsor household, named after the famous residence the House of Windsor (the original name Saxe-Couburg-Gotha was changed during the wars because it was German). Queen Elizabeth II reigns currently who celebrated her Golden Jubilee (50 years in power) in 2002, the only other Queen to have done this was Victoria I.
Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of the monarchy since 1837
A little bit about her power and role within the UK:
(taken from the website) “The Queen is Head of State in the United Kingdom. Her official title in the UK is ‘Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith’.
As a constitutional monarch, The Queen does not 'rule' the country, but fulfils important ceremonial and formal roles with respect to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the devolved assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Queen is also Fount of Justice, from whom justice in the United Kingdom derives, and has important relationships with the Armed Forces and the established Churches of England and Scotland.
In addition to her role in the United Kingdom, The Queen has a special role to play in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which are dependent territories of the English Crown.”
Buckingham Palace is guarded by some of the most famous looking guards, who change regularly performing a special ‘parade’ when they do so.
This is the entire Royal family (the queen is in the middle in blue!), as you can see there are a lot of them, in reality however only a few have the chance to become the next monarchy of the UK, at the moment that falls to the Prince of Wales, Charles, however many think that he may abdicate and allow his son, Prince William, to reign instead as he is much younger, although at the moment that isn't looking likely!!
This is of course our Queen!
Next up is a quick view of Tower Bridge , not London Bridge as one American Businessman thought when buying the Bridge and then got the shock of his life when he realised he had purchased a normal bridge and not the one below... (I know we shouldn't but we Brits do get a laugh out of that every now and again)
Followed by the Tower of London where many prisoners, both royal and non were kept and beheaded in the late 15th to 17th centuries.
Right next stop is DLP, there is so much more in Kent but I think that we've explored the 'best bits'.... now we just have to hop across the channel and hit DLP, at Christmas time
Hope everyone is prepared for our trip to London today! I’m seriously excited I love London and I love showing people the amazing sites and sounds of our capital city!
I’ll be giving you a whirlwind tour of London and the sites it has to offer, from the home of our queen to the different museums and art galleries to the theatres, I hope you enjoy!
And of course we’ll be getting to them using the world famous London Underground system, although be careful to ‘mind the gap between the train and the platform when disembarking’!!
Right first off we have one of the main attractions in London, Buckingham palace…
The Monarchy is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom and dates back as far as 849AD, with numerous different Kings and Queens within that time frame, examples being King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I or Queen Victoria I. The Monarchy each held different surnames, for example the Tudors or the Stewarts, at the moment we have the Windsor household, named after the famous residence the House of Windsor (the original name Saxe-Couburg-Gotha was changed during the wars because it was German). Queen Elizabeth II reigns currently who celebrated her Golden Jubilee (50 years in power) in 2002, the only other Queen to have done this was Victoria I.
Buckingham Palace has been the official residence of the monarchy since 1837
A little bit about her power and role within the UK:
(taken from the website) “The Queen is Head of State in the United Kingdom. Her official title in the UK is ‘Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith’.
As a constitutional monarch, The Queen does not 'rule' the country, but fulfils important ceremonial and formal roles with respect to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the devolved assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Queen is also Fount of Justice, from whom justice in the United Kingdom derives, and has important relationships with the Armed Forces and the established Churches of England and Scotland.
In addition to her role in the United Kingdom, The Queen has a special role to play in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which are dependent territories of the English Crown.”
Buckingham Palace is guarded by some of the most famous looking guards, who change regularly performing a special ‘parade’ when they do so.
This is the entire Royal family (the queen is in the middle in blue!), as you can see there are a lot of them, in reality however only a few have the chance to become the next monarchy of the UK, at the moment that falls to the Prince of Wales, Charles, however many think that he may abdicate and allow his son, Prince William, to reign instead as he is much younger, although at the moment that isn't looking likely!!
This is of course our Queen!
Next up is a quick view of Tower Bridge , not London Bridge as one American Businessman thought when buying the Bridge and then got the shock of his life when he realised he had purchased a normal bridge and not the one below... (I know we shouldn't but we Brits do get a laugh out of that every now and again)
Followed by the Tower of London where many prisoners, both royal and non were kept and beheaded in the late 15th to 17th centuries.
Right next stop is DLP, there is so much more in Kent but I think that we've explored the 'best bits'.... now we just have to hop across the channel and hit DLP, at Christmas time
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