Travel Diary

Street noise? What time was it? I checked. 4:30am. Maybe a random truck unloading? Nope. It continued for some time. And then more trucks. More noise. Talking. Beeps. Rattling palettes. This was way too noisy to allow for sleeping. I tried earplugs a bit. And I could have tried some white noise sounds, but wait. I paid good money. I wasn’t having this nonsense.

I dressed and went to the lobby to see the night manager. I explained that the morning noise was not acceptable and that I paid to sleep peacefully.

He didn’t balk or hesitate and immediately offered a different room.

Well, uh. Okay. Sure.

He asked when I wanted to move. Well, hey, no time like the present. He then asked how long I needed to pack up. 15 minutes, I said. And he offered to send up a bell hop. He also offered to throw in free breakfast for my time there. Okay. Then I got my new key. Penthouse floor. OKAY!

I went back up and packed. On time, the bell hop came by and I moved skyward. I would be on the 15th floor. Even the elevator didn’t reach that high. We had to take a couple of flights of stairs to reach the room. But wow. It was nice. It was much bigger and had a fantastic view.

I tipped the man, unpacked a little and returned to sleep fast since it would be a busy day ahead of me.

I had to pass on the free breakfast. Too much to do. After getting ready, I boarded the Tube and headed to a train station to grab a train to Newbury, which was near Highclere Castle. The train was not cheap. It was about $33 each way. But no choice. I got a ticket and rode west for about an hour or so.

Once at Newbury, the Castle was too far to walk, so I hailed a cab and headed over. The cost was about $18. The drive was nice though. I saw the greenest of country and many a sheep. The first view of Highclere Castle in real life did not disappoint. It was remarkable.

I got my ticket (well, the one I preordered seven months earlier) and went and got in line. The line was to the front entrance. I had to put away my camera as no photos were allowed inside.  

Which is too bad because the inside is simply amazing. Just everything about it: the paintings, the architecture, the furniture. It’s all a treat to see. The tour has many curators who are full of knowledge into the history of the castle and the making of the show. Seeing the rooms where the filming took place in was exciting.

After the house tour, there’s a lower level tour of the King Tut findings. That was well done too, but I’d seen all the King Tut exhibits years before and it does get repetitive after the first time. I also knew I’d be forgetting a great deal of the information. I guess you just learn to know what you’ll forget over time.

Then it was outside for wandering around the gardens. One is free just to explore. In fact, tickets are not needed for that part. I walked everywhere permitted and took photos all around. It was fun to see the various angles used for establishing shots. Overall, it is just a spectacular place.

Would it be that way if not for the show? Well, yes and no. Yes, it’s still a worthwhile place to take a trip to and explore; however, it also can be further down one’s list. Moot point for now, though. For now, the fact that it’s really awesome and that the show was filmed there is reason enough to visit.

Soon, it was time to return. I summoned Uber this time and found a ride back to Newbury, although the cost was the same as a cab ride would have been. From there, I was back on the train and returning to London.

In hindsight, I’m not sure taking the solo route was the best option. After including the train and cab costs, the total was actually close to what the tour would have been. And the tour would have included one or two more places. Plus, tours have guides that share information during the travel time. And you don’t have to worry about train schedules or finding cabs or Uber drivers. Yeah, next time I’ll just take a tour. I thought the solo option would be only a fraction of the cost. But no, it’s nearly the same money for less.

My next show was “Macbeth,” but at the Globe Theatre. I’d never made this journey during my previous stays, although most of the time I visited before or after the summer Shakespeare run. Now, I was finally going to be a groundling.

I anticipated a little walking, but not as much as I was in for. I think I must have gotten off the Tube too early or late because I found myself walking and then jogging and finally running for several miles to reach the theatre on time. It’s not noted well on signs either. But I arrived about four minutes before show time. (Sweating quite a bit, I might add.)

I got my ticket from will call and went quickly to concessions for a beer. The choices were weak, but beggars should not be choosers, and what not. I got a can of beer and went inside. The place was full, but I found a decent spot off of stage right. I was about four feet from the stage, so that worked for me since I had a good line of sight to the actors most of the time.

The show itself was outstanding. The actors were talented and pulled off the antiquated lexicon well. And standing for three hours didn’t seem all that bad.

Afterwards, I headed outside to see about greeting actors. Only one passed by so I said hello. He had played Macduff and did a great job. I asked what was next. He said he had no idea.

It was a little surprising, but that’s theatre. Even on what many might consider the top tier of stage theatre, a person isn’t guaranteed a job after a show closes. Those pondering such a a career take note: theatre is a very difficult way to make a living. Many seem to be unaware of these aspects of it. Kudos to those who attempt anyway.

I walked home and got many photos of the iconic London sights at night. St. Paul’s Cathedral offered some night angles and views over the Thames were also fun to capture.  

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