Rhode Island: Servant Life Tour at the Elms

If you can only take one tour while you are in Newport, make it the Servant Life Tour at the Elms. This is the only one that will take you where the family would never have gone, through the world of the servants. This is a very popular tour and you will need a reservation to take it. Even in April, we had to wait so I suggest that you come here first and sign up for one of the tours. You can then either take the self-guided tour of the house or go to one of the other houses.

The tour begins outside in front of the house. We then walk around to the side and enter the house as the servants would have. We learn that the house was named for the elm trees that used to fill the yard. Dutch Elm diseases took care of that so today there are no Elms.



What you are going to see on this tour is how the hostesses of the Gilded Age made entertainment look effortless. The work took place out of the sight of the guests. With the help of call boxes, laundry rooms, large state of the art kitchens, butlers pantries to die for and even a coal tunnel with its own coal car the servants were able to keep everything running smoothly.

You begin with a climb up three flights of stairs to the servant's bedrooms. Some of them are set up as they would have looked. Most of them are shared rooms. There is, of course, a call box on this floor. Twenty-two people shared the 14 rooms and three bathrooms. If you have seen Downton Abbey, you have a pretty good idea what these rooms look like.

Now for the best part, you get to walk out onto the roof. You get a beautiful view of the grounds and some of the surrounding homes. This is a unique opportunity. 

You now head down into the bowels of the house to see where the furnaces and the coal bin. The laundry and the drying room was next, I had to smile because I guess the Berwinds couldn’t have their laundry drying out in the backyard for their neighbors to see. Three people worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep up with all the laundry. In Newport, 2500 residents worked as servants, 43 of them worked here at the Elms. 27 of them were outside servants, Mr. Berwind found any footprints in his white stone walkways to be unacceptable. The servants had to follow behind any quests who took a walk and get rid of any trace of their walk.

The kitchen as always is a fascinating place to visit. There is an ice box room with a big oak ice box. This was the pastry chef’s domain. The chefs that the Berwinds hired were trained by Escoffier and earn salaries that were astronomical even in 1900. The tour ends here in the kitchen and then it is off to the very fine gift shop. Keep in mind that there are a total of 82 stairs on this tour. That is quite a high number if you are not particularly fit.

Even if you have taken this tour in the past, it is worth giving it another go. New information obtained through research has been added about emigration and labor relations. The tour has been updated to reflect the new information. Be sure to check the Preservation Society of Newport County website for information about tour times. You will certainly enjoy the Servant Life Tour at The Elms.

If you are looking for a place to stay in Newport, I am a big fan of the Viking Hotel. 

New Jameson Distillery Tour Dublin Ireland

When I think of Dublin, Jameson Whiskey is one of the iconic things that come to mind. This is my second visit to the Jameson Distillery and I have to say that I didn't find the new tour to be half as interesting as the one I took two years ago. 

It is totally different, no longer do you see a video introducing you to the history of Jameson's Whiskey, you don't get to walk around in the building and you don't really see anything to do with the production. I realize the Irish whiskey hasn't been distilled here in a while but making it into an interactive show didn't have nearly the same impact as the old tour. 

Now you are escorted by a guide through the process in two rooms and though our guide was charming and knowledgeable I was unimpressed and felt the price of the tour, calling it a tour is not accurate it was a demonstration, was way too high. I was excited to do it again. This tour I would never do again and I see little reason to recommend it other than getting to compare the three shots of whiskey and your free drink afterward. 

Several other distilleries in Dublin are now welcoming visitors. I have not visited those distilleries but I am thinking that perhaps they would be a better idea. Jameson Distillery, you have lost a fan. 

Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour Dublin Ireland

I am a big believer in taking a hop on hop off bus tour of any city I am visiting. I have even been known to do it more than once. It is a good way to get a lay of the land. Usually, I will take one ride all the way through and then I will decide where I want to get off first. This trip was no exception. We grabbed a cab and had it take us to O'Connell Street so we could take the tour from the beginning.

We ended up getting off at Kilmainham Goal since it is one of the farthest out points and in November, the days are short in Dublin. After our tour, we got back on and road it until we got to the Jamison Distillery and we got off again so we could do the tour. We road on the on the upper level for a while to enjoy the view. 

We didn't get back on the bus as it was easier after we stopped to eat to just grab a cab and go back to our hotel. The bus, unfortunately, doesn't go very close to Ballsbridge. I have visited Dublin several times before so I had a pretty good idea what I wanted to see and where it was located. 

Here is a list of the stops that it makes, keep in mind that the route may change since they change the streets that are one way regularly. 

 
Parnell Square North - Writers Museum
O'Connell Street/Abbey Street - GPO
Custom House 
Custom House Quay - EPIC & Jeanie Johnston
North Wall Quay - Samuel Beckett Bridge & CCD
•Cardiff Lane - Grand Canal Square
• Pearse Street - Pearse St. Library
• Westland Row 
• Merrion Square West - National Gallery
• Merrion Street - Leinster House & Natural History Museum
• St. Stephen's Green - Little Museum & Grafton Street
• Nassau Street - National Library, National Museum & Trinity College
• Westland Row - Oscar Wilde's Birthplace
• Pearse Street 
• College Green - Trinity College & Irish Whiskey Museum
• Dame Street - City Hall & Temple Bar
• Cork Hill - Dublin Castle 
• Christ Church Cathdral
• St Patrick's Cathedral
• Newmarket Square - Teeling's Whiskey Distillery
• St James Gate - Guinness Storehouse
• Royal Hospital - Museum of Modern Art
• Old Kilmainham - Kilmainham Gaol
• War Memorial Gardens
• Heuston Rail Station
• Phoenix Park - Dublin Zoo
• Parkagate Street - Ryan's Victorian Bar
• Collins Barracks - National Museum of History
• Arran Quay - St. Michan's Church
• Smithfield - Jameson Distillery Bow Street
• The Four Courts
• Bachelor's Walk - Dublin Discovered Cruise 

You can choose a one or two day tour and it includes free entry into The Little Museum of Dublin and other discounts. 

London: Choosing a safe place to stay in London

First the good news, London is one of the most exciting large cities in Europe, it is also one of the safest. But it is a large city and where you have a lot of people, especially tourist, you will attract the criminal element. Having said that, there are things that you can do to be sure you choose a safe place to stay in London.



Like any large city, London is made up of many districts. Several make an excellent choice when you are choosing where you would like to stay.

Bloomsbury

If you are on a budget, Bloomsbury is a great area to stay. It has easy access to the tube from several different stops. Russell Square on the Piccadilly Line is a very busy station with a central location. Lots of large tourist class hotels are on offer in this area which though charmless are good value for money. Tons of eclectic places to eat and the British Museum is right in the middle of everything. A handful of smaller more boutique hotels have cropped up that even the most discriminating traveler will appreciate.

Chelsea

If you want an upscale area with great shopping and some really lovely hotels, Sloan Square is a great area to choose. Public transportation is available at Sloan Square and you can feel quite safe walking around. Some wonderful antique stores and excellent restaurants will make visitors happy.

South Kensington

South Kensington has some of London’s best museums and also is a great place to stay. There are two Millennium Hotels within a very short walk of the tube stop at South Kensington. There are many others as well. The restaurants are good as well and you can walk to Kensington Palace and Gardens.

Knightsbridge

If you don't mind spending a high price for your accommodations, Knightsbridge is an ideal location. There are fantastic boutique hotels, you can walk to Harrods and Harvey Nichols, You can even walk past some of the designer shops that Princess Diana used to frequent as well as the restaurants where she went for lunch with friends. This is a trendy, upscale neighborhood and there are a lot of well-heeled people walking around at any given time.

Earls Court

If you are looking for economy hotels, this is a very young and lively area and there are even hostels in the area. There is a little more poverty evident in this neighborhood but there are a few hotels close enough to the tube station to make walking the streets not a real issue. There are usually plenty of people on the streets and there is a wide variety of ethnic restaurants as well as banks and a post office branch.

These are some of the safest places to stay in London but not the only ones. The best way to be safe in the area you choose is to use common sense. Keep your valuables hidden and when you are in your room place them in your safe and put the chain lock on your door. Don’t wander around an area you are unfamiliar with, don’t accept drinks from strangers and try to travel in a group at night.

If you are always aware of your surrounding you are less likely to be a victim of crime. London is a great city to visit, just be smart and you will have a safe and enjoyable stay.

Many of you know that we have been to London more than 20 times so have stayed at a variety of hotels, everything from luxury to tourist class. At the end of the day, it is all about location, location, location. Choosing a hotel that is convenient to a tube station or  bus stop is important unless you plan to cab it everywhere.