Celebration – A Royal Birth and Christening

Posted on August 8, 2013 by barbara

Since the news that the royal couple, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were expecting their first child was announced in December 2012, shortly followed by the Duchess’ hospitalization early in her pregnancy with hyperemesis gravidarum and then the seemingly endless wait for the child to be born, there had been much anticipation and worldwide attention for the joyous event.

Finally on July 22, 2013, Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, the first child of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, was born and he will be third in line of succession to the British throne. The royal baby will be the third great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II (her eldest grandson and Princess Anne’s son, Peter Philips has two daughters) and the first grandchild of Prince Charles. The last time a serving monarch had a great-grandchild born in a direct line of succession to the throne was over 120 years ago, in 1894 when Queen Victoria was sovereign and the future Edward VIII was born.

Interesting Facts and Traditions of the Birth of a Royal

Royal Highness Prince George was born in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England. It is the same hospital where 31 years earlier, Prince William was born to Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. This was not always the case of a heir to the British throne being born in a hospital, Prince Charles was born at Buckingham Palace and the Queen was born at the home belonging to her mother’s parents at 17 Burton Street in Mayfair, England.
Prior to 1948, the Home Secretary was required to attend the birth of a royal baby to ensure that the child born was a legitimate heir to the throne. Since that time it was determined that there was no constitutional requirement needed for his presence. This number of birth witnesses is very small in comparison to the 42 witnesses that were present to verify the birth of the son of King James III in 1688 when the legitimacy of the pregnancy was called into question and the true heir to the British throne was in doubt.
An official public proclamation with information on the baby’s gender, time of birth and weight and it is signed by the royal doctors and this framed announcement is traditionally placed near the gates of Buckingham Palace after the Queen and the immediate families of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed of the birth of the royal baby. This old-fashioned custom is still observed even in the modern age of worldwide mass media coverage. For the birth of Prince George an announcement was also made on the royal website.
Royal births are traditionally celebrated with gun salutes, 41 rounds fired in Green Park by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and 62 rounds fired at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company. The British flag will also be flown from all of England’s government buildings, Royal Navy ships and military installations.
The names given to royal babies are not usually revealed to the public for several days. When Prince William was born in 1982, the name was not made public and announced until seven days later. When Prince Charles was born in 1948 it took even longer and it was a month before his name was revealed just prior to his christening. Normally royal babies often have several forenames; the Duke of Cambridge was christened Prince William Arthur Philip Louis. Royal babies with the title of Royal Highness (HRH) normally do not need surnames, but if one is used there are three possible choices: Mountbatten-Windsor, Wales or Cambridge.

After the royal birth, there is always the customary photo of the newborn baby with their royal parents on the steps just outside the hospital for the hundreds of worldwide press that is waiting. Shown below are the photos in 2013 of Prince George with his parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and in 1982 of Prince William with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Details of a Royal Christening

Traditionally, royal christenings are generally private affairs usually held at Buckingham Palace in the Music Room. For Prince George, his christening will take place at the small chapel at St. Jame’s Palace on October 23, 2013. The royal baby will be a three months old and the Archbishop of Canterbury will perform the ceremony. Besides the royal baby and his parents, there will be a small group of family, close friends and the child’s godparents. After the ceremony the group will sit for formal portraits that will be released to the media. On the occasion of Prince William’s christening, it was the Queen Mother’s 82nd birthday. Shown below are the christening photos from 1982 of Prince William, from 1948 of Prince Charles and from 1926 of Princess Elizabeth.

In 1840, Queen Victoria commissioned a special silver baptismal font when she was expecting her first child with husband, Prince Albert. The font was made by Barnard & Co. and the symbol of the lily was used to represent purity and new life. The christening ceremony of Princess Victoria took place in February 1841 in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. According to a painting by C.R. Leslie, the font was placed on a circular table and the Archbishop of Canterbury used water from the River Jordon. For the new royal baby, the same silver font and water from the River Jordan will be used for his christening in the chapel at St. Jame’s Palace.

For the birth of her first child, Queen Victoria also commissioned a lovely christening “robe” made with Honiton lace and lined in white satin, it has a very long skirt with an elaborate collar and bow. Since 1841 over 60 royal children have worn it for their christening including four Kings, King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII and King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II wore it for her christening, as well as all her children and every grandchild except one. The last to wear it was Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 2004. The original robe was very old and fragile by that time and to preserve the historical outfit an exact handmade replica was made by the Queen’s dresser, Angela Kelly. Viscount Severn, the son of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, was the first to wear it at his christening in 2008.
Royal babies usually have five or six godparents, although Prince William had eight. Possible godparents for William and Kate’s new son will more than likely include Prince Harry, Pippa and James Middleton. In addition royal experts expect at least two more godparents which would have to be someone from William and Kate intimate circle of friends.
At the reception following the royal baby’s christening, it is traditional to serve the top tier of the parent’s wedding cake. This is a tradition that Prince William wanted to keep and after their wedding in 2011 the cake was specially preserved in the freezer awaiting the birth of their first child.

For more information the Music Room in Buckingham Palace where several royal christenings have taken place throughout the centuries, please check out yesterday’s Travel Post, “Buckingham Palace“.

Royal Update: On May 2, 2015 Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, the second child of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, was born in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England which was the same hospital where her brother, Prince George, was born in 2013. Princess Charlotte’s christening will take place on July 5, 2015 in St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. For more information on Sandringham, please click on the link.

Travel – Buckingham Palace

Posted on August 7, 2013 by barbara

My family and I were fortunate to visit London, England back in 1998. There are so many wonderful places to see when you visit London, such as the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels, the Victoria and Albert Museum with their fascinating exhibits, the Parliament building with Big Ben or Kensington Palace where Princess Diana lived and where William and Kate are now making their London residence. Of course, no trip to London would be complete without a visit to Harrods Department Store for lunch in the famous food court or afternoon tea upstairs in the elegant Georgian Restaurant. In this Travel post I will be sharing our visit to Buckingham Palace and the most iconic building in England.

A Brief History of Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is actually located in the City of Westminster and it is the official London residence and administrative offices of the current British monarch. Originally known as Buckingham House, a large townhouse was built on the site for the first Duke of Buckingham in 1705. In 1761, King George III acquired it as a private retreat for Queen Charlotte and during that time it was known as the Queen’s House. In 1820, King George IV, quickly decided that Buckingham House, as it was now known as, would be the perfect location for his new London home. John Nash, the famous architect, was chosen to design and he built two new wing additions to the building which was now being referred to as Buckingham Palace. The renovations were still far from completion when George IV died and his brother became King William IV. The new king had no interest in moving from Clarence House into the unfinished palace. Nash was fired due to his massive overspending and Edward Blore was brought in as the new architect to complete the project. Finally in 1837, on the accession of Queen Victoria to the British throne, she moved from Kensington Palace into Buckingham Palace and it became the official royal palace of the British monarch since that time.

After the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert and with the birth of their nine children, Buckingham Palace went through further expansion to accommodate the large British Royal family. Blore was brought in again as the architect to design the fourth wing which added the east façade to the front of palace. After the death of her husband, Queen Victoria rarely occupied her London residence and preferred the seclusion of their other homes of Balmoral, Osborne House and Windsor Castle. Upon her death in 1901, King Edward VII moved in and extensively redecorated Buckingham Palace with a classic white and gold theme which still remains in many areas of the palace, such as the Grand Entrance and Staircase and the Grand Ballroom. During this time to honor his mother and the beloved British Monarch, the Victoria Memorial was erected in front of the palace.

Until the Second World War, there were very few changes made to Buckingham Palace. Then, during the German bombing of London Queen Victoria’s private chapel At Buckingham Palace received a direct hit and was destroyed. Years after the war ended, the chapel was rebuilt and Queen Elizabeth decided that the space would be used for royal exhibits and this area of the palace was opened to the public. The funding received was used to construct the Queen’s Gallery which now houses art pieces from the Royal Collection. Then in 1993, while the Queen was in Balmoral and not in residence at Buckingham Palace during the summer months, the State Rooms were open for public tours. This was initially done to raise funds for the rebuilding and repair of Windsor Castle which had undergone serious damage after a fire in 1992. Since then Buckingham Palace and several other royal palaces have been opened during specific times of the year and the funds now continue to maintain the Royal Collection, including the buildings, art and other objects of historical importance which are held in trust by the Monarch for Britain.

1998 – My son, Chris, at the gates to Buckingham Palace

A Tour of Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, which include 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. The building is just over 118 yards long across the front, over 131 yards deep including the central quadrangle and over 26 yards high. Buckingham Palace has been the setting for many royal ceremonies, State visits from foreign leaders, Investitures and even the Queen’s Garden party. This is the place in London were the British people come to celebrate joyous occasions such as the end of World War II on VE day in 1945, the Queen’s coronation in 1953, and most recently the Diamond Jubilee in 2013.

Visitors with pre-arranged tour tickets will enter through a Buckingham Palace side entrance after passing through a security check. The first area after entering the State Room wing of the palace is the Grand Hall with the lovely Grand Staircase. Designed by the architect John Nash at the request of King George IV, the Grand Staircase has a balustrade with intricate patterns of acanthus, oak and laurel leaves. As visitors ascend the curved marble staircase the upper walls are lined with portraits of Queen Victoria and her family.

As visitors pass into the Guard Room there are white marble statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The next room is the Green Drawing Room which serves as a huge reception area before entering the Throne Room. The Green Drawing Room is decorated with a patterned red carpet and the walls are lined in green and gold silk.

As you walk through the Green Drawing Room, visitor will then enter the Throne Room. This beautiful State Room was designed for ceremonial receptions and at one end of the room there is a raised platform with two red thrones embroidered with the initials of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and overhead is a red canopy trimmed in gold. The upper portions of the walls and the ceiling are lined with the heraldic shields representing England, Scotland, Ireland and Hanover.

Customarily formal wedding portraits are taken in the Throne Room after a Royal Wedding ceremony. Shown below are the wedding portrait of the then Princess Elizabeth to Prince Phillip in 1947, the wedding portrait of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981 and most recently the wedding portrait of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011.

After the Throne Room, visitors will exit into the Picture Gallery which displays an ever changing exhibit of paintings from the Royal Collection. The four marble chimneypieces in this room have female figures holding paint brushes and artist palettes; in the center of the room is a ceiling medallion of four famous painters: Titian, Leonardo de Vinci, Durer and Van Dyck. This room is used for the investiture recipients who assemble here before entering the Ballroom to receive their awards for achievement.

The next room on the tour is the Ballroom, which is one of the largest rooms in Buckingham Palace. The Ballroom was originally decorated by King Edward VII in 1906 in white and gold with a large organ at one end and six beautiful crystal chandeliers overhead. The Ballroom is used for State Dinners such as the one held in May 2011 for President Barack Obama. It is also frequently used for investitures that are held throughout the year performed by Queen Elizabeth and the recipients are awarded British honors and sometimes knighthoods.

Exiting the Ballroom, visitors will walk through the West Gallery before entering the State Dining Room. The State Dining Room is decorated with red damask walls and a matching red with white and gold plasterwork on the ceiling. Many dignitaries from presidents to prime ministers have attended smaller dinner parties in this lovely room in the palace.

The next room on the tour is the Blue Drawing Room which is decorated with blue flock wallpaper and portraits of King Georg V and Queen Mary which hang on either side of the fireplace. This was John Nash’s original Ballroom and the first State Ball was held here on May 1838 as part of the celebrations leading up to Queen Victoria’s Coronation.

Exiting the Blue Drawing Room, visitors enter the large doomed Music Room. The room is decorated with white and gold frieze, two large chandeliers hang overhead and along the edge of the room there are sixteen blue columns. This is the room where the British Royal families’ babies are christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. (Please check out tomorrow’s Celebration post, A Royal Christening, for details about these special British Royal ceremonies)

The final State room on the tour is the White Drawing Room, which is decorated in white and gold with four smaller chandeliers and one large chandelier in the center of the room. Along a wall are mirrors and cabinets that conceal secret doors that allow members of the Royal family to enter the room. This room serves as a Royal reception room for the Queen and members of the Royal family gather in before State and official occasions.

From here visitors exit down to the next floor and into the Marble Hall which opens into the Grand Hall. From there visitors enter the Bow Room, which is the last room on the tour before exiting through the palace gardens.

1998 – Me at the gates to Buckingham Palace

Craft – Framed Floral Decoration for Autumn

Posted on August 6, 2013 by barbara

While out shopping in one of my local craft stores I saw these great framed floral decorations but I was shocked by the retail price, it was $29.99 (are they crazy?). So, I thought I can make a nicer one at a fraction of the price! (The photo above is the one I made!) I went back home to search in my floral supply box and I found some extra flowers from a previous fall project. I also found two wonderful frames that were perfect to use, I had picked them up in the clearance aisle of my local craft last year for $4 each, they were a little more ornate than the store-bought inspiration piece but I actually like them better. The only thing I needed to get started on this project was a small floral foam, I found one for $2.50 and was able to cut it in half to make two framed floral decorations.

So, if you are keeping track of my cost for this project, it totals out to $10.50. Divided by the two framed floral decorations it was $5.25 for each one. Now, that is much better price than the original ones I saw at the craft store!! To make your own framed floral decorations, please see the supply list and easy instructions found below.

Framed Floral Decoration – supplies for one

1 frame, any size (the frame’s glass and backing are not used for this project)
1 floral foam, size it determined by the size of the frame
Floral tape
Flowers, number of flowers needed is determined by the size of the frame
Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Framed Floral Decoration – instructions for one

1. Select a frame to use, remove the frame’s glass or picture backing, you will not need them for this craft project. Frames can be any size with an opening from a smaller size of 5 X 7” to a larger 10 X 13”. (I am using frames with a 5 X 7” opening)

2. Use a piece of floral foam and cut a notch to fit on the frame.

3. Then using floral tape, secure the foam to the frame. (Originally I was going to hot glue the foam directly to the frame, but I decided to use floral tape instead because I didn’t want to harm the frame in case I wanted to recycle it for another project!)

4. Hot glue Spanish moss or shredded grass to cover the foam.

5. Insert flowers and other decorations into the floral foam. Be sure that the back of the arrangement is relatively flat because this side will be going against the wall when it is hung.

The final photo shows the framed floral decorations that I created for the upcoming Fall season and I think they look great! As you can see from the difference of the second photo and the final photo, I decided to add some large fall leaves that I had in my floral box. I think it gives the framed floral decoration a little more “presence” and the pair look wonderful hanging on our dining room wall. This craft idea can be used for any season throughout the year, just use flowers or decorations that are appropriate for the particular holiday.

Decor – Preparing a Guest Bedroom

Posted on August 5, 2013 by barbara

Summer … it is a time when we hit the road or take the plane for a vacation … but sometimes that means that guests could be coming to visit your home! Living in the Midwest, hundreds of miles from our family out west, we have frequent visitors. We absolutely love when our family comes to visit whether it is grandparents, parents, aunts, or cousins, but I especially love when my son comes to visit!!

Right now, the room that we use for our out-of-town guests is actually my daughter’s old bedroom. When we moved to the Midwest, we suddenly had a five bedroom house and there were only three of us and we had lots of space! We gave our daughter two rooms, one was the “bedroom” where she sleeps at night and across the hall was her “playroom”. Eventually as she got older, she thought her bedroom was too girly and she wanted more bold colors and something a little trendier. She moved permanently into the playroom and we redecorated the room as her “new bedroom” and it was now more appropriate for a teenager – she loved it!

Her “old bedroom” now became the guest room. There was no really no need to redecorate the room, the beautiful sleigh bed with a matching dress/mirror and side table were perfect. The lovely pale green paisley bedspread, the storage bench at the foot of the bed and the chair in the corner also stayed. Just a basic cleaning and the room was ready and waiting for our guests!

Let’s breakdown what is considered a comfortable room for guests:

The perfect combination for a guest bedroom is a room with an adjoining bathroom; this will give guests the most privacy. But don’t despair if your house cannot accommodate this type of arrangement.
Don’t overwhelm guests with an overly feminine room, try to keep the decorating style to simple and traditional but the most important element is comfort.
Be sure the bed has a clean and beautiful bedspread and sheets. Provide several comfortable pillows for sleeping, also have extra blankets available.
A comfortable chair is a great idea for guests to use for reading or sitting in to put on their shoes. Be sure to provide good lighting and a lovely soft throw for chilly nights. A thoughtful thing to do is place some interesting books nearby, local history or the latest best seller, and a couple of magazines.
Speaking of lighting, if there is a side table with a lamp; make sure the guests can reach it easily from the bed. Overhead lighting is also a good idea and if the budget allows a ceiling fan is great for the summer months. (or a table fan can be a good alternative choice)
Make sure to provide guests with a table or luggage rack to keep their suitcases off the floor. Provide some drawers and closet space for their clothing; add some extra hangers and a nice touch is to have a full-length mirror for the guests to use when dressing. A small iron and ironing board are also great idea to store in the closet for the guests to use if needed and a small sewing kit would also be helpful.
Make sure that the bathroom the guests will be using is clean. Provide several clean towels – bath towels, hand towels and washcloths. Stock up on a couple of new toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and conditioner just in case the guests forgot to bring something. (Check out the pocket towel idea shown below for storing those bathroom basics)

Pocket Towel

This clever idea is used to not only make your guests feel welcome, but also to provide them with those convenient bathroom essentials. You will need: 1 bath towel, 1 hand towel, 1 washcloth, a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. Follow the steps to create a pocket towel.

Lay out a hand towel, front side facing down.
Fold up the bottom about a quarter of the way.
Turn the towel over and fold in the sides so they overlap completely.
Turn the towel over again and lay it over a bath towel already hanging on a towel rod.
Fill the pocket with a washcloth and tuck in a toothbrush and toothpaste.

More special touches to add to a guest room:

Tourist information – local maps, brochures of nearby attractions, a list of favorite restaurants or shopping areas.
A beautiful notepad and pens or pencils for jotting down information, etc.
An alarm clock or portable music system.
Plug in nightlights for bedroom and bathroom
A small flashlight

The idea is to make your guests feel comfortable during their visit to your home and the main thing to remember is to enjoy this special time with them.

Travel – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Posted on July 31, 2013 by barbara

Today is J.K. Rowling’s birthday, she is the world famous author of the Harry Potter series of books, and in her honor I would like to share this Travel post on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter located at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. So, at the beginning of summer we finally left for a one week road trip to Florida. We had planned stops in Charleston, SC and the Kennedy Space Center before arriving at the Universal Orlando Resort.

The morning after we arrived in Orlando; we woke early, had a quick breakfast at our hotel and then headed to the Universal Island of Adventure Theme Park. We were lucky that our hotel had a shuttle bus and after a short ride we were dropped off at the entrance to the Universal Orlando Resort. (This worked out great for us because during our entire stay in Orlando we never had to move our car from the hotel parking lot!) TRAVEL TIP: We were allowed entrance into the Islands of Adventure Park one hour early; this is available for guests that book their hotel reservations/park tickets through the Universal website. If you have this opportunity, take advantage of the chance because this area of the park can get very crowded especially during the summer months!

Upon entering the Islands of Adventure Park, we quickly headed to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to begin our adventure. This magical area is truly enchanting and once you walk through the arched gates, guests will leave the “muggle” world behind and entered into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The sign above the entrance reads, “Please respect the spell limits” and as guests walk through the entrance the entire village of Hogsmeade appears complete with a light touch of snow. TRAVEL TIP: After riding all the rides in the Wizarding World, take the time to stroll through the village of Hogsmeade. Look at the shop window displays and then go into the shops to look around because the attention to all the details is absolutely amazing.

Immediately on the right of the entrance stands a fiberglass replica of the Hogwarts Express sitting at the Hogsmeade train station. We stopped to take a quick photo in front of this iconic steam train from the Harry Potter books and movies, it makes a great photo! TRAVEL TIP: If you are lucky and the train conductor is there, ask to see his pocket watch. This one-of-a-kind item is a golden pocket watch with the crest of Hogwarts on one side and the Hogwarts Express engine numbers on the other side. The unique watch not only tells the conductor the time but also where the train is located and if the train is on schedule.

Our first stop was the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction (with the early admission access we were hoping to limit our wait time, so we wanted to go there first). The ride is located inside the Hogwarts Castle and as guests walk through the corridors they will see the gallery of talking portraits, the office of Headmaster Dumbledore and the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with Harry, Hermione and Ron appearing on the balcony. Before you reach the boarding area of the ride, muggles like me that can’t ride because of motion sickness can exit here (which was fine with me because part of the enjoyment of this ride is walking through the queue area and seeing the interior of Hogwarts). After boarding the “magical benches”, the braver guests will experience a simulated flight that starts with them feeling like they are flying around the outside of the castle, and then there is an encounter with the Whomping Willow, several dementors, some giant spiders, a Hungarian Horntail Dragon and finally a Quidditch match. Both my husband and daughter enjoyed this ride and rode it several times during our stay at the Universal Orlando Resort! TRAVEL TIP: If you are riding again for the second or more times, consider the single rider line, especially if the regular wait line is too long!

Next, my husband and daughter went on the Flight of the Hippogriff, of course I passed on this ride, too! This ride is a steel roller coaster designed for families (OK, please don’t call me a wimp!!). The story of this ride is that the Hogwart’s Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Hagrid, is teaching young wizards how to fly on a Hippogriff by using a wicker replica of the creature. My husband and daughter rode this ride twice, but when we returned later in the day the wait time was just too long to ride again! TRAVEL NOTE: Look for the nest with a baby Hippogriff and Hagrid’s Hut which can also be seen from the Dragon’s Challenge ride.

By this time, we had a breakfast reservation at the Three Broomstick restaurant, the design of the building is based on the inn & pub from the Harry Potter series. After ordering our food, a waitress will conveniently help you to your table by carrying your food tray. Breakfast was very good, tasted great and the portions were generous and we even ordered a single pumpkin juice so we all could take a taste, it is definitely unusual! Then, while we were eating our meal, we looked up at the rafters and to our surprise we saw the shadows of owls flying, house elves working and even magical brooms cleaning, it was very cool! TRAVEL NOTE: The Three Broomsticks serves not only breakfast, but later in the day a full menu of traditional British food such as Shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, in addition you can get a strawberry-peanut butter ice cream which was seen in the “Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets” movie.

TRAVEL NOTE: Just next door to the Three Broomsticks is the Hog’s Head. It is based on the pub from the Harry Potter series which is owned by Aberforth Dumbledore, he is the younger brother of Albus Dumbledore who is the Headmaster at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The featured drink in the pub is the Hog’s Head Brew, a dark amber Scottish ale which is brewed exclusively for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Tip the bartender to see the Hog’s Head behind the bar come snorting to life! TRAVEL TIP: Here is my advice from someone who does not ride the attractions at the Wizarding World, is that just outside the door of the pub is a covered area with very limited seating and it is the best place to wait during a hot summer afternoon or during one of Florida’s sudden rain showers. Most guests sit and wait at the Owlery across the way, it is a larger area but I found it to be very crowded and after awhile the noise of the clock gets very irritating!!

After breakfast, my husband and daughter went on the Dragon Challenge ride (OK, don’t say it … but I know you are thinking it!!) The Dragon Challenge ride is the only simultaneous two track inverted roller coaster in the world. The ride is named for the first task in the Triwizard Tournament from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. As guests enter the queue there are tournament banners, then you pass by the Wesley’s crashed flying Ford Anglia and Hagrid’s hut. As you enter the Champions Tent, guests will see the Triwizard Cup on a pedestal, then after emerging from several dark tunnels the guests have to decide – the red Chinese Fireball dragon on the left or the blue Hungarian Horntail on the right. My husband and daughter absolutely loved this ride!! TRAVEL NOTE: When you are in the boarding area look up at the ceiling for the projection of the dragons.

After riding all the rides (or should I say after my husband and daughter road all the rides) we decided to explore the village of Hogsmead. Each of the shops feature wonderful window displays, so take the time to take a look before going into the shops.

Here is a list of some of the shops we visited at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

Ollivanders Wand Shop – this is the most popular destination for those wishing to purchase a wand. (Remember this is not only a branch of Ollivanders, the original shop in located in Diagon Alley) This shop is unlike any other shop in Hogsmead because it admits only small groups of 20 at a time into the shop for a short inactive experience in which the wand keeper will select one special person to test out several different wands. Just like in the original Harry Potter book, “the wand will choose the wizard”.
The Owl Post – this store is adjacent to the Ollivanders Wand shop and where souvenir wands can be purchased as well as stationery, writing pens, stamps and even stuffed owls. TRAVEL NOTE: At the time of our visit, just outside the door was a small stand that will stamp a postcard or letter with the authentic Hogsmeade postmark. We had a postcard stamped and it makes a very cool and inexpensive souvenir!

Honeydukes – this store is based on the sweetshop in the Harry Potter series and it sells many of the items mentioned in the books and movies. Look for an assortment of candies such as: Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans, Fizzing Whizzbees and Cauldron Cakes but the Exploding Bonbons are no longer available for purchase. TRAVEL TIP: This shop is great for taking photos of the family holding all the different crazy selections of candy!
Zonko’s Joke Shop – This shop sells toys and joke items and it is also based on a store from the Harry Potter series. The shop is usually very crowded but if it quiet enough try to listen for the whispering from the Extendable ears hanging from the ceiling near the checkout registers, this unusual item is available for purchase. Also, available for purchase are the pygmy puffs and if you choose to “adopt” one of these creatures the clerk will ring the bell and announce the pygmy puff’s name to the whole store.
Flinch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods – located at the exit of the Forbidden Journey ride, this store sells a variety of Harry Potter themed merchandise and is also the place where guests can purchase their Forbidden Journey ride photos. TRAVEL NOTE: In a glass case in the store, look for the Marauder’s Map which actually shows the names the students and their footprints as they wander the corridors of Hogwarts.

Other shops in the village of Hogsmead include: The Dogweed and Deathcap shop which features a potted mandrake in the shop window that comes to life every few minutes. The Dervish and Banges shop which sells Hogwarts school robes and other items of clothing, copies of Advanced Potion making book and be sure to look for the Monster Book of Monsters in a special locked cage because it comes to life every few minutes. The Spintwitches shop sells all types of Quidditch and broom merchandise, look for a holographic snitch that has escaped from the Quidditch trunk and flies around. The Tomes and Scrolls bookshop sells Gilderoy Lockhart’s books “Magical Me” and “Travel with Trolls”.

TRAVEL NOTE: Before leaving the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, be sure to try the Butterbeer. This non-alcoholic beverage is available in several different locations in Hogsmeade, look for it at the Butterbeer carts, the Three Broomsticks restaurant or the Hog’s Head pub. Butterbeer comes in both a regular and a frozen drink and can be purchased in a souvenir mug which can be refilled for a discounted price. We thought the drink was delicious! The first time we tried the drink we only bought one to sample between the three of us, but later when we went back we purchase three individual drinks because it was so good!!

Brief History of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

On May 3, 2007 Universal (in partnership with Warner Bros.) announced plans that the Islands of Adventure Park area known as the Lost Continent was going to be re-themed into a 20 acre addition that would recreate Hogwarts and Hogsmeade from the popular children’s books, the Harry Potter series. By this time, five of the seven books had been made into successful Warner Bros. movies. Construction of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter began in January of 2008. The previous attraction, the Flying Unicorn, took almost two years of refurbishment to transform it into the new ride, the Flight of the Hippogriff. As the Hogwarts Castle started slowly taking form during construction, and a bridge was built to join the Jurassic Park area of the Islands of Adventure Park. Inside Hogwarts is the ride attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Also, the previous Dueling Dragons attraction was moved to make room for the construction of the village of Hogsmeade. By early 2010, the former ride had now been transformed into the Dragon Challenge with theming based on the Harry Potter books and movies.

The private opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter took place on June 16, 2010 and was reserved only for the cast and crew of the Harry Potter films, including J.K. Rowling the author of the world famous books. Then a few days later on June 18, the Wizarding World opened for the public and quickly proved to be a very successful addition to the Islands of Adventure Park.

Recently a second phase was announced on December 6, 2011 which will be constructed in the adjacent Universal Studios Florida in an area previously occupied by the Jaws ride attraction. This new Harry Potter themed addition will connect the two parks with a train ride on the Hogwarts Express. There will be a roller coaster themed ride based on the Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the remaining attractions will be themed around London and Diagon Alley. The Diagon Alley will feature the Leaky Cauldron restaurant and the shops will include the original Ollivanders Wand Shop, the Wesleys Wizard Wheezes, Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasion shop and the Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipement store. This new addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expected to open in 2014.

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

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