Day 16: Saturday, September 16th: Is that ABBA?

The forecast for London is a high of 26 degrees with overcast skies. We head downstairs for our complimentary breakfast in the Library. Another excellent breakfast. This morning for a hot plate I had the smoked salmon with eggs on a bagel. Lana had avocado toast. It was not busy this morning and Lana thought that most people with Marriott status are business travellers and they wouldn't be here on a weekend. We need to get to an ATM to take out some British currency in order to pay Tina and Adrian for our share of the go-karting and ABBA concert today. It's about a ten minute walk to a Post Office ATM to withdraw English Pounds. It is sunny now and already 20 degrees. This is our last full vacation day as tomorrow we fly back to Vancouver. We are to meet Tina and Adrian at the Waterloo Station for 11:10 am. We will then head to Canary Wharf. 

Wallpaper in Hotel hallway--so British but Lana liked it!

Wallpaper in our bathroom basically a map of London. The County Hall in the lower left is where we are staying. 

Canary Wharf is directly east of central London where we are staying. It is between the River Thames and was developed by a Canadian firm many decades ago. During the work week it is busy with businessmen and on weekends full of Londoners and some tourists. They even have a Canada Place.

Our first destination/activity for today is Capital Karts at Canary Wharf (Cabot Place Shopping Mall). Tina organized this activity. The cost per ticket is about 68 Pounds. This is electric go karting for adults. It was not easy to find the elevator to take us below the mall, but eventually we figured it out. There is a long list of Mandatory Requirements and Terms and Conditions for racing. You use a computer to register and at the conclusion they email you your results. There were 17 racers in our group that started just after 12 noon.

You are provided a racing suit, gloves and a balaclava. Later you pick your helmet. With the group you watch a video on the rules and operating your electric go kart. Lots of testosterone in this room. Lana and Tina are the only women and judging by the previous group and the following group they might have been the only women racing today. They both did well.

The electric go karts have great acceleration. The floor is pretty slippery though so you really have to watch the corners for 'drifting'. Also, each go kart is wrapped like a bumper car and the more aggressive drivers will simply bump you out of the way in the corners causing you to spin around. That was really aggravating. For the first 15 minutes you do practice laps together and the fastest lap for each driver places them in that position on the starting grid. The practice laps involve a lot of bumping. Lana said she got hit so hard she almost flew our of her go-kart!!

Adrian was the #1 qualifier so he was first on the grid. I was in the middle and the ladies were towards the end. The next twenty minutes were the actual race. The Race marshals were constantly yelling at the guys to slow down at certain corners as it led to mayhem with spin outs and aggression. Adrian got the checkered flag and all racers drove into pit lane. They award medals for the first three drivers and Adrian got the gold medal!

I finished 9th, Lana finished 11th and Tina finished 14th. It was lots of fun and we were all sweaty and hot. Fortunately, we brought shirts to change into. Everyone checks their results on the big board and our emails will provide the results as well. Lana's comments: go karts harder to steer than she had thought and other drivers were crazy/aggressive and it was fun and a chance to get your adrenalin going. But she's happy she didn't finish dead last!!

Three of us drivers with Adrian on the right. I figure given he is an Engineer this might have been a real asset for judging speed into the corners and turn angle. 

This is at the conclusion of our racing. Everyone sweaty!

Randy not Schumacher. 

Screen at the conclusion of racing to check on your results immediately. 

We changed into new shirts and then it was time to find a casual lunch place as we needed to be at our next event before 15:00. We went upstairs into the gigantic Canary Wharf Shopping Centre to find some restaurants. Three of us picked an Island Poké lunch and one person elected to get a sandwich. Pretty busy mall, but we did find a table outside of the restaurants for the four of us. 

Randy's lunch at Island Poké in a Canary Wharf Mall. Salmon on sushi rice with lots of other ingredients inclusive of seaweed. 

This is Island Poké Canary Wharf. You can choose all your ingredients and sauces.

We took another train to arrive right at the ABBA Arena and a short walk across the street. At the same time on the train and down the stairs the West Ham United football fans were chanting and singing on their way to their park for their home game against Manchester City. 

Many of the ABBA fans were dressed in 70s clothes and quite colourful. Everyone looked pretty excited. There are security checks before you enter and you receive a wrist band. Lots of booze being sold and memorabilia. We have tickets for the dance floor so we are pretty close to the stage. The event is termed ABBA Voyage. We will be standing for the entire 90 minute concert. At least it is not a mosh pit!  

This is amazing technology as ABBA looks 95% like the actual ABBA members from the 70s. How do they make this? There is a live band that assists in some of the music. The gigantic close up shots look very realistic. You swear you are watching ABBA live in the 70s. Their movements are realistic. They use motion capture technology and it is 2 Dimensional shown on a screen that converts to 3 Dimensional avatars. Apparently, it is shown upon a screen, but that is not apparent to the audience. 

The fans in the dance floor are swaying, dancing and throwing their arms into the air. The audience is probably 90% females and is mainly baby boomers, but also much younger people. On the weekend they do two shows and I believe most performances are sold out. Tickets are 105 Pounds each so not cheap for us Canadians with the exchange rate of 1.70. You are warned before the concert starts that there is no photography or video allowed and if they catch you then you are escorted out of the arena. 

Randy with the ladies as we arrive at the arena. 

Outside the arena specially built for this production. Apparently, it can be collapsed and moved to a new location/country. 

This is the poster found around the Arena and in the email tickets. 

ABBA Arena for ABBA Voyage concert picture taken by me.

ABBA fans getting ready for the concert. We were on the Dance Floor. 

How does this technology work?

"Some 160 cameras were used, with graphics later added by Industrial Light & Magic. The choreography is based on the band members' real movements, but captured from younger body doubles. The digital band, utilising the songs' originally-recorded vocals, are accompanied by a live instrumental band on stage. Basically, we were in a studio in Sweden for five weeks, with ABBA. And we filmed them with 160 cameras, in motion-capture suits.ABBA Voyage is a mind-blowing, immersive concert which features photoreal 'Abbatars' of the band by George Lucas's ILM, as if Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Frida have been transported forty years through time to play for us now."

Wow, this was quite an experience and this is the leading edge of applying technology to an older group and then packaging it for this type of unique presentation. Not sure when this type of event will come to Vancouver or North America?

Back on the train to connect in central London with the tube and then to Waterloo Station. A bit of a walk to Tina and Adrian's home. A gated community with rentals and owned units. They are renting and have one of the larger units with a garage and wider lot. They have three levels and a pretty sizeable back yard with the best grass I have ever seen for a backyard. Adrian barbecued two huge steaks with one being English and the other cut of meat from Spain. Three of us chose the English meat as the more tasty. Lots of great wine to drink inclusive of two dessert wines. We had a lovely time especially with their two kids. I don't think we left until after 22:40 and Adrian drove us to our hotel. 

For dessert the adults and children had delicious desserts from Cederic Grolet (French Patissiers). He makes whimsical desserts. Each dessert was delicious and beautiful to look at as they are made to resemble the actual fruit. They are filled with the fruit puree and the shell is a thin layer of white or regular chocolate for the shape. Then the entire thing is dipped in another coating to simulate the actual fruit. They come in a beautiful box and are picture worthy! Pretty bougie and perfect for us foodies. 

Apricot flavour.

Coconut flavour.

Strawberry flavour. 

Peach flower tart.

Lana and Fiona playing games. 

Max, Randy, Lana and Fiona. 

Stats for today = over 15,000 steps and 6 floors. Averages for my last seven days = 17,000 steps per day and 15 floors per day. Our vacation is over now as tomorrow is our travel day from London Heathrow to Vancouver (YVR). It has been a long, but eventful day with more great memories.