London

London is a city steeped in thousands of years of history.  It is one of those places that you can come back to many times and still only scratch the surface.   It is bursting at the seems with interesting possibilities to explore.  We found it to be a challenge to see and do everything on our London list in just two short days.

Our first day was a bit dreary... the rain was steady and the wind was cold... but we got out and walked and began to explore the city.

Out the front door of our hotel in Covent Gardens, we headed to the South Bank of the Thames River. As we walked across the river we saw, in the distance, a familiar sight, Big Ben.  Although it was amazing to take in the view of this iconic structure, it was the bellowing chimes through the misty air that truly gave me goosebumps...   

Big Ben with the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey

Big Ben framed by the towers of the Houses of Parliament

Big Ben with the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey

After getting our fill of Big Ben, we crossed over the river to explore the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey a bit more.  

Statue of King Richard the First 

 Westminster Abbey

After we passed by these historical landmarks, we decided to head back to the hotel to warm up a bit with afternoon tea... 

Looking down the Mall toward Buckingham Palace

The Admiralty Arch 

A bright spot in St. James Park

After tea, we headed out again in the rain for an evening walk up the Strand to St. Paul's Cathedral. We walked up the steps and realized there was an Evensong service just starting and we enjoyed another lovely choir in this magnificent baroque church.   We happened to be seated right next to Lord Wellington's tomb.   As we left in the rain and the darkening evening, we remembered the scene from "Mary Poppins" with the old woman feeding the birds..."tuppence a bag."

Our second day in London began with the sun streaming through the windows!  After a lovely breakfast in the historic Waldorf's restaurant gilded in gold and surrounded in mirrors (very Louis the XVI),  We raced out to redeem the most of this glorious morning ... we made our way again to the Thames for a North Bank walk toward the London Tower and Bridge.

A view up the Thames River... 

You can see the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the distance. 

Shakespeare's Globe Theater 

The Tower Bridge

The Tower of London, the infamous prison of Henry the VIII, where many lost their heads.

After our long walk down the North side of the River Thames, we headed back to check out Buckingham Palace .  On our way, we decided to try a local favorite... Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas...yep,.. they were peas... and they were mushy.  Just like the description!

We really enjoyed this treat... the fish was fresh and flaky and sooooo good!

We finished up our visit to London with a stop at the Queen Elizabeth's II home, Buckingham Palace.  

The Queen Victoria Monument which stands directly in front of Buckingham Palace Gates

 Buckingham Palace is a rather large home... can you imagine trying to keep this clean?

We enjoyed watching the guards keep very still... but we did not enjoy all the other visitors... so made a quick escape back to the hotel and are resting for our big drive tomorrow...