My granddaughters and I embarked on a summer three-city tour in July. We are in the last city of the tour, London. The girls are excited to be here, but a little thrown off by driving on the opposite side of the road. We used cabs in all three cities, Berlin, Paris and London, they were easy to get and reasonably priced. I will say though, driving is a little more aggressive than it is in the US. A few times in Paris, we were closing our eyes . . . but we arrived safely.
First stop for dinner was Sherlock Holmes Pub. Fish and Chips for me!
Day One in London
First full day in London included a trip to Windsor Castle. The Queen was there they said, but alas no sightings. Prior to this visit, when thinking about Windsor Castle, I imagined just that, a single castle. But apparently I was wrong. It is really more of a complex of buildings with a small town built around it. The original castle was built in the 11th century and has had many additions and upgrades since then. Kings and Queens going back nearly a thousand years have used the castle as a home and a place for meeting other world leaders.
The changing of the guard is a thing at all of the palaces it appears, here it is at Windsor.
It’s hard to believe these buildings have stood for more than 900 years.
Didn’t try to get the guard to smile or move at all, but he did make for a nice picture.
As we were leaving Windsor, we stopped just down the hill for lunch. The food at Drury House was excellent; it hit the spot, as did the desert. However, the history on the restaurant menu was the best part of the meal. We enjoyed imagining what it would have been like during that time for Prince Charles II sneaking through tunnels to see his mistress. Very clandestine.
Our first night in London, we saw the play “Mama Mia.” It was spectacular. Having grown up listening to ABBA, it was fun hearing the old songs. For my granddaughters, it was just fun!
Day Two in London
Day two in London was an eight-hour walking tour. I think my Fitbit clocked us at just under nine miles for the day.
Westminster Abbey has been going through a facelift for quite some time, but it looks pretty awesome in these pictures.
Preparing for the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The palace guards march from the front of the Guards Museum down and across the road to the front of Buckingham Palace and where they enter the gates. We were fortunate to have a wonderful sunny day for this event; everything was bright and colorful.
The gardens in front of Buckingham Palace were gorgeous!
As we crossed the bridge headed away from the palace, to our backs was St James Park and St James Park Lake. There were plenty of families walking around and enjoying the summer sun. Lovely place in the middle of the city.
Then we were off to the Tower of London. The Crown Jewels are here and tons of history. Many people lost their heads at the Tower of London.
Last stop for the day, Tower Bridge. Then we headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready for the long trip home. Thoroughly enjoyed our three-city tour this summer and London was a great way to end it, the people and the city were lovely.
To see more of our Summer Three-City Tour, click the link for . . . Berlin . . . London
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