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| Day One in London | |||||||||||||
We left Bath with a clear understanding that London was going to be busy and crowded. While everything Gillian told us was true, little did she realize that things would be far worse than expected. With the Tour de France starting from London on the same weekend we were in for both a treat and a lot of congestion.
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Our next stop was Westminster Abbey. Talk about a beautiful structure. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take picture inside, but we can tell you it was indeed spectacular! There's more about it below Click Here with a link to their web site.
Next stop was our hotel (check out the info below). Once we settled in (there was NO time for resting) we headed out see Big Ben (actually the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, up Whitehall street past #10 Downing street (can't really get close to it) past the place where they house the Horse Guards (where we took pictures of almost everyone with the guard...above), and ended up at Trafalgar Square.
That evening we were on our own so the two of us headed off to the British Museum. We were very interested in their Egyptian collection as well as other artifacts that are only at the British Museum. A wonderful place (Click here for more below).
To cap off our day we headed over to Harrods What a store. If they don't have it...you don't need it. And what they sell was NOT second rate. We bought a few gifts while we were there, but no way were we going to do any real shopping. Nonetheless, Harrods was a great place to visit and "window" shop. (Click here for more below) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Second Day in London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Our second day started at the Tower of London (near the Tower Bridge). If you were looking for the single place in London with the most history this would have to be it.
Of course, you can't leave the Tower without a picture with a palace guard (well sort of). There's more about the Tower below (click here).
Following the tour was a great time to grab lunch. Some of our group (above) stopped at the small cafe just outside the Tower to grab a sandwich (Hi JP).
Gillian had a great surprise for us after lunch. Instead of getting back on the train/subway, we took a ferry boat up the Themes. A ferry boat ride was a great way to see all the places that line the Themes.
We left the boat near Westminster and walked from there to the Abbey. Our group is heading in for a tour through the North Entrance. There aren't any pictures of the inside (a spectacular place) because photos aren't allowed.
We were on our own for the rest of the afternoon. Jack, Jan, Linda and I headed to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. We spent a couple of hours at the museum, but you really should set aside a full day or more. In fact, there are so many things to see that it may take more than a day. We HIGHLY recommend it (click for more below).
Our final group dinner closed out our trip. We ate in the lower level of a great place call Grumbles (more below). It's always hard to say goodbye to all our fellow travelers and of course our wonderful guide Gillian. As they always say good things must come to an end. So did our second day in London and our formal tour. We stayed on for a couple of extra days (below). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Third Day in London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Our third day (Jan & Jack stayed on as well) we started with a trip to see the Changing of the Guards. It turned out that wasn't going to happen since we were there on the wrong day. Along the way we ran into this gentleman (asking for directions) who turned out to be a member of Parliment! Imagine our surprise!! What an interesting encounter.
Instead of seeing the guards, we were treated with some of the riders from the Tour de France. They were doing time trials throughout London. By the way that big building in the background is Buckingham Palace...but no guards and NO Queen! Can you imagine. However the riders (and their chase vehicles) were fun to see.
Since we couldn't see the Queen or her guards we decided to take a trip out to Greenwich for the Maritime Museum and the park next to the Merdian.
After we returned to the center of London on the Themes ferry, we split from Jack and Jan and headed for the London Eye. It was not only a great ride but a wonderful way to see the city of London. The view up and down the Themes and across the city can only be seen from the Eye or, perhaps, an airplane. There is more information about it below but we want to be sure you know that we highly recommend it.
Back from the ride we came upon the riders of the Tour de France again. As I stated above, they were using the town center for time trials (to establish the starting positions the next day). You can only imagine how much this screwed up traffic and the bus routes and schedules . The subway turned out to be the best way to get around. Can you believe how lucky we were to be there at the same time? It probably would have been really difficult to arrange if that had been our goal. (More about the Tour de France below). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Fourth Day in London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Day four in London was our last day. Tomorrow we take an early taxi to the airport and we're home by late in the afternoon.
Starting out we headed for Buckingham Palace. Instead we headed through St. James Park to the place where the Tour de France was gathered. Before they started for the day (the race actually started in Greenwich) all the bikers, their chase vehicles and tour buses staged themselves. We were able to see riders from all over the world very close up. Many of them we giving interviews or posing for photos. It's amazing how much territory they covered in the following several weeks. What an opportunity for us to be in London when this was all happening!
Our next stop was the Victoria and Albert Museum. It's a great place to visit (and revisit) with a lot of interesting displays and artifacts. One funny thing we found? There was one particular display we wanted to see. However, it wasn't there IT WAS ON TOUR IN THE US. A really interesting section was the plaster cast of various works of art. They were unusual and outstanding.
Having spent the past two weeks touring, we decided that we`d head to Hyde Park and take a rest. On our way into the park we came across Speaker Corner. That's the place where anyone with something to say can set up a stand and say it. An amazing experience. Most of the speakers had something to say about religion. The speeches also covered politics and life in general. By the way, there wasn't just one speaker, there were 8 or 9. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| A WOW list for London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| London was full of Wows. Here are some of them:
1. The Gutenberg Bible and the da Vinci's notebook (British Library) 2. The Rosetta Stone and the Lindow Man (British Museum) 3. Harrods Department Store. 4. The Tower of London...location where queens and princes have been imprisoned and died, the Crown Jewels are displayed and the seat of British government has been located for a thousand years. 5. The London Eye...a new definition of Ferris Wheel. 6. The War Rooms and Churchill Museum. and finally 7. The Tour de France. If you don't see these and say Wow for each and every one of them, stop traveling...you're wasting your money! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| British Library | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Our first stop in London. What a marvelous place. The documents and other artifacts we saw are simply not on display anywhere else. A Gutenberg Bible, lyrics from Paul McCartney and a job application from Lenin. The items we saw are literally pieces of history. Our only regret was that we didn't have enough time to study what we saw. This library would be a reason to return to London! Highly recommended! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Library St Pancras 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB Tel: +44 (0)870 444 1500 FAX: +44 (0)1937 546060 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| British Museum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The British Museum has one of the best collections of artifacts in the WORLD. We spent a couple of hours and barely touched the surface. Fortunately, we had Rick's guide book that has a great mini-tour. It pointed out the most important must-see items and mapped out their location. The Museum wasn't on our tour, but that is, after all, what free time is all about. Our primary intent on visiting the museum was to see the Egyptian exhibit. We had heard that it is second only to the exhibit in Cairo. It was outstanding. We quickly discovered there was so much more to see. The Rosetta Stone alone would have been worth the trip. We were in the presence of HISTORY, not just "old stuff". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Museum Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG Tel: +44 (0)20 7323 8000/8299 FAX: +44 (0)20 7323 8616 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Harrods | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Harrods...Wow! Not cheap, but what is. The store has everything. Even if you don't intend to buy anything (I'm sure you can find a few reasonably priced gifts) just seeing the store was worth the visit. There were so many things to see and the way things were displayed (just look at the pictures) was wonderful! Recommended? You bet! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harrods 87-135 Brompton Road Knightsbridge London SW1X 7XL Tel: 0870 732 1234 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tower of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
You talk about history!! The Tower of London was about as chock-full of it as any place on earth. The list of names of people imprisoned, murdered and executed here iwas unbelievable. From Queens and Princes to Rudolph Hess, the Tower has been site of intrigue for centuries. When you visit it today, it seems so peaceful! What a strange contradiction!
Outside the Tower of London was the famous Tower Bridge. Gillian explained how lucky we were to see it in operation. I suppose think of it as London Bridge. That, of course, is in Arizona.
No this isn't one of the Beefeaters. Probably here more for the kids, it was obvious (by the number of people from our group having a picture taken with him) that they`re here for the kids...of all ages!
The Waterloo House was where the Crown Jewels were located. Sorry there are no pictures but, as you might expect, there are no pictures allowed inside the building. To say that the jewels are magnificent simply does them no justice. They are spectacular!
A Beefeater tour guide. It's not clear where the name comes from but it's clear that the guides are retired military. They have the privilege of living on the grounds of the Tower. The group we were with was fairly large, yet the Beefeater had no problem being heard or understood! FYI...they DO accept tips!
Also known as Queen's gate (for Queen Elizabeth) this was the gate that prisoners arriving to the Tower were taken though.
This sign speaks for itself. If there was any place in London that was haunted, this must be it. You talk about a who`s who of British royalty! (yes that is me taking a picture of myself). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tower of London, built by William the Conqueror London EC3N 4AB Tel: 0844 482 7777 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Two exhibits in one. The first was the War Rooms. When World War II ended and the British government closed the War Rooms, they left everything pretty much as we saw it today. The furniture, the furnishings, the equipment and all the every day items needed by the staff to carry out their duties. Everything still there like they left it just yesterday. I can't count the number of programs Linda and I have seen about Churchill and the time he spent in these very rooms. Fascinating! That was just the start. As a way of honoring Churchill they've added a museum onto the War Rooms. The museum covers, in detail, Churchill's ninety years with particular emphasis on his activities during the war. It was a spectacular collection of facts and artifacts. We strongly recommend it! One note, be sure to leave a LOT of time to cover everything...you can use an entire day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms Clive Steps King Charles Street London SW1A 2AQ Tel: +44 (0)20 7930 6961 FAX: +44 (0)20 7839 5897 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Westminster Abbey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Then there was the Abbey itself. Built in 1245 it was one of the most magnificent buildings we saw throughout the trip. While it`s not the largest we saw it certainly was one of the most beautiful! From the towering vault to the polished Purbeck marble used in the columns it truly was spectacular! And I'm sure we`ve all seen pictures of Royal weddings (no not Charles and Dianna`s) and coronations starting with William the Conqueror and ending with Elizabeth II in 1953. Yes another place where you find history everywhere you look. You certainly don't need our recommendation, don't even think of passing by. The Abbey was a MUST SEE! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Westminster Abbey 20 Dean`s Yard London SW1P 3PA Tel: +44 (0) 20 7222 5152 FAX: +44 (0) 20 7233 2072 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National Maritime Museum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
We traveled to Greenwich on a ferry boat. This was a great ride. Seeing London from the Themes (as I said above) was an outstanding view. You have to take a moment and think about all the historical figures that must have traveled this river. Wow! When we arrived at Greenwich we decided to take some time to walk into town and have some lunch. We stopped at a sandwich shoppe and picked up some food and drinks. We took them over to the city dock that overlooks the river. A sunny day with a cool breeze in a small picturesque town in England. It doesn't get much better than that! After lunch we headed up to the Maritime Museum. While it had a lot of interesting items to see, I wouldn't rate it has a high point of our trip. Though the trip to it and the time in Greenwich was worth it! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National Maritime Museum Greenwich London SE10 9NF Tel: +44 (0)20 8858 4422 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| London eye | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The only site that wasn't historic and yet it was one of the best places we visited. The cars are large (20+ people without being crowded), the cars move very slowly making boarding easy and yet stops for special passengers. The cars are air conditioned (they do get warm because of all the glass) and the view of London is SECOND TO NONE! Linda and I waited about 45 minutes to get on the ride and then 1/2 hour for the trip around. It was well worth the wait and the cost! Highly recommended! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| London eye Tel: +44 (0)870 5000 600 FAX: +44 (0)870 400 3006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tour de France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tour de France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Changing of the Guards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
We headed back to Buckingham Palace for a second attempt to see the changing of the guards. While we didn't actually see the guards being changed, we took Rick`s advice and watched as the guards formed-up, went through inspection, warmed up with some totally non-marching songs and then march over to the Palace. For my money, this was by far a better show. The two videos above give you a glimpse at what we saw. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Changing of the Guards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Victoria and Albert Museum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Victoria and Albert Museum was the final historic stop on our tour. While I wouldn't give it a high recommendation (that may be because of two weeks of touring) we did enjoy it. In particular we enjoyed the plaster casts. They were made from other art work as a way of preserving the artwork they recreate, but now they are art in themselves. Fascinating! We were looking for one specific item which we didn't find. It was a Fabergé egg made for Russian royalty. Our luck? It was on tour of the US! Go figure. Anyway we'd recommend the museum, just not highly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Victoria and Albert Museum V&A South Kensington Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Speakers` Corner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Many believe that the 1872 Royal Parks and Gardens Act conferred a statutory basis for the right to speak at Speakers' Corner. It didn't. It just pushed the issue out of Parliament. Actually the "right" to speak at Speakers` Corner is a tradition and the same laws that cover speech anywhere in England cover the speakers here. The only difference is the local police`s willingness to overlook most speeches as long as they don't cause a riot. Anyway, it`s a very interesting place. The speakers were plentiful, colorful and controversial! You can clearly see from the pictures that some of the speakers had a lot of listeners and some had none. In fact one even had body-guards (more for show...since no one appeared to aggressive in any way). A definite place to visit. We followed our visit to the speakers with some time just relaxing in Hyde Park. What's amazing is that you won't know you were in England. It looked just like and afternoon in any park in America. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speakers` Corner Hyde Park Westminster, London, W2 2UH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| British Library | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not outstanding food, but a good meal. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Library St Pancras 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB Tel: +44 (0)870 444 1500 FAX: +44 (0)1937 546060 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| British Museum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not recommended. There was a food court on the main floor but it only had sandwiches and drinks. Not worth the money!
There was a restaurant at the museum, but it wasn't open for dinner (at least not while we were there). So...we suggest you eat elsewhere then come to the museum. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Museum Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG Tel: +44 (0)20 7323 8000/8299 FAX: +44 (0)20 7323 8616 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tower of London | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Just outside the Tower there's a small cafe. The food was nothing special, but a good location and decent food. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Grumbles Restaurant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the final group meal. The food and company were excellent. It`s always a sad time, however to say goodbye to the folks we have spent so much time with. The restaurant was close by our hotel and had good food. Recommended!
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| Grumbles Restaurant 35 Churton Street Pimlico SW1V 2LT Tel: 0207 834 0149 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Covent Gardens | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Linda and I ate at a small cafe in the middle of the market. The food was good, and the prices were reasonable. Even if you don't stop to get something to eat, a visit to Covent Garden is worth your time...the food was like having desert. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Covent Gardens Market | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nando`s Restaurant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Mexican" food in London. Who`d of thought? The food was very good and the prices were reasonable. One of the few places we found you could get a refill on your drinks for free. Only a few blocks from the hotel. Recommended. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nando`s Restaurant 107-108 Wilton Rd London, SW1V 1DZ, United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 79765619 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Holiday Inn Express | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The hotel was very nice and had a great location. We were one block from the subway and only a couple of blocks from a bunch of great restaurants and shops. While it wasn't air-conditioned, the weather wasn't that warm, the windows were large and the fan did the trick. We'd recommend it! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Holiday Inn Express 106-110 Belgrave Rd London, SW1V 2BJ Tel: 44-20-76308888 FAX: 44-20-78280441 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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