So, it is time to leave London. We woke up this morning, Scott brought me my coffee (from one of the 4 Starbucks within a 2 block radius) and we started packing up. We got everything ready to go, and then went for one last walk to Trafalgar Square. We decided to stop at Pret … Continue reading Leaving London
Ok, I must stop and say a few words about how awesome the Tube system is here. Seriously. I am in love with it and have no idea why, in the states, we can't make practical progress on this. There is nowhere that we have wanted to go, that we can't just walk a few … Continue reading The Tube
In 1494, Giles Daubeney, later Lord Chamberlain, leased and modernized the medieval manor of Hampton Court. So, 113 years before the founding of Jamestown, Hampton Court Manor was being modernized. That's so hard for this American girl to really process. Then in 1515, 500 years ago, having leased the property the year before, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey … Continue reading Hampton Court Palace
On Wednesday, after the Changing of the Horse Guard, we took a purposeful walk. I wanted to see Big Ben from Westminster Bridge. The iconic view. It was a little crazy, and was the first time here that I thought - this is the perfect place to be pick-pocketed. I even paused at one point … Continue reading Strolling Westminster
Today, we went in search of a piece of my family history. The story goes like this... During WWII, my grandfather, Garland Earl, was stationed in London. When I told that to our Fat Tyre Bike Tour guide, he immediately asked if he was part of the something-or-other corps. I had never heard of whatever … Continue reading London Family History
Today, we made Lydia very happy, and went to see the Changing of the Horse Guard, or as they are officially called, the Queen's Life Guard. Since it is not until 11am, it made for a more leisurely departure, which we all appreciated. I'm not sure why it is so much less known - or … Continue reading The Queen’s Life Guard
Ok, I admit it, I had real doubts about whether this would be worth taking a whole day out of our time in London. In fact, several times I took it off our itinerary to make room for other things. I mean, a whole day?? Especially when we have seen the Wizarding World of Harry … Continue reading Harry Potter Studio Tour
Visiting the Tower of London has been at the top of my list of things to see since we first talked about this trip. There is so much history tied up in the buildings. Famous and infamous residents from the time of William the Conqueror, up through Henry the VIII, to a prisoner during the … Continue reading The Tower of London
Sunday, our first full day here, I specifically planned to do the Royal London Fat Tyre Bike Tour. They had been recommended by a friend from her trip to Paris, and are really highly rated on the travel sites, so I thought it was worth a shot. Then, I also read how it was good … Continue reading London: Fat Tyre Bike Tour
After our crypt lunch, we went back to the room to rest for a while. We didn't want to really fall asleep, but get enough rest that we could stay up until bedtime. Then we ran errands for the apartment necessities, and decided to walk Strand in search of somewhere interesting to have dinner. We … Continue reading The Coal Hole
We arrived in London, and after taking the picture-perfect gated lift to our flat (ok, I took it with our bags, that's all that fit!) settled in to our London 'home'. I'll do an apartment post later - those photos are still on Scott's laptop, and I can only transfer the photos one at … Continue reading London: Cafe in the Crypt
Well, this is what we are taking. These bags, and the four of us headed off on our European Tour. I'm not even going to attempt the math, but many hours later we arrived at London Heathrow around noon London time. We were tired to the point of a bit punchy and confused, but we … Continue reading Dulles to London, and scary birds in between!
Well, I might as well confess right now. I'm a hopeless travel reading, studying, planning nerd. And when it comes to travel, it's a sickness. Seriously. I mean, I own travel books for places we have no plans of visiting. It just came up in conversation at one point, I got curious what it would … Continue reading Reading: London
A KEY arrived in the mail today! I just held it and grinned like an idiot, because this key is to an apartment in PARIS! That's right, Paris! Ah, Paris in the springtime... We are finally close enough to this trip to get a KEY in the MAIL! I'm considering having it surgically attached to … Continue reading London, Paris, Bruges… Oh my!
