Big Ben, Windsor Castle, & the London Eye

Please note: I am having serious internet issues, so uploading photos is slow and tedious and I need to get some sleep. Also, now that I am in France, Google is insistent on having me view my blog in French and when I ask it to translate it, it doesn't do a very good job requiring me to edit again and again! I'll upload more photos later. You can view most of the photos I've taken on my Facebook page.

Our second day in London started with a continental breakfast at the hotel. There were some of the typical items you would expect like juice, brown hard boiled eggs, cereal, and fresh fruit. The most interesting items were the different kinds of sliced ​​deli style meats. There was ham, salami, something that looked like pepperoni, and garlic that Janice said tasted like bologna along with a brie and edom cheese. We had a selection of several yogurts that were much thinner than what we have at home (think thinner than Yoplait) and a number of loaves of bread where you could cut off a slice and toast it. I noticed that our tour director made himself a sandwich with the bread, cheese and meat. There was also a raspberry sauce called fruit coulis that was pretty yummy.

After breakfast it was another walk to the Tube to get into Central London again. We got off on Baker Street, walked by the statue of Sherlock Holmes and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum where the wait time was over two hours already. We met a local tour guide and climbed onto a big bus for a three hour tour of the city. We drove all over the two parts of London. Aldwych (originally-settled by the Romans, a square mile where the financial district is located) and Westminster.

We Heard a variety of tidbits and facts about the history of different buildings and districts. All of the different neighborhoods have "squares" and parks. We drove through the Bloomsbury District where a lot of schools, the arts and medicine were located including the artist Virginia Woolf. This district was known for the interesting love lives of the residents. Our guide shared a famous quote, "They lived in squares, talked in circles, and loved in triangles." When we drove over London Bridge, our guide explained that the bridge has been rebuilt five different times for a variety of reasons. And of course, there was also an explanation of the many executions that occurred at the Tower of London. We even drove past Australia Bank which is the building used for the exterior of Gringotts Bank in the Harry Potter movies.

At different spots along the tour, we stopped to get out and walk around. First stop was near St. Paul's Cathedral. We walked across the Millennium Bridge (built to celebrate the turning of the century) to get a view of the Thames and assorted buildings along the water. One cool thing that David, our tour director pointed out was the amount of gum on the ground as we walked across the bridge. There is an artist who comes out at night and paints the blobs into colorful designs and creatures. It was such a clever idea, and I had fun looking for the different shaped mini paintings as we walked across the bridge.

The museums in London are free, but to go into the churches, it costs money. So we did not get to go into St. Paul's Cathedral. Instead we went down into the basement where Sir Christopher Wren (the architect) is buried in a crypt along with other significant people. We did a pit stop at the loo (aka restroom) which was labeled WC for water closet. The stalls are really a closet - small enclosed rooms with an actual door keeping it very private.

The final stop of the tour was at Buckingham Palace to catch the changing of the Guard. This time, the Royal Guard wore the traditional red uniforms and fur helmets. We got to see them leaving and walking down the Mall. Then we met up with another tour group to take our half-day excursion to Windsor Castle.

For this side trip, We had a new tour guide, Eric. He kept us entertained with funny stories about the royal family and the English people in general on the hour long trip. It was a fast paced trip. We had 30 minutes for lunch at the Cinnamon Cafe and then about two hours to view the grounds, tour the State Apartments, and walk through St. George's Chapel. Windsor Castle is impressive both inside and out. Outside looks just like a castle from King Arthur's Camelot complete with slots in the wall for the archers. The inside was beautiful and big. We listened to an audio tour and walked through many different rooms in the State Apartments where the royal family receives and entertains dignitaries. We saw amazing portraits and paintings by Rubens, Van Dyke, and Brueghel (my personal favorite Dutch painter). The last portion of this tour we visited Sir George's chapel. Sir George is the patron saint of England and the Knights of the Garter, a very special and prestigious order started in his honor. In this working church are buried a number of people including King Henry VIII with his favorite wife Jane Seymour, and King George III, who according to our guide is the "founder" of our country, the U.S.

Outside of the castle is a cute little town filled with shops, that I wish we would have had the time to wander through, but it was back on the bus to join our tour group for dinner at an Asian restaurant. We thought we were going to have an authentic fish and chips dinner, but the company changed the restaurant, so we had chicken lo mein instead.

After dinner we headed to the London Eye. This high tech ferris wheel with clear enclosed pods was also built to celebrate the Millennium. Originally it was only going to be a temporary structure, but due to the popularity of the ride, the city decided to keep it. We got fantastic views of the city and were able to locate; many of the places we visited earlier in the day. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was late and we had to pack for an early departure the next morning. It was definitely a quick survey of London and if I ever return, I've got a list of places to go back to and explore.