Mind the Gap.

Just seven long months after our 10th anniversary, Adam and I finally boarded the plane for London. We would fill 10 days with as much of Europe as we possibly could. Our trip begins in London where we daringly opted to find our own way to our hotel rather than pay for the transfer with the tour company. So, even though the signs were in English, duh, we still seemed to be directionally challenged in the subway. But we did find our way onto the correct train and enjoyed the 30 minute ride...especially the little English accented voice that came on at every stop asking people to "mind the gap."

We got off the train about four blocks from our hotel and lugged our suitcases (well, we each had one and a backpack...after spending a month in Russia, this girl knows how to pack) a few more blocks to the hotel. We got checked in and immediately went down to the tour desk to sign up for our excursions and find out which show we could see that night. To our disappointment, they had no show tickets but the hotel concierge directed to a street vendor in Piccadilly Circus. Without further delay, we set out, found the bus station, got our tickets and a map and were on our own quest for discovery before lunch, London time.

I'm not sure what I expected when we came upon the Circus but a mad rush of cars and pedestrians was certainly not what I had in mind. When we got off the bus, I began my visual search for the street vendor that would satisfy my desire for tickets to a show in a London theater. When we found him, there were several locals milling about who actually knew what they were doing...so, I stood back and watched them for a moment, all the while listening to the options. Of course when he offered me seats to this and that, I couldn't decide and I didn't want to make a mistake...He was really pushing seats to Sister Act which I really had no desire to see. So, Adam and I finally decided to buy tickets to We Will Rock You, a musical comedy composed of all Queen music and partially directed by one of the former band members. Tickets in hand, we had time to explore and so we did.

We wandered about and ate dinner at a sidewalk cafe, got off the bus a little too late but still made it in time for the show, which, I absolutely LOVED!!!!! And, I think Adam would have loved it too had he been able to stay awake! But alas, jet lag had grabbed hold of him and would not let go. After the show, we were exhausted and ready for some much needed sleep. BUT, our bus somehow ended up on another road??? Or, maybe we read the route wrong but the long and short of it is we walked for about 2 hours before we were so exhausted and frustrated that we hailed a cab to return us to our hotel for what would now amount to about 4 hours of sleep before we had to be up for breakfast and our morning excursion...Day one...whew!

On Day two, we started with the city tour, which I love to do anytime I go somewhere new. It allows an overview of the place so you can really see where you want to spend more time and what you can skip. Our tour guide was awesome! She was very knowledgeable and spoke on all the history of a place before we got there. I noticed that as we walked past St. James Palace, although she mentioned Anne Boleyn, she didn't really go into the history which having just been in several books and movies is so fascinating...but apparently not so to the Brits. I enjoyed seeing the palace that I have seen in so many movies now. It seems they no longer have guards standing by as the war in the middle east has taken all of their reserves and they can no longer afford to have guards for such menial tasks. However, in the fall one of the queen's grand daughter's will come to London for University and she will stay at St. James thereby forcing the British guard to stand duty...to use her words, "what a waste."

After passing the palace, we walked down to Buckingham Palace and were placed, by our guide, in the perfect spot to watch the changing of the Guard and get a glimpse of the palace before walking along the Princess Diana Memorial walk toward Big Ben, the Parliament and West Minster Abby. These are three places that WHEN, not if, I go back to London, I will be making a B-line to. Because of time constraints and being part of a guided tour, these were all places we got to see from the outside and did not get to venture into. Also, the Tower, which used to be a prison and now holds the crown jewels is on the top of my list. Because we had to choose our excursions, we opted for the afternoon tour of Windsor Castle leaving these places for our next trip.

Before heading out to the castle, we stopped by St. Paul's Cathedral where Lady Di married the Prince. There is a big long bout of history surrounding this church and a church has been on this ground since 604AD. Most interesting, I think is that the saying, "robbing Peter to Pay Paul comes from the history of this cathedral. In the early 1600's the cathedral as it stood was almost completely destroyed by fire. In the following years, the British government confiscated tithes from the church across town, St. Peter's, to pay for a new St. Paul's...thus, robbing Peter to pay Paul...how very interesting, or not. I found the American Chapel, a small room at the back of the sanctuary that pays tribute to fallen American soldiers very moving and the whispering gallery fascinating. You can stand on one side of the massive dome, (which, BTW weighs more than 65,000 tons) whisper facing the wall and be heard clear across as if you were standing right next to the person you are talking to. I believe Adam found the poop on the statue of Queen Anne most interesting...aahh, as long as we are both having fun.

So now we are off to Windsor Castle. Along the way, we see, the highway...how glamorous but as we get closer, we enter the limits of the cutest little town , Windsor, I have ever seen! We get out of our bus and we walk about 1/2 a mile through shops and little homes to the tourist entrance of the castle. Before we go in, we are treated to views of Eaton, and the gardens which made me think first of Meagen, because she too loves trashy romance novels and what historical hero did not attend Eaton in his youth? And then I thought of my grandmother because she loves gardens. Walking through the castle was amazing. It was my first castle and so probably the most impressive as it is the largest inhabited castle in the world. Of course we were not permitted to see the wings that the royal family actually uses but to think that someone at some point in history actually built a home that large as a monument to themselves was awe inspiring.

My favorite part of the castle was not the the castle at all but St. George's Chapel. I mean the grandeur of the Castle was amazing and the history of it interesting but this small chapel located just a few feet from the castle is the queen's favorite place to attend church and to see it not be something grand like Westminster or St. Paul's was nice. It is the site of more than 16 royal weddings since 1863 and the final resting place of more than 32 royals including Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I with her husband George VI and their daughter, Margaret. It also believed to be the future resting place for Elizabeth II. Anyway, It just seemed so much more personal than anything else we toured and I guess that is why I found it the most interesting.

Moving On, We took an evening boat tour on the Thames. We passed under the London Bridge which, was NOT falling down because they finally figured out how to build a bridge there in the 1960's, passed by the traitor gates of the Tower and the Tower bridge, the London eye. We also got the waterside view of Big Ben and the Parliament...that's right kids. It was beautiful and wonderful and we were tired and ready for bed. But, we had to report for dinner, so we did and then we hit the pillows to rest up for the next day which would be filled with travel and new adventures!

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Other favorite Pics from London:

A classic must take tourist pic.












Everything is Europe is "Toilet." I prefer the term "restroom."









All that is left of Whitehall Palace, built during the reign of Henry VIII and destroyed by fire in 1619.








Posted in the gardens of St. Paul's Cathedral. I think is more about the poo on Anne's face. But still, I think it nice that they request rather than demand.







The tower bridge at twilight. No vampire's but still beautiful.









Adam outside the Tower.