London is a beautiful blend of ancient and modern architecture. We spent an entire day touring the city and I was surprised at how common it is to see a building from the 14th century right next to a modern day sky scraper. It was absolutely remarkable, like the best of both worlds colliding right in front of you. I don’t know why I find it so fascinating. Maybe because no matter how many times London has been forced to rebuild itself it has still, somehow, managed to preserve the integrity of it’s culture and history… like a fine masterpiece come to life. There is no doubt that I am in love with this city.

Our tour started at the Tower of London where you can also catch this iconic view of Tower Bridge. Tower of London is actually an old fortress which has since been used for several purposes including residence, an infamous prison where many people were tortured and executed (including several Royals), a zoo, a museum and many more. Currently it is home to the crown jewels where they sit on display for tourists to come and view. Seeing the jewels was great fun, even if they don’t allow you to take any pictures. Touring the towers can be a little creepy. you can still see the graffiti that was etched into the stone walls by the prisoners who were kept there and you can even go through the basement where they house the old instruments of torture used on those same prisoners. It is quite an emotional experience.

After the Tower we boarded a boat on the river Thames where we sailed past a few land marks including the Shakespeare Globe, the Shard Tower and London Bridge stopping just before we reached the London eye and Big Ben (to be visited later). We then rebounded our coach and with a quick photo op at Westminster Abbey we headed to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard.

Now I always just assumed it was a quick ceremonial tribute that was literally just the guards changing places in front of the palace… boy was I wrong!!! The off duty regiment sets out, with the royal guard band leading the charge. They march from St James Place, which is actually down the street and around the corner. When they reach the palace the on duty guards share a quick briefing on the happenings of the day while the band continues to play for all of the people looking on. Then the regiment coming off duty marches all the way back to St James Place where they salute in formation before being dismissed. It is quite the spectacle to behold and I would highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in this part of the world. I think part of the character of this amazing city is it’s dedication to tradition and this event is no exception, from beginning to end it was a highlight of our day.

Now of course from the bus we could see many of the sights throughout the city but the next “official” stop on the agenda was St Paul’s Cathedral. When we arrived we split for lunch and of course mom and I had eat at the “Proper Fish and Chips joint” located just around the corner from the Cathedral. We ate relatively quickly giving us enough time to do a little exploring through the park. We also had time to stop for a giant chocolate macaroon from a little bakery we saw along the way. The Cathedral is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. The structure is massive, 300 yards from the floor to the top of the dome. The inside is like a beautiful combination of church and art gallery, even in spite of the crypt located in the basement. I remember being one of the billions of people who watched on TV as Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married in this regal cathedral, but like so many things in life it is just so different to see it with your own eyes. So much gets lost in translation through photos or video no matter how excellent your technology and equipment, all of which is strictly prohibited inside the cathedral and trust me they take the “No Photos” rule VERY seriously. All the cathedrals are extremely touristy but they still try to preserve them as churches which means it is a sacred place with no tours being conducted on Sundays. It is an awe inspiring piece of art, but if I had to sum this place up into one word it would be “Regal”.

From there the bus took us to the London Eye where thousands of people come on a daily basis. They wait for hours sometimes to stand in a sphere made of glass that spins around in a Ferris wheel style. It takes 30 minutes to complete a full rotation and the cars don’t stop for loading and unloading, you just take a gamble that you won’t trip and fall while jumping on and off (which for someone as clumsy as me could be tricky). But the views from the top are some of the best Ive ever seen. Again we were blessed with beautiful weather, as we have been this entire trip. The sky was so clear we could see the whole of London. In a perfect world the only thing I would change would be to have done this earlier in the day because by the time we were taking our ride the sun was almost directly behind Big Ben making difficult to get good photos without any glare from the glass. Still it is another accomplishment to check off my bucket list.

Our day of exploration through London will always be one of my favorites. We experienced some unique things that day… (trying to get a good photo) I got kicked out of the middle of the street by a constable on horseback, we witnessed a bridal party sneaking in the back door at St Paul’s Cathedral and we saw more than we bargained for when we got lost trying to walk back to our hotel… moments I will never forget as long as I live. To finish the day off we had Thai massages at a little place near our hotel, definitely putting us in good shape for our long trek home.

I completed quite a few “Bucket List” items on this trip… Europe, London, Paris, Italy, the Eye, the Eiffel Tower, gondola ride down the Venetian canals, the leaning tower of Pisa, overnight train ride with a sleeping car… The list goes on and on. This trip has been life changing to say the least, an honest dream come true. How do you sum all of that up into words? I am not skilled enough to write it myself which is sad because it was a personal experience so who else is there to write it. Unfortunately I guess that means it has come to end…

Until the next adventure
Liz

That's a wrap...