Project 365, Week 19 (continued)

We loved our time in England! So much history, so much spring spring-ing. It was a dream to be there!

May 5

We woke up, ready for our first full day in London and wanting to see all the iconic sites. What better way, we thought, than a cruise down the Thames River. 

The walk to the pier was enjoyable, watching the city begin its day. Though I was a slower walker than the rest, I was able to log many miles a day and I'm thankful for the willingness of the group to share camera-carrying responsibilities so I could have it with me.

Big Ben, of course.

The London Eye, which we opted not to go on because we'd read there were long waits.

The Tower of London

London Bridge

The Gerkin and The Shard buidings. I couldn't get over how the old and new intertwine.

We got off the boat to explore the City Market.

When we were done we went right back the way we came.

Trafalgar Square

St. Paul's Cathedral

Aiden enjoyed iconic fish & chips for dinner and then we finished the evening with soccer.

May 6

This day we had arranged a tour to help us get the best experience of seeing the Changing of the Guards ceremony at Buckingham Palace. 

We got to the palace ahead of schedule and, along with a throng of people, waited anxiously for the ceremony to begin. Eventually our guide learned that there would be no ceremony this day, because it was the anniversary of the coronation. It was unclear to me why that was not more clear ahead of time.

On our way to a park, continuing our now pointless tour, there was a bit of a ruckus as a procession went just down the street to St. James Palace. We waited for maybe 10 minutes and around the corner appeared Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, riding in a carriage to Buckingham! 

The nearby park was beautiful and we got to be there in the freshness of spring, without the heat. Quite lovely indeed.

We were back at Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.

The museum is absolutely gorgeous and well-maintained. It would have been awe-inspiring to walk through the building even if there were no paintings, though it is vast and we only had an afternoon. We tried to get to the highlights.

Fun at the souvenir shop across the street.

Earlier in the day, at the appointed time to leave our flat in order to catch our guided tour, Shaun and I set out on foot. Avery, Jack and Aiden left a little later and were eventually able to catch up. We were sure Amanda was going to miss out when suddenly she appeared, just minutes before the tour started. When I learned she'd rented a bike and navigated her way to us, I went from being upset to being in awe of her resourcefulness.

 

On our way back, Jack and Aiden wanted to join in on the fun and riding bicycles through London became a highlight of the trip. We love Amanda for bringing the fun!

Avery and I chose the Tube.

The balcony off our bedroom had incredible views!