All Day in London!!!

London All Day Tour, August 22, 2014

We had a wake up call from the desk and we had an alarm set and both went off at 6. We dressed and went downstairs to breakfast. The buffet was very good,it was fresh and well prepared. You could have anything you wanted from toast to fruit to all kinds of meat and beans.

After breakfast we got ready and left for Victoria Coach station. We read all of the signs and found our way to the right gate and we sat and waited for our coach to be called. The people  watching  was amazing. This sea of humanity came in all sizes shapes and colors. The cacophony  of languages was amazing. Coaches were leaving for all over the UK and most points in Europe as well.

When we got on our bus it was quite full and it appeared as if we would not be able to sit together but a very nice young man moved and gave us his seat.

Our guide was Sarah and she was very well informed. Soon our very capable driver was wheeling this gigantic bus through narrow streets. We were certainly glad that he was doing the driving. Sarah was soon telling us all about the places we were passing. Look right, on your left, look up, look down…. We felt like our heads needed to be on swivels. The traffic was heavy but soon we were at our first major stop, the Tower of London. Sarah showed us where we were to meet and when. She warned us that if we were late we would be left behind because she had a schedule to keep. She was a small lady but she carried a black umbrella with flowers on it and she held it high so we could spot her in the crowd.

Soon we were met by our Beef Eater Chris. He told us wonderful stories of the tower and its history. We were able to see the crown jewels in all their glory but we were not allowed to take pictures.

When we arrived at the meeting place we were just a bit shocked to see that where there had been very few people there were now literally hundreds of people, three and four abreast, lined up for at least a quarter mile. When they said we would be ahead of the crowds and that there was a schedule to keep they were not kidding.

We learned that we would not be seeing the changing of the guard ceremony because this was one of the days that it is not done. We had photo ops at Westminster and Buckingham palace. This would have been upsetting except that we will be back here on Sunday and we will get a chance to really explore.

The cruise on the Thames was disappointing in that it was basically public transport and not the guided tour which  we were expecting.

We had lunch in the area of St.Pauls. Ken and I went to Starbucks. After lunch we were given a guided tour of the Cathedral. It is truly amazing in every regard. I was a little disappointed that we could not take pictures inside but it is a working church after all.

The final stop for the day was a trip on the London Eye. I was so impressed.

I could not believe the mob of people there. Again all ages, colors and sizes.

It took us about 20 minutes to make our way to the front of the line. We were in car number 13 which surprised me. I guess the Brits are not as superstitious as the Americans

 There was no sensation of heights or movement at all, and the views would take your breath away. After having explored the city for most of the day we were able to pick out landmarks along the skyline. It was a thrilling half hour.

This was the end of our tour but we had to get back to our hotel. We decided we would walk it and it took us almost an hour. We walked slowly and stopped often because it had been a very long day.

We got back here, had supper and went right to sleep. I slept for a few hours and then woke up. After lying there for a couple of hours I gave up on the idea and so I am here doing this blog.

Some things we noticed. The hotel does not have an ice machine , they also do not have face cloths.

The streets are not marked with street names on posts but instead the names are on plaques on the sides of buildings.

They hide their post offices. We carried mail with us all day and did not once see a post office.

They do not have garbage cans or litter boxes on the roads. There were hundreds of people in the squares and no place to put your garbage. Even Starbucks did not have a place for you to put refuse. We had to leave it on the table for someone else to pick up.

We saw no beggars or street sellers. Everyone is very friendly and tourists are well treated.

I still can’t quite get used to their currency. We saw a sign that said gas was 1.31. We right away thought, hey the same as home but that was one pound not one dollars so that makes a big difference

Tomorrow is a very long day. It is 8 till 8 . We are headed to Bath and Stonehenge.

I have to go back to bed it is 3:25 and the clock goes off at 6ix.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.