July 30th: London in Depth

Today was our opportunity to get to know the world's greatest city a little better.
Although the day began with a great breakfast, it unfortunately also began very wet - a little dose of Britain's infamous rain.
We rode the London Underground - the Tube - to the Tower of London, the city's own castle.  There, we split up to enjoy a morning of viewing the Crown Jewels, the original White Tower built by William the Conqueror, & displays of historical arms & armor (including Henry the VIII's huge suit of armor).  Despite the rain some of the group were also able to join a Beefeater tour led by one of the Tower's resident Yeomen warders.
This afternoon was free to explore & the group had many different plans:  some rode the Tube to Buckingham Palace to tour the state rooms, then rode in a London taxi to visit Harrod's department store.  Others had lunch in Covent Garden before riding the London Eye, the enormous ferris wheel that towers above the River Thames.
We also met-up for an early evening British carvery dinner at the Rubens Hotel, then walked to the nearby Victoria Palace Theatre to see a West End stage performance of the British musical Billy Elliot. With young performers in the cast & a great score, the show was a huge hit for our group.
Finally we rode the tube back to our hotel at the end of another long day that was filled with great sights.
Tomorrow:  Windsor, Stonehenge & Bath

July 29th: Welcome to Great Britain!

The first of our intrepid travelers arrived in London this morning, a little jet-lagged but excited & raring to go!  After rendezvousing at London's Heathrow Airport we met our driver & bus & headed into the city where we freshened-up at the hotel, linked-up with 2 more travelers, & began our explorations of London.
First stop was Spitalfields Market, a Victorian covered market now converted into a fashionable shopping & dining center.  Pie was the popular choice - savory pies being a traditional British dish.
This afternoon we were guided around London by our London-born local guide, Pepe.  From the Spitalfields/Whitechapel area, once notorious for the murders of Jack the Ripper, we drove through East London to visit the 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford.  Here we saw some of the iconic buildings of the London games including the Olympic Stadium, & learned about the costs & aspirations of these ambitious, green & successful games.
Our sightseeing continued next with the West End of London & stops to enjoy views of Tower Bridge & the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, & Buckingham Palace.  Along the way we passed plenty of other iconic sights too:  the London Eye, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, etc.
There was time to relax at the hotel before we went to dinner this evening, traveling on the Tube like the locals on our way to Bill Wyman's Sticky Fingers, a restaurant founded by the former bass player of the Rolling Stones.  Very 'Cool Britannia'!
Everyone was tired & very ready for bed by the time we returned to our hotel as a long night of travel & full day of sightseeing.
Tomorrow:  London in Depth

London's newest iconic building, The Shard

London is both historic & cutting-edge 

Sightseeing with Pepe

Admiring Westminster Abbey

St. Paul's Cathedral

Question time outside Buckingham Palace

Dining at Sticky Fingers