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
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| London's newest iconic building, The Shard |
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| London is both historic & cutting-edge |
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| Sightseeing with Pepe |
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| Admiring Westminster Abbey |
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
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| Question time outside Buckingham Palace |
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| Dining at Sticky Fingers |
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