London

 

We have had a grand time in London.  We visited Buckingham Palace from the outside because the King did not grant us an audience; saw the crown jewels at the Tower of London; learned how to get around on the subway which proved to be an easy and fast way around town; spent hours in the Churchill War Rooms which was a fascinating historical tour of his life and WWII as told from the British point of view (different than the American experience); and experienced both sunshine (yes, that's right, sunshine in London) as well as the gray skies and rain which turns the entire city into the pallor of gray.

Our first view of Westminster Abbey and the Tower of Big Ben hit us as soon as we emerged from the train station.  As we looked around we could see St. James's cathedral, the Parliament building, and the Thames River. Not far was a London garden with blooming flowers which is something we don't see in Bonaire. Plus the famous red telephone booths and castle guards with red uniforms.

It was the food scene that really impressed us.  Although the fish and chips (served with English peas) was fabulous, we also had exceptional Lebanese, Thai, Japanese noodle bowls and Pub meat pies with gravy. We tried Indian cuisine for the first time and fell in love.

A trip to Hyde Park was a welcomed relief from the hustle of the city. We strolled to the lake and watched the wildlife and the people. We caught sight of a swan.  Since all the swans in England belong to the King, I guess we saw a royal swan... photo bombed by a seagull.

London was easy to travel around using The Tube (subway). The city was clean, friendly and even sunny!

We walked 8,000-10,000 steps a day, climbed stairs, toured museums and ate great food.  We are off to a great start of our 7-week European adventure. This is us still standing after touring the Tower of London.