London in a Day

After 8 weeks of living 60 miles from one of the greatest cities in the world, we finally took our first daytrip to London.  We decided to take the “Oxford Tube” – the bus that runs every 20 minutes from Oxford – versus renting a car or taking the train.  At £29, it’s the cheapest option (although not the quickest!)  It took about 1 ½ hours to get there, but it's well worth not having to drive in the crazy London traffic.  It’s the congestion of New York City, but with roundabouts, non-perpendicular roads, and driving on the opposite side of the street.  Um, no thank you. 

After arriving at Victoria Coach Station, we started walking towards Buckingham Palace.  With the Royal Wedding Collection only being on display for a few more weeks, it was at the top of my list of places to see.  The only tour time available was for 4:00PM, so we booked our spots and headed out to see some of the other must-see sites…not before Kate decided that she didn’t want to wear her shoes any longer and threw one out somewhere along the way.  I’m pretty sure she just wanted us to buy her a fancy new pair of London shoes. 



Kate and me in front of Buckingham Palace

London is definitely not a one-day stop.  There is so much to see and do, but that will require several days and a babysitter (any takers??).  We walked through town and saw Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, The House of Parliament, the London Eye, the Mall, Trafalgar Square, and

10 Downing Street

(where the Prime Minister lives) before heading back to the Palace for our tour.  True to English weather, we had sun, rain, wind, and “white cloud” in a matter of a few hours.  After learning our lesson in Edinburgh, we came prepared with an umbrella and the BOB weather shield.  We are officially well seasoned Brits now!

Trafalgar Square

Under the London Eye with Big Ben and the House of Parliament in the background

The House of Parliament

You know this guy really dislikes tourists.

On to the Palace!  I admit that I’m a bit obsessed with all things Royal…castles, palaces, Will and Kate.  I, along with my twenty-four 1^st graders, watched the Royal Wedding on April 29.  Who knew that less than 5 months later, I would be standing in the very rooms where the official engagement and wedding photos were taken?!  The Palace was UNBELIEVABLE.  Never in my life have I seen anything so posh and opulent.  Even Kate (mine, not the real princess) was in awe of all that she was seeing.  She especially loved the all the sparkly chandeliers.  The tour took over an hour, and she didn’t make a peep.  We walked through the 19 staterooms that are extensively used by the Royal family, which included the Ball Room where William and Kate’s reception was held.  This is the room where her wedding gown, Cartier tiara, shoes, cake, replica bouquet, and custom made mega-diamond earrings (a gift from her parents) were on display.  I could have stayed in that room all day, but Doug and security wouldn’t let me.  Sadly, there is no photography allowed in the Palace.  These are courtesy of Google images…

What a beautiful day it was!