LONDON
Day 4 & 5
On Friday morning Jill and I woke up at an abnormal hour, so that we could catch our train to London from Paris. We traveled on a high speed train called the Eurostar. As we boarded the train, both Jill and I were excited to watch the train enter the English Channel. We were both exhausted from so little sleep, and yet we stayed awake anticipating the trains entry of the English Channel. It wasn't until we had passed through the English Channel that we had realized that the event had come and gone. It was almost comical that the event was so non eventful. The trip on the Eurostar was smooth and quick. The Eurostar can go 200 mph, so we arrived in London after only 2 1/2 hours of traveling. As we were leaving the train, Jill made a profound statement by saying, "what we need to do now, is find where we are"...and so, our adventures in London began...
Day 4 & 5
On Friday morning Jill and I woke up at an abnormal hour, so that we could catch our train to London from Paris. We traveled on a high speed train called the Eurostar. As we boarded the train, both Jill and I were excited to watch the train enter the English Channel. We were both exhausted from so little sleep, and yet we stayed awake anticipating the trains entry of the English Channel. It wasn't until we had passed through the English Channel that we had realized that the event had come and gone. It was almost comical that the event was so non eventful. The trip on the Eurostar was smooth and quick. The Eurostar can go 200 mph, so we arrived in London after only 2 1/2 hours of traveling. As we were leaving the train, Jill made a profound statement by saying, "what we need to do now, is find where we are"...and so, our adventures in London began...
Here is a picture of me standing in front of a few trains (like the Eurostar). Most of the time we traveled by train in both London, and in Paris.Kensington Palace & Gardens
We started our tour of London by taking a bus tour, which stopped at several key sights in London. Our first stop was Kensington Palace. Kensington Palace has been a royal residence for over 300 years. The palace was home to Diana, Princess of Wales.This picture shows the backside of Kensington Palace. It never occurred to us to walk around the palace, because the view from the back was so breathtaking. The gardens and surrounding areas were simply amazing! It wasn't until we had left the palace that we realized we had missed seeing the front of the palace entirely. Too funny!
While we were viewing the Kensington Gardens, it started raining. As a joke I used my London map for an umbrella.
...and then shared with Jill. Who knew map's had more than one use?HYDE PARK
Hyde Park was huge! It took us quite a while to walk through all of Hyde Park along with the Kensington Gardens, but every step was worth it. It was so peaceful and beautiful! It was one of my favorite sights in London.
This is a picture of Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park.It is an area where public speaking is allowed. President Hinckley served a mission in Great Britain, and spoke at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park.
After we toured Hyde Park, we continued our full bus tour around London. We had a live tour guide, which made it much more entertaining...however, no matter how entertaining it was...I couldn't keep my eyes open. Every once in a while during the tour, I would wake up suddenly, and to my horror, the tour guide was always staring at me. After a few times of this, his persistent stare kept me awake (even though I was extremely tired). Soon it became a form of entertainment to see whether or not he was still staring. He stared at me the entire tour. I wondered if it was because I offended him by falling asleep, so as I was leaving, I apologized for having jet lag, and sleeping in part of his tour. I also thanked him for an informative tour...
This habit of falling asleep seemed to happen every time we got on any form of public transportation! We were on many different modes of transportation in a few short days (trains, planes, bus's, taxi's and cars). It seemed that I was able to fall asleep in any position, and on any form of transportation. As soon as we arrived at our destination, I was ready and going, but while we were sitting...I was quite often sleeping.
Our last stop on our city bus tour was at the Apollo Victoria Theater where we had tickets to...
WICKED
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A highlight of London was going to see the play Wicked! I am still singing the songs, and I am planning to see it whenever it comes nearer to home!BUCKINGHAM PALACE
The residence of the British Monarchy.We were only able to see the outside of Buckingham Palace. (Tours of Buckingham Palace are only in July and August.) Even the outside was impressive, and well worth the stop. We also missed the changing of the guard, because they only do the changing of the guard every other day in the Winter and we were on the off day.
On our way to Westminster Abbey, we took a moment to enjoy the beauty of a London street during Fall.WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Westminster Abbey is located next to the Houses of Parliament. Some of the oldest parts date back to the year 1050. The Abbey has the most glorious medieval architecture found in London. Most of the Royal marriages are held at the Abbey. It truly was a beautiful building.BIG BEN & House of Parliament
~House of Parliament on left, Big Ben Tower on right~
The famous Big Ben clock tower is 320 feet high. It is the largest four faced chiming clock in the world. The clock tower is named after the largest bell, weighing over 13 tons. Each clock face is over 23 feet wide. The famous bell was named after a man named Sir Benjamin Hall (a politician at the time) who was 4' 10'' tall, and shaped like a bell.The House of Parliament is building adjacent to the clock tower. The House of Parliament seats two houses of Parliament: the House of Lords, and The House of Commons.
LONDON'S EYE
The London Eye was amazing! It is a Ferris Wheel on the River Thames opened in 2000. It is 443 feet high. Each capsule holds about 25 people, and each revolution takes 30 minutes. The eye can fit 800 people.
We started our experience by watching a 4D movie with special glasses. We then entered a capsule, and enjoyed an amazing view of London!
~View of London from the London Eye~
~View of London from the London Eye~
~View of London from the London Eye~
Along with showing the sights from the London Eye, this picture is also a perfect shot of the river cruises, which are on the Thames River. After enjoying the sights on the London Eye, we enjoyed a Thames river cruise. Included in the cruise was a live tour guide who described the sights of London with a touch of humor. The cruise took us to the London Tower, and the Tower Bridge. Both in Paris and in London, the river cruises were well worth it!
TOWER OF LONDON
~Armory in the Tower on Display~
~Guards were stationed throughout the grounds. They marched back and forth on occasion, and then entered their cubicles giving off the aire of importance.~
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror to protect and control the city of London. At one time the Tower of London was Her Majesty's Royal Palace. The tower has been used as a fortress, a palace, and a prison. It is now the home of the crown jewels.
We toured many of the towers within the Tower of London. We toured the towers where two princes were murdered, where prisoners were held, and where the crown jewels are now kept. There were many winding staircases and tight places within the Tower of London. At times I felt a bit claustrophobic with the narrow walls and narrow winding staircases. The Tower of London depicts the history of London from battles won, to battles lost. From kings ruling nobly to kings murdering for the throne. The Tower of London is rich with London's history!
Tower Bridge & London Bridge
~Tower Bridge~
The Tower Bridge was built out of necessity due to an increase in commercialism. A traditional bridge could not be built because it would have blocked access to the London Bridge. Therefore, this bridge was designed where two towers were built on piers. The central span was then split into two equal bascules, which could then be raised to allow traffic to pass. While we were on the river cruise, our guide said that people have been known to request the lifting of the bridge, which is perfectly acceptable. In fact, one man requested the lifting, and went under the Tower Bridge with a small boat (simply for fun).
~London Bridge~
This bridge in the distance is the source of the famous song, "London Bridges Falling Down".
St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral has the second largest dome in the world after St. Peter's Cathedral. ~
Everything in London seems so official. While we were visiting, a new leader had just been elected. There was a huge celebration! Major streets were closed to make room for a parade. We saw processions like this one on a couple of occasions. It was all extremely official and quaint!
LONDON'S EYE
The London Eye was amazing! It is a Ferris Wheel on the River Thames opened in 2000. It is 443 feet high. Each capsule holds about 25 people, and each revolution takes 30 minutes. The eye can fit 800 people.We started our experience by watching a 4D movie with special glasses. We then entered a capsule, and enjoyed an amazing view of London!
~View of London from the London Eye~
~View of London from the London Eye~ ~View of London from the London Eye~Along with showing the sights from the London Eye, this picture is also a perfect shot of the river cruises, which are on the Thames River. After enjoying the sights on the London Eye, we enjoyed a Thames river cruise. Included in the cruise was a live tour guide who described the sights of London with a touch of humor. The cruise took us to the London Tower, and the Tower Bridge. Both in Paris and in London, the river cruises were well worth it!
TOWER OF LONDON
~Armory in the Tower on Display~
~Guards were stationed throughout the grounds. They marched back and forth on occasion, and then entered their cubicles giving off the aire of importance.~
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror to protect and control the city of London. At one time the Tower of London was Her Majesty's Royal Palace. The tower has been used as a fortress, a palace, and a prison. It is now the home of the crown jewels.We toured many of the towers within the Tower of London. We toured the towers where two princes were murdered, where prisoners were held, and where the crown jewels are now kept. There were many winding staircases and tight places within the Tower of London. At times I felt a bit claustrophobic with the narrow walls and narrow winding staircases. The Tower of London depicts the history of London from battles won, to battles lost. From kings ruling nobly to kings murdering for the throne. The Tower of London is rich with London's history!
Tower Bridge & London Bridge
~Tower Bridge~The Tower Bridge was built out of necessity due to an increase in commercialism. A traditional bridge could not be built because it would have blocked access to the London Bridge. Therefore, this bridge was designed where two towers were built on piers. The central span was then split into two equal bascules, which could then be raised to allow traffic to pass. While we were on the river cruise, our guide said that people have been known to request the lifting of the bridge, which is perfectly acceptable. In fact, one man requested the lifting, and went under the Tower Bridge with a small boat (simply for fun).
~London Bridge~This bridge in the distance is the source of the famous song, "London Bridges Falling Down".
St. Paul's Cathedral
~St. Paul's Cathedral~
St. Paul's Cathedral has the second largest dome in the world after St. Peter's Cathedral. ~Everything in London seems so official. While we were visiting, a new leader had just been elected. There was a huge celebration! Major streets were closed to make room for a parade. We saw processions like this one on a couple of occasions. It was all extremely official and quaint!
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