Ready to leave Orlando for London
Our non-stop, non-sleep flight on Virgin!
|
Bailey's Hotel
This is where we stayed for 6 nights, in the South Kensington area of London.
|
Location!
This is a view from our room, and the light brick building is the tube...
|
Home Sweet Home
Our room was extremely spacious by European standards, very comfortable.
|
Flowers on the Pub
The buildings of London were dripping with color, and each pub was marked by...
|
More Flowers!
These lined a residential building, and actually outlined it for the whole...
|
Trafalgar Square
This was our first view of it from the top of a double-decker bus.
|
More Trafalgar
|
Big Ben
Pictures just don't do this justice - the top is very ornate and...
|
Houses of Parliament/Westminster Palace
This would have been a great picture except for those barricades...
|
Blue skies over London
It was a breathtaking day to be seeing London from the top of a double-decker...
|
London Eye
It looks like a giant bicycle wheel. None of us was very interested in...
|
The Thames
You can see the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral on the left.
|
Covent Garden Entertainer
We'd gotten off the bus here for lunch, and heard this most amazing voice...
|
Covent Garden
This area is where the mimes, jugglers, magicians and such perform,...
|
The George
I loved the architecture of this old pub, just sitting in the midst of the...
|
St. Paul's Cathedral
|
Tower Bridge
The Tower Bridge as viewed from the London Bridge. The HMS Belfast is in the...
|
Tower of London
And on the left, my husband's forehead! By this time, we were...
|
The Old and the New
I was fascinated by this juxtaposition! This was the last shot taken on our...
|
Thames Cruise
Day Two - Started off with a cruise from Westminster Pier to Tower Pier. Warm...
|
The Globe Theater
This is a replica of the theater where Shakespeare produced his plays.
|
Tower Bridge
|
Approaching the Tower of London
|
Traitors' Gate
This is the passageway that many prisoners went through by boat (at...
|
The Tower Moat
Water used to fill the area that now is lawn.
|
Tower Green
The yeoman warders and their families live here, inside the castle complex.
|
White Tower
The main tower of the castle complex, built by William the Conqueror...
|
The Yeoman Warder
Everyone gathered around to hear the yeoman's stories. Later that...
|
St. James Park
Day 3 - We strolled through the park on another beautiful day, and...
|
The Horse Guards
Turn around from viewing "Buck House", and this is what you see. This...
|
Buckingham Palace
We don't look like tourists, do we?!!
|
Gardens
One of the colorful gardens in front of the palace.
|
Lounge chairs in St. James Park
We saw these set up in all the parks on pretty days, for the benefit of...
|
The National Gallery
|
Fountain in Trafalgar Square
|
Marine Band at the Horse Guards
There was a special ceremony this day to mark the 200th anniversary of the...
|
Cadets
This unit of young cadets followed the band.
|
Changing of the Horse Guards
These are the Guards who will soon be changed out, waiting for the new...
|
The New Guards Parade In
|
The New Trafalgar Dispatch
This carriage brought an actor portraying Lt. Lapenotiere, delivering the...
|
The Messenger
The man in the commodore-style hat is portraying the lieutenant.
|
#10 Downing Street
The well-guarded home of the Prime Minister
|
Approaching Westminster Abbey
|
Houses of Parliament
We did a tour inside, but no photography was allowed.
|
The Red Telephone Booth
Day 4 - We're headed for the Cabinet War Rooms and spot this on the way....
|
Concert in Hyde Park
We went to the Prom in the Park, the final concert of the summer season...
|
Here's to London!
We toasted our good fortune to be at such an event in London.
|
The Crowd
You can see the stage and several of the giant screens that were...
|
Let the Flags wave!
|
Then the Rains Came!
|
Warwick Castle
A new day, overcast and chilly for a change, and we were up bright and...
|
Archer Demonstrates his Skills
|
Royal Weekend Party
Madame Tussaud's operates Warwick Castle now, and these wax figures...
|
Boat House on the River Avon
We climbed to the top of the mound at one end of the castle courtyard...
|
The Castle Courtyard
|
The Kingmaker Exhibit
Preparing for war - or for picture taking!
|
The Laundry
Women were washing and mending the clothes - not much has changed in the last...
|
This is the way we wash our clothes!
I loved this figure - she was so real I felt I could talk with her,...
|
Halt - Who Goes There?
|
The Mill and the Falls
The mill house and falls on the Avon as viewed from a castle window.
|
The Mill and Engine House
This was added in the late 1800's to provide electricity to the castle.
|
Tranquil Avon, above the falls
|
Stratford-upon-Avon
The next stop on our tour, about a 15 minute drive from Warwick. This...
|
Shakespeare's Burial Site
Yes, he's buried in this church, but I was more taken with this enormous...
|
Typical building in Straford
|
Main Street of Stratford
It was beautiful and quaint, but reminded us somewhat of Gatlinburg, Tenn. -...
|
Boats lined the banks of the Avon
|
Shakespeare's Birthplace
We toured inside, and it was furnished with pieces typical of the era - very...
|
Hanging Basket
One of many that hung from the buildings in Stratford. They're the most...
|
Driving through the Cotswolds
Note the rather large home behind the sheep-filled meadow!
|
The White Hart
Brother Rick and I in front of the 15th-century coaching inn at...
|
Another View of the White Hart
|
Thatched-roof Cottage
We drove through several little villages filled with homes like this one - so...
|
Christ Church College - Oxford
The entrance to the college, one of 37 that make up Oxford.
|
The Courtyard
|
The Great Dining Hall
This was used as a location for the Harry Potter films.
|
The Dean's Staircase
Private stairs the dean uses to enter the dining hall. It was the inspiration...
|
Students' Private Garden
|
The Jabberwockey Tree
Over 400 years old, and its branches so huge that beams are used to support...
|
Alice's Magic Door
Another inspiration for Alice in Wonderland, the real Alice used to...
|
Approach to Hampton Court Palace
Our last full day in London! We took the train here and spent 3 hours or so...
|
Entering the palace
|
Our Guide Greets Us
Dressed in authentic period costume, she gave us an overview of the...
|
The Great Fountain Garden
The trees were planted by Queen Anne in the early 1700's.
|
The Privy Garden
|
Palace and Gardens
This part of the Palace is in the style of Versaille.
|
Beautiful English Garden
These gardens lined the walls as far as the eye could see, from left...
|
The Maze
Rick and I did the Maze, or I should say he led me through the maze! I'm...
|
Entryway to the Tudor Kitchens
|
Stove-top Cooking!
This is how it was done in the 16th century during King Henry VIII's reign.
|
Roaring Log Fire
This is where the game was roasted on spits. The Tudor kitchen is the...
|
The Thames in Hampton
We bought sandwiches and ate our lunch near this scenic spot!
|
Harrod's
We ended our day, and our trip, with a visit to Harrod's. And yes,...
|
Egyptian Escalators in Harrod's
A view of the ornate ceiling at the top of the escalators.
|
Help
Western Europe
Comments
You must log in to comment on this article.Add a comment