London March 2011- Full Story

Our trip through Europe began in one of the most amazing cities you will ever visit: London. This was our second time visiting the city of Big Ben and Fish 'n Chips, but that didn't mean that we found it boring or wanted to move on, because London is such an exciting city that you never want to leave. We always tell people the quote that says "When a man is tired of London he is tired of life" by Samuel Johnson.

Day 1:
We arrived at Heathrow Airport after a long day of traveling. I think we all slept at least some of the time on the flight over, but that didn't mean that we weren't all a little groggy. It was just after 7am when we got through customs and passport control, and one rule that Jason and I have is that the first thing you do when you get off an international flight is to find a snack. This helps reset your body clock to the current time. So we stopped and had a few croissants and drinks and then we took off!

One cool thing about London (one of many) is the underground subway system, known as "The Tube," and how darn convenient it is. There is actually a line that runs right out to the airport, so with our luggage we all found a seat and made our way in to the heart of London on the Tube. We found our stop where our hotel was located at, called Bayswater, and just a couple blocks of walking we found our first hotel. It was a nice location along a street filled with little and big shops and souvenirs. It is right next to a huge store called "Whitleys," a very popular shopping center in London.

FUN FACT: If you ever watch "My Fair Lady," the place where they decide to go by Aliza Doolittle's dress for the horse race was at Whiteley's. How neat!

A picture of the trains in "the Tube."

Our favorite phrase from London: "Mind the Gap." You start hearing that phrase in your sleep and every time we stepped off a train in Paris we wanted to say "Mind the Gap!"

Mom at our Tube stop.

That first day we ran and grabbed some tickets to hop on the infamous red double-decker buses. On our way to get those tickets mom and dad got to see some other famous sites right away, such as Big Ben, Westminster, and the London Eye. It was fun to see their faces as we emerged from the Tube and to be hit by such iconic sites as those. On the double-decker bus we were a little cold because London was a bit cloudy that day.







We eventually got off the DD Bus and it was in the afternoon, which meant... Tea Time! We went and had some sandwiches and yummy herbal peppermint tea at the Marriott hotel that looked out towards Big Ben. One of our favorite places for tea time!

Here is Lisa having tea time. It's hard to tell, but notice that the pinky is sticking out.

We continued to walk around, seeing sites and getting off at our favorite stops. We did a little bit of shopping that day, and by the end we were ready for a warm meal. Of course, when you are in England you need to have Fish n' Chips. Here is the proof that we did.

Day 2:
The first thing we did on our 2nd day in London was to go and ride the London Eye. If you have never heard of the Eye before, basically it is this huge ferris wheel that has little "pods" that you stand in as it rotates so you can see all of London. The wheel is turning so slow that it takes 30 minutes for the whole thing to go around, which means that you don't even feel it turning. It's a smooth and beautiful ride that I want to go on again and again. It was such a nice day that we went for a walk around Big Ben and the Eye and got some neat views across the river.


Pictures of us before we got on the Eye.




Pictures while on the Eye. What a view we get from up there!

Close up shot of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

Then it was on to another famous site of London: The Tower of London. Jason and I had already been there, but it was such a fascinating historical site that we didn't mind taking my parents. We learned that the first things you go and see at the Tower are the Crown Jewels. No one is allowed to take pictures in that building, but let's just say that you walk out seeing all of the diamonds and gold and want to go buy something sparkly.


Fun Fact: The ravens that live at the Tower of London are famous. Supposedly there was this superstition that if the ravens that live at the Tower were to someday be gone, then London will be destroyed. So out of tradition, the ravens that live around the Tower have their wings clipped to keep them close and make sure that there is at least one around.

Here are some pictures of us at the Tower.

Jason and a suit of armor found in the Tower.

Right next to the Tower of London is Tower Bridge, one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. Mom and Dad just loved walking across it and seeing it during the day and night. We stayed near the Tower because we had a special event happening that night.

A few months ago we had come across an opportunity that was incredibly unique for us to do in London. Every night at the Tower of London, there is a traditional ceremony done where the gates to the Tower of London are locked up for the evening. It is called the "Ceremony of the Keys." The neat thing about the ceremony is that only a few people get to view it each night, and in order to get tickets for the event we had to write an essay explaining who we are and why we wanted to view the ceremony. Obviously Jason's writing was incredibly persuasive because we got the tickets and were amazed at the precision and significance of the ceremony. It was a truly unique experience that so few get to view, even those who live in London.

Here are some other pictures from the 2nd day, where we went and saw Westminster Abbey and downtown London.





Outside of Westminster Abbey.





Outside of Parliament.




Of course we had to take pictures in the red phone booths that are located around downtown London. Really no one uses them to make phone calls, but they are still iconic.


Day 3:
The third day was spent shopping day and seeing the last sights to see in London. Our hotel was just one stop away from the famous antique flea market: Portobello Road. Here are some pictures from there.



We wanted to show mom and dad the British Museum.

Here we are in front of the British Museum.

The Rosetta Stone at the museum.

Inside the British Museum.


After the museum we made our way back to the hotel. We saw a few more sites along the way.

Here is a picture of the guards standing at their post. We just left them alone.

A picture of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

FUN FACT: This cathedral is where the birds are fed in "Mary Poppins."

One more look at Big Ben. So lovely!


Our last night was celebrated by us going and seeing a musical. One of the best things about London is that they have all of the most popular Broadway plays and musicals over there. I think you get a better deal because you get to see the plays that contain the same quality as New York, but you get British accents to top it off! Last time we went and saw "Wicked," but this year we wanted to see something new for us, so we saw "The Lion King." Here is a video from inside the theater.

I know it seems like a ton of information and pictures, but this post really can't describe how great London is, or how much fun we had there!

Coming soon... Paris!