London
Day 12
11,293 steps (4.53 miles)
Thurs June 19 - 84°
London here we come! We had breakfast at 7:30 am, then grabbed our things and made our way to the train station. It was about a 20 min walk and our train departed at 9:33 am for the two hour journey to Kings Cross Station. In our haste to make sure to catch the train, we forgot to take any pictures this morning (sorry!). Once in London, we hopped on a coach that took us to Westminster Abbey. We had a quick lunch on our own at the cafe in Methodist Central Hall (jacket potatoes and ham and cheese toastie) before our admission.
Group Activities
Some views on the coach ride
from Kings Cross to Westminster
We had a one hour guided tour through Westminster Abbey, which is huge. It was very hot today, and there was a sizable crowd. The structure is really something, and there was so much to see. Pictures really don't do it justice; you have to be there to feel how awe inspiring it really is.
Once our visit to Westminster was complete, the coach took us on another short, scenic drive to our hotel, the Radisson Blu Hotel in South Kensington. Once settled in, Deb showed those who were interested how to use the tube, and took us on a ride to Piccadilly Circus. We had the rest of the evening to ourselves.
The closest tube
station to the hotel
For this free evening, we booked a theater show in advance. But before showtime we needed some dinner. We headed toward the Duchess Theater and found dinner along the way at Oree Boulangerie. A simple ham and cheese sandwich, quiche, and eclair was good for us, and we went to see our West End show.
Solo Activities
The Play That Goes Wrong is one of the longest running shows in the West End, and it was easy to see why. All three of us really enjoyed the play and thought it was hilarious. It's family friendly, and we would definitely recommend it if you want a good comedic show! Also a plus...the theater had A/C! After the show we took the tube home and turned in for the night.
Day 13
13,454 steps (5.14 miles)
Fri June 20 - 80°
Group Activities
The heat wave continued today. We began with the hotel breakfast buffet, and regrouped at 8:15 am for a 25 minute tube ride to the Tower of London. We had about two and half hours to spend inside however we wished.
Various animal wire sculptures can be found throughout, commemorating the time when the Tower was used as a menagerie. We had no idea!
We started out by viewing the Crown Jewels (no photos allowed). Then we saw some of the various exhibits within the different towers where we learned about the menagerie, the boys in the tower, and the torture devices used throughout its history. We passed by some of the tours offered by the Beefeaters, and decided if we ever get back to the Tower we'll be sure to take one.
Next up as a group was a scenic cruise down the river Thames. We sat on the top deck for the 30 minute ride to get all the views. We ended at Westminster Pier and had the rest of the afternoon for some solo activities.
We let Avery pick our adventure for the afternoon, and she wanted to visit the Natural History Museum. We took the tube there and for lunch we dined at the outdoor cafe. Generally you don't get ice with any drinks in England, but I finally broke down and asked for some due to the heat. It was so refreshing!
Solo Activities
When I say this place is huge, that is an understatement. We spent 3 hours here and didn't come anywhere close to seeing everything. There was no A/C, but there were some giant fans in some of the rooms (like as tall as a person!). Admission was free, as it is for most museums in London. We tried to get milkshakes from the Shake Bar, but they were out. Apparently everyone else had the same idea for a cold drink on a hot day.
This is how many
Avery's equal the weight
of a Blue Whale :)
Once we had our fill of fossils and stuffed animals, we realized we couldn't get the idea of a milkshake out of our heads. So we found a Five Guys nearby and had some gloriously cold milkshakes. It was less than a 10 minute walk back to our hotel, and we put our weary legs up until our final group dinner. The dinner was in the restaurant at the hotel and was where we said goodbye to our wonderful tour mates. Everyone was so nice, and it was fun to get to talk to them over dinners, or run into them while out exploring. They really made our tour enjoyable and special.
