catch up on my posts -- this one about London

Nancy trying to get the guard to move!

The statue in the background is George Washington -- here in Trafalgar Square

Best tea of the trip at Buckingham Palace

Getting ready for tea with the Queen

Jeff disguised as Sherlock Holmes

Nancy being taken in by the long arm of the law outside 221b Baker St

This trip has been an experience, both good and bad...we were very disappointed with the hotel at Warwick outside of Stratford but it could be that it was too economy after the castles, but then we went to drop off the car at the train station at Stratford and I was very careful to take pictures of the condition of the car when we dropped it off in case they say there was a big dent or something, I then filled out the proper form and put it in the proper slot then double checked that the car was locked so that there would be no problem there and put the keys in the proper drop off slot and it was only then that I realized that the only thing I had forgotten to do was to get the luggage out of the boot!! (the boot is the trunk for those that don't know) -- we got in touch with the rental company and to make this long story short we were able to get our luggage and were soon on our way to London...still I felt like a dolt!!! -- the train trip was nice but uneventful and we got into London Marylebone station on time and we walked the 20 or so minutes to the hotel and didn't get lost. London is a lot like Toronto but on steroids. For a photographer who love architecture and old buildings I was in heaven. We checked into the hotel (this is when we found this 3+ star hotel charges 5 pounds for 1 hour of internet!!) and this was an experience too. This was not a cheap hotel but not much was right about it other than the location which was right by Regent Park. We freshened up and then took off to Baker Street which of course is the address of Sherlock Holmes at 221b Baker St. then off to the Beatle store almost next door --- the Beatle store was very expensive so I didn't stay long, we then went off to the Marble Arch and speakers corner in Hyde park and then off through Green Park through Canada gate to Buckingham Palace --- from hear we walked down to Wellington bridge to see Big Ben (which we all should know is the name of the bell in the bell tower and not just the tower). By this time we were very tired and took a Black Cab back to the hotel and collapsed into bed after a quick dinner.
Next morning we took another cab -- and what a strange feeling to hear Nancy say when the cabbie said "where to Ma'am?" she answered "Buckingham Palace please" like we were going to visit the Queen, which in a strange way were were as we did the tour of the Palace which was wonderful. We even had tea in the Queens garden (actually it was a little cafe set up outside the Palace but you get the idea) it was also the best tea I've had since being in UK, which considering it was probably from her kitchen (haha) one wouldn't expect less.
We were then off to the Thames at Wellington bridge and off on a cruise of the river to Tower Bridge, and then to the Tower of London and to see the Crown Jewels, which suprisingly enough Nancy really enjoyed. We saw most of the rest of the Tower of London and then crossed over the Tower bridge and walked along the south side of the river to the Globe theatre and then crossed the Millennium bridge to St Pauls cathedral and then slowly made our way back to the hotel to get ready for our morning trip to Paris. We saw a lot of London in our short stay and the only bad things were that there were so many things that we missed and Nancy took another spill off her scooter (the cobble roads were very difficult and the curbs were not always cut down low and the spills she has had were mostly from these uneven bits) -- up early for our "chunnel" train to Paris!!!