We planned our trip to London in the shortest amount of time that we had planned any of our other trips. I think it took us about 4 hours from the idea to actually booking airfare and hotel. This is not like us. But we had received an e-mail from one of the hotel chains we're signed up with about some really low rates but we needed to book it soon. So without much more thought, we went for it!
Max had been to London before, for a summer semester during college. We were dating at the time and he would walk down the street and call me from a phone booth right by the hotel we were staying at! (The phone booth has since been moved..boo). Our hotel was in the same neighborhood of his old "dorm" so he was very familiar with the area. I really didn't even do any of the planning; I left it up to him. How nice! One of the first things we saw was the Tower of London. Here I am outside the castle walls. 
The picture to the left is of the White Tower which served as the keep for William the Conqueror and was built in 1078! (I still can't quite wrap my mind around how old things are). We saw the Crown Jewels during our tour, and while in the gallery, a little girl asked her mom how much the bathtub sized golden punch bowel cost, which made me smile. The collection was really impressive. The picture to the right is of a beefeater, or someone who traditionally guards the Tower and jewels.
After leaving the Tower of London, we could see the Tower Bridge (above), not to be confused with the London Bridge but for some reason I kept calling it by the wrong name anyway. Apparently the London Bridge is really somewhere in Arizona. 
Here is a picture of Westminster Abbey, from the cloisters. This has been the coronation church since 1066 (again, really old), and is the burial place for 17 monarchs and other famous people. We saw the the tombs of Elizabeth I, and Mary Queen of Scots and the burial site of Charles Dickens, and Geoffrey Chaucer. It was a little eerie but so interesting at the same time. 
Even more impressive from a historical stand-point was the British Museum. We saw the Rosetta Stone, and Parthenon Sculptures among other things. A person could spend days in there just looking at and reading about everything. The museum brochure highlighted about 30 things that we should see, and walking around to visit all those artifacts took us about 3 hours. This Hoa Hakananai'a statue from Easter Island was one of my favorites. (This was one of the few museums where taking pictures was allowed). 
One morning we took a train from London over to Windsor to visit Windsor Castle (above). It was just us and one other couple on the guided tour of the castle's exterior which was pretty nice. Inside the castle was a giant doll house given to Queen Mary in 1923. It was made at a scale of 1 to 12, and includes working electricity, running water, and a wine cellar complete with tiny full wine bottles. It was kind of neat being able to walk through the rooms where Prince William had his 21st birthday, and where Heads of State gather for dinners.
We were so looking forward to eating out in London. In France, it can be a pain because meals take about 2 hours on the short end, and it's sometimes difficult to get service without using a flare gun to get your waiter's attention. Ok, I'm slightly exaggerating, but not by much. Dining in London was wonderful because we could read everything on the menus, dinner didn't take hours, and the food was great despite the rumors. Yes, we had fish and chips and Pizza Hut pizza too! Here's Max enjoying a beer at an Italian restaurant in Fitzrovia.
On Sunday, we were able to see both the Changing of the Horse Guard and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. We were pretty close to the horse guards but there were still a lot of people there, or so I thought until we went over to Buckingham Palace. 
After the Changing of the Horse Guard, we headed over to Buckingham Palace to see their Changing of the Guard. It was quiet a production, one that we did not stay to see the end of. There were so many people shoving to get a better view, plus it was warm, and we were baking under the sun. I had no idea it went on for so long. As a first-time visitor, I thought it was something I shouldn't miss, and Max hadn't see it yet either so we went. Yay...
On our way out, we walked by the palace fence, heading towards Green Park. I saw a clearing in the crowd and squeezed through to get this picture of the guards in their uniforms. These are working soldiers who are off fighting when not involved in this type of "ceremonial duty". Our guide at Windsor said that the soldiers usually like all the attention they receive from tourists since it is such a change from their regular duties.
Hyde Park was a great place to get away from the crowds. It almost felt like we weren't in London while we were walking around it. I especially wanted to visit the park because it is the subject of a painting by Camille Pissaro which I am trying to recreate in my cross stitch project. We actually were able to see some of Pissaro's original paintings at the National Gallery, along with some from Van Gogh and Monet.
I learned so much from being in London. It was the kind of place you leave, taking a lot home with you. I left with the desire to learn even more. The things at the British Museum peaked my interest and I don't know why I didn't know more about the history of the world. The visit to Windsor made me want to look closer into my family's genealogy, especially after seeing what could be my family's coat of arms on the ceiling of St. George's Hall. I think even Max learned more the second time around. I can see now why he had wanted to go back.
