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Monday, March 7, 2011

Look Left, Look Right - We're in London

How many people do you think have this same picture?
After my Uncle John had left we were very inspired to finally take the plunge and go to London. In early February we found an amazing deal with the British Euro Star railway and booked a two-day trip. It was our first time in ten months back in an English speaking country!


The London Eye
We arrived late Monday night and after taking the tube to our hotel, Twenty Nevern Square, we headed downtown to see the city at night.

The next morning we went to Buckingham palace, to peer through the gold plated gates at the Queen’s Guards. 

Buckingham 

From Buckingham palace we walked to Westminster Abbey, and then along to the River Thames. In Covet Garden we found an Indian Restaurant, Punjab, the oldest North Indian restaurant in England.

Big Ben on our way to the Thames

From Covet Garden we navigated the tube down to the Tower of London, where we had a guided tour by one of the live-in Beefeaters. The Tower of London was not at all what I had expected; with medieval buildings all lumped together in an array of styles, shapes and sizes. 

   

The central White Tower; the residential fortress, it a true castle built to awe and terrify its citizens and possible foreign invaders. Perhaps it is the multi-purpose function of residential fortress combined with that of a prison, royal mint, and treasury that gives the Tower of London such an interesting and emotive composition of building styles. The grounds and building are so massive and intricate one definitely needs to set aside more then two hours. 

Apartment above the Traitor's Gate
Tower Bridge from the Tower of London

That night we went to see Billy Elliot the Musical. It was very good, although London is full of musicals, I don’t know how one could ever decide on which to see!

The next morning we ended our trip in Hyde Park with a Café au Lait by the Serpentine.












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