London Weekend

Wednesday before last Jeff comes home from work, stands in front of me as I am typing away on my computer and says he wants to take me to London for the weekend. As I looked up from the computer I am sure my expression said "Your crazy" but really before I could say anything else he went on to say it was as good as a weekend and any. So he sat down at his computer, booked first class train tickets down to London and a hotel for three nights. Wooo whooo!

Trip down was fantastic! That's the first time either of us have taken the train like that. It was really nice, relaxing and a great way to travel, see the country side as you go down and not have the pressure of being in a hurry, airport security and not having to drive yourself.

We got on the tube in London and got off right near our hotel. As we were coming out of the tube I could see The London Eye. And as we got closer to the hotel I realized that it was right next to it. And wouldn't you know, you could see it from our hotel room window!
Across the bridge from our hotel was Big Ben.

The London Eye. The building right next to it was our hotel

Big Ben

And right down the road from Big Ben was Westminster Abbey. As soon as we got settled into our hotel we walked to both and seen signs for Buckingham Palace so we kept walking. It was less than two miles away I would say. So we walked around the area outside the Palace gates and scooped out where we wanted to be on Sunday when we'd see the changing of the guards. After a stroll back through the park we went back to the hotel and had dinner.

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace

Saturday morning we got up and had an early start. We wanted to grab breakfast and get on the tube and head over to Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum. We got there a little earlier than we thought so we had to wait for them to open. So we strolled around a bit and found another great park, Hyde Park and sat and watched the ducks swim in the pond and the London joggers run by.

Madame Tussuad's was really neat! I think it was probably the highlight of the trip for me. We seen a lot of "celebrities" in there but it was just interesting to see how they do it and how detailed they get. Every one of the wax figures looked realistic and to full size. Just amazing. We also went to a 4D Marvel show they had and it was top notch! The special effects were awesome! So much so that when Spiderman gets thrown into the fountain at Buckingham Palace, the seat in front of you mist you too...........as if you were standing right there and got a little water on ya! Lots of little things like that made it worth every penny to see. So if you find yourself there and have the opportunity......definitely check it out!

I had to take a picture of Edward for my Twilight peeps

Jeff and George W. Bush

After that we headed over to Baker Street and visited the famous 221B Baker Street Flat. Three stories high and looking on the inside as it did back them.........Sherlock Holmes home. Neat place! It's very small and cramped as you go up the three stories..........but very similar to how so many flats are still in size here.

Sherlock Holmes living room

We had a lunch in an English Pub and then set out to hop back on the tube and go over to the Tower of London. You know I wish I could rave on and on about it but honestly.......once you've seen one castle or similar place, you feel as if you've seen them all. It was neat to see the Beefeater's and the Crown Jewels, but other than that.......the main thing to see there to me was the Tower Bridge which many of us refer to as the London Bridge.

A guard in front of the building where they house the Crown Jewels

A beefeater. We thought they were all male, but apparently not

Tower Bridge, or as I called it London Bridge, and I was corrected

Sunday morning we set out a bit later but early enough to go by 10 Downing Street (which was a big let down) and then on to see changing of the guards. We walked by the place where changing of the guards starts and we were getting there just in time. So we stopped there and seen the beginning of it and then we walked on through the park and went up to the palace to find a spot to sit and wait for the rest of it at the palace. Very interesting. I would say that a trip to London wouldn't be complete without seeing the changing of the guards just because that's what you are suppose to see. But it wasn't quite all I thought it would be. Still......I am thankful I got the opportunity to see it.

Changing of the Guard (the part that wasn't at the palace)

Changing of the Guard

Then really, the highlight of the trip for me was the chance to take a tour out to Stonehenge. I don't know why but I've always wanted to go out to see it. I had booked a tour to go out and see it as soon as Jeff said we were going to London. It's a ways away from London, probably about two hours but it was so worth it to me. Many of my friends have said, "its just a bunch of stones in the ground.......no big deal to see". But it really was something for me to see and I was really not disappointed at all. We spent about an hour out there, just walking around and listening to the story of the stones and all the myths and legends behind them. It was a great way to end our trip!

Stonehenge

After our tour we set back to London, had dinner and retired back to the hotel to gather up our things for the trip home and rest.

No photo album of London is complete with out a picture of a red phone booth

Monday morning we set out on the train home. Awesome weekend! My husband rocks!