United Kingdom - England - London

London is the capital city of England and a bustling metropolis rich in history. We packed in a LOT of siteseeing in four full days.

Travel Tips:  

- You will rarely pay for anything with cash. Pretty much the only time we used cash was for tipping.

- Buy a Two Together Railcard if you will be riding the train throughout the UK. It saves about 30% off two tickets and gets uploaded into your Trainline, National Rail Enquiries or whatever app you use to book train tickets.

- Buy a London Pass. You can buy from one to 10 days. It gives major discounts to most of the popular attractions.

- Take the 'tube' to get around London. Google Maps make this super easy. Just put in your destination, select the 'train' icon and Maps will tell you which station, line, platform, etc. 

- Do not waste your time getting an Oyster card before you leave home (it gets mailed to you) to ride the tube. Just tap your credit card at the gates. As best we could determine, it's the same cost as the Oyster card fare. Your research may draw a different conclusion.

What did we do?

Hop-on-hop-off bus. This is a great 'day 1' thing to do and was included in our London Pass. As luck would have it, both times we 'hopped on', neither driver scanned our passes so we were never charged! We rode the Red Line. The open-top buses provide a convenient and flexible way to see the major attractions. 

Westminster Abbey. This stunning Gothic abbey has played a central role in British history for over a thousand years. It has witnessed coronations, royal weddings, and burials of notable figures. The architecture is magnificant with intricate details everywhere you turn.

Grave of the Unknown Warrior 

High Alter

Tomb of King Edward I

Tomb of King Henry III

Tomb of
Queens Elizabeth I and Mary I 

Innocents' Corner
The relics of Edward V, King of England,
and Richard, Duke of York
 

Tomb of King Henry VII and 
Elizabeth of York

Royal Air Force Chapel

Countess of Lennox Tomb

Tomb of Mary Queen of Scots

Tomb of King Edward III

Tomb of King Richard II

William Shakespeare 

Britain's Oldest Door
Circa 1050's

Pyx Chamber
One of the oldest surviving parts of
Westminster Abbey 

Cope Chest
Used to hold copes (circular capes/garmets)
for the clergy to wear.
Circa 1450

That is not an alter it is a Stone Table
 that was used to test silver 

Coronation Chair
The Chair has been in use at the
coronation ceremony since 1308

St. Paul's Cathedral. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, this cathedral stands tall with its impressive dome. The interior was awe-inspiring and the crypt filled with tombs of historical figures like Sir Winston Churchill.

Windsor Castle, located just outside London, is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. This fortress has been a royal residence for over 900 years and is still used by the British monarchy today. You can explore the St. George's Chapel (where QEII is interred), State Apartments, Queen Mary's Doll House (line was too long for us), and witness the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside the apartments or chapel.

We had to wait in line but it
moved quickly

Line for the Queens Doll House 

Funny story... Between the tube and two trains, it took close to an hour (one-way) to get to Windsor Castle. Sharon had originally planned on going Thursday but we had dinner plans with a friend (who later canceled) so we went Wednesday. Only to discover it is closed Tuesday and Wednesday! We went back the next day and were glad we did.

First train

Second train

Tower of London. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has a dark and intriguing history as a royal palace, prison, and treasury. Our visit began with a tour by a Yeoman Warder who told captivating stories about the horrors that took place here. We were able to see the Crown Jewels (no photos allowed), walk along the medieval walls, and explore several buildings including the Tower.

Yeoman Warder

The Moat in Bloom

 

Byward Tower

Traitors Gate 

The Entrance where many prisoner's 
arrived at The Tower of London

Bloody Tower

Portcullis, used to shut off the
gate passage below

The Royal Armoury 

The 'Dwarf' and the 'Giant'

Norman Garderobe (toilet)

St John's Chapel

Staff Weapons

Block & Axe
Prisoner's of noble birth found 
guilty of treason were beheaded 

Executioners Mask and Leg Shackles

Crown Jewels 👑 located inside 

Changing of the Guards video

Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula

Three Queens of England are buried here
Queen Anne Boleyn
Queen Catherine Howard
Queen Jane Gray

Memorial to John Holland,
Constable of the Tower in the 
15th Century 

The prisoner's carved marks to express their identities, beliefs, and feelings during captivity.

Thomas Peverel 1570

Lawrence Cook 
Imprisoned 1537-40
Executed 4 August 1540

Residences 

Residences 

Bloody Tower

Scavenger's Daughter
A torture device

The Rack
Tower of London's most infamous 
instrument of torture

Parliament and Big Ben

London Eye to get a bird's-eye view of the city. This giant Ferris wheel, situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, offers incredible views of London's skyline and popular landmarks. We purchased tickets online and paid extra for the 'fast pass'. 

OMG 😲 😱 we stopped at the top

Tower Bridge is a bascule and suspension bridge that spans the River Thames. We climbed one of the towers and walked across both of the high-level glass floor walkways that connect the two towers. We also got to explore the machinery room and just missed getting to see the drawbridge opening from the walkway above.

We took the stairs not the lift

East Walkway 

Our View

I am not walking on the glass

I'm stuck, they are not moving

I can do this

I did it!

West Walkway 

A view of the battleship

Sharon was having fun

She finally got me out there

Look up to see down 

Raising of the drawbridge

London Bridge Various bridges stood on or near this site since before Roman times. 

Millennium Bridge was the first new pedestrian bridge crossing over the Thames for more than a century. 

Borough Market. This bustling market is located near London Bridge and a food lover's paradise. We couldn't believe we waited until our last day in London to check it out. It was loaded with a wide array of fresh produce, food stalls, and international delicacies. We purchased some cheese, a loaf of bread and bottle of olive oil as well as a delicious pulled pork sandwich for lunch.

Leake Street or Graffiti Alley is a road tunnel located in Lambeth where graffiti is legal. It was interesting and not nearly as gross as Seatlle's Bubblegum alley.

Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately it was closed until July so we only got to see it from the outside. 

Hard Rock Cafe. This is the original Hard Rock. We stopped for a drink.

A little concerning 

Elton John

John Lennon

Lenny Kravitz 

A few random picks.

 

Bus

Taxi

Hyde Park

Sharon thinks I'm ordering
Theater tickets

Blonde Sex Diva or maybe Dominatrix 🤔

Where did we eat?

Old Red Lion -- pretty much what I thought a Pub would look like. The service was far from excellent and the food about the same.

My first pint

The Mansion Pub -- Who knew there was a pub in Britain that served Thai food? 🤔 Not just Thai food but really good Thai food. So good, we ate here three times.

Green Curry 

Dim Sum

Gyoza

Sea Bass Ginger
Steamed Sea bass fillet with soya sauce,
mushrooms, onions, ginger and bean paste

Tom Yam
Sour soup with lemongrass, mushroom, fresh
herbs, galangal, lime leave and chili paste

Green Papaya Salad

Rock & Sole Plaice -- our first fish and chips in London. The fish was nicely battered but a little greasy for us. The chips were very good.

Ice cream

Lunch on the train always tastes good.

Chicken and Corn Salad

Ham & Cheese Ploughman Sandwich

The Black Pig 🐖 OMG so good! Located within Borough Market.

The Best One
Slow roast pork shoulder, honey truffle,
mayo, salsa verde, peperoncino, 
fennel apple slaw & aged parmesan 

Where did we stay? Greater London AirBnB hosted by Keish.

This was our TV

Elton John 1977 Wimbley Concert

How did we get here? We drove from our apartment to Zagreb International Airport to return our rental car and catch our Ryanair flight to London Stansted airport. Upon arrival in Stansted, we rode the Stansted Express train to the London Liverpool Station. Next we walked to the Moorgate Station and took the tube to Elephant & Castle Station. It was a train, plane and automobile day!

Row 2, almost first class

I guess I took the slower
escalator 

When did we visit? June 26 through July 1, 2023

According to little Ms. Google, for the month of June, we traveled 1,701 miles. We flew over 850 miles. 

London is a fun city and very easy to get around. The tube trains run constantly. I don't think we waited more than three minutes for a train -- ever. And the fare caps out at about $8/day so you could ride $20 worth of fares and only be charged $8 total. There is so much history and we really enjoyed getting to visit some pubs.

“Please, mind the gap.”