Sightseeing in London

 Buckingham Palace from St. James' Park

On day 2 of my solo expedition I thought I would head down to my favorite park and wander around, no real plan in mind.  I wanted to see the Churchill War Museums, but they were closed.  I took the District Line from Tower Hill to St. James' Park and began my 5.43 walking marathon.  Yes I mapped it out because it was a long, long, long walk!

Whitehall Palace and The London Eye from St. James' Park

 I just can't tell you how peaceful and beautiful this park is.  The water, grass, trees, flowers and various birds combine to make such a wonderfully relaxing spot.  Above is my favorite view from St. James.  The park is south of Buckingham Palace and runs the length of The Mall (where we will be lining up to see The Trooping of the Colour Saturday) and runs into Horse Guards Parade Ground. You then leave the park and around the corner is Big Ben and the Thames River.  So much to see in this small spot.  

Swans, ducks, various birds, and squirrels are abundant in the park and fun to watch. 

 Victoria Monument in front of Buckingham Palace

 After I left the park I headed towards the river and took in the iconic landmarks of London - Big Ben

 The House of Commons / Parliament Buildings

 I crossed the river and headed towards the London Eye.

By this time, I was starving. As I entered the walkway along the river featuring outdoor seating for the various restaurants, I spotted one that looked good to me.  

I sat outside with this stunning view and just soaked it all in as I rested my feet and enjoyed my lunch.  Which restaurant was this, you ask, you know, with the stunning view? McDonald's! Yep, I enjoyed an ice cold soda WITH ICE, a Big Mac and a salad.  The most delicious McDonalds ever!!!  This was a very warm day in the low 80's thus the importance of an ice cold drink. 

 I then went over to The London Eye and noticed a new park.  The Queen's Jubilee Gardens.  Wonderful shade to sit in on the grass, with street entertainment, a playground for kids and best of all- A CLEAN BATHROOM.  The price for this wonderful bathroom with an attendant in service was 50p - well worth it.

A pair of ducks joined me for a rest. 

 Whitehall Palace from Jubilee Walkway Bridge

 Jubilee Walkway Bridge

 The view from the bridge

Admiralty Arch

After crossing the bridge, I decided to go to Fortnum and Mason for some Lemon Curd.  We buy some every time we come to London and I might as well cross it off my list today.  I saw a sign that showed were you were and what was within 15 minute walking distance and Fortnum and Mason was listed just outside the 15 minute circle.  I went into the Corinthia Hotel ($1500 a night and very POSH and CHIC) and asked the concierge for directions.  

I was directed through Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and on to Picadilly Circus.
I got a good look at the Blue Cockerel.
 The new artwork for the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square, a bright blue cockerel symbolizing regeneration and strength, has been unveiled.

Titled Hahn/Cock, the 4.72m high piece is by German artist Katharina Fritsch and will be on display for 18 months.

 Beside Trafalgar Square heading towards Leicester Square is the beautiful St. Martin's in the Field Church.

I finally made it to Picadilly Circus and went on to find Fortnum and Mason. Its at least a half mile walk down the road.  Just when I think I have gone the wrong way, I spot it. 

Fortnum and Mason via Alamy

I love to look in their windows, they have the best displays, but unfortunately, the front of the store was covered in scaffolding, but luckily, they were open!

 I promptly found the lemon curd and put two bottles in my basket, then I wandered around the store looking for more delicious items.  I wish they gave out samples, because I would have bought more things if I could have been sure I would have liked them.  They sound so good, but I wasn't sure.  I ended up with some honey, strawberry jelly and toffee.

This is one of my favorite recipes for use of the lemon curd.

Make Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk Biscuits as directed.
Open them up
Spread butter
Broil to toast
Add lemon curd
Add Strawberry jelly
DELICIOUS

It is also a yummy filling for cupcakes!

I then retraced my steps back to Westminster Station ( didn't have to walk to the next station; St. James).  Yep 5.43 miles!

The Tower of London 2014

The Tower of London

Historic Royal Palaces

Click on the above links to visit the Historic Royal Palaces website and The Tower of London website.

 For the first day on my own I thought I would just cross the street and visit the Tower of London.  I've been here 3 times before, but today I was flying solo so I was able to spend as much time as I wanted exploring.  I bought my ticket (GBP 22.00) and then wandered along the outside perimeter along the river to get a good look at the Tower.  The Tower was built in 1066 to keep hostile Londoners at bay by William the Conquerer. Over the years The Tower has been used as many things including a  palace, prison, a royal observatory and the royal mint.    Many famous people were kept prisoner here including Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I.

The moat is covered in grass and you are able to wander along the outside.  On the street side of the tower is a pathway, benches and flowers, a perfect place for a rest.  When the tower was no longer used for defense, the moat was turned into a zoo.

Yeoman Warder also known as a Beefeater.

Every 1/2 hour a guided tour by a Beefeater can be taken.  Don't be put off by the large crowds, these guys can yell really loud for all to hear!  Our guide was hysterically funny (this is not him, unfortunately).  Each tour takes about an hour but it seems so much shorter!  The Yeoman Warder a.k.a. Beefeaters were established in 1509 as the Royal Bodyguards.  They live within The Tower walls and must have served honorably in the military for 22 years.   

 

At the heart of The Tower of London complex is The White Tower.  It is the oldest building at the tower and was built to strike fear into the hearts of Londoners.  It is a fine example of Norman architecture.  It houses a fascinating collection of armor throughout British history.  You can see all the armor from all the kings and nobles including their horses.

My obligatory selfie to prove I was there!

Legend has it that if the six resident ravens leave The Tower the nation will fall.  There are currently 7 ravens in residence at The Tower, the 6 needed and a spare!  The ravens have one clipped wing and a Raven Master who takes care of them. 

Above is their cage where the ravens spend the night. 

Also in the above picture is various examples of architecture.  The Shard, the newest building in London, The Roman Wall - behind the ravens cage, The Medieval Towers and Palace built in the 1300's  and the Tudor buildings built for Anne Boleyn (but never used by her) in 1533.  

 The Tower of London and the Roman Wall. 

Another look. 

 The Tower has various displays of animals that used to be kept there made out of many different materials.  They were very well done.

 In the basement of The Tower, I found this dragon made from various pieces of armor and weapons. I loved it!

 Coat of Arms. 

 A peak into the interior of the old Medieval Palace.  

I spent about 41/2 hours here.  The crown jewels are magnificent and are included in the price of admission (no pics allowed).  There is a pretty good cafe/restaurant and really nice gift stores. I never tire of visiting.  

Visit the website for more information.

The Grange City Hotel - London

 We stayed 9 days at The Grange City Hotel in The City of London.  This hotel was recommended to my husband because it was close to the office were he was conducting business and it was a reasonable priced 5 star hotel.  It is right by The Tower of London and the London Bridge.  There were several restaurants, Starbucks, Pret A Manger and Pubs nearby.  I enjoyed walking the Thames Path walkway everyday for exercise.  It is a nice walkway along the riverbank with art and restaurants.

 Our room was spacious and on the club level, so we enjoyed a continental breakfast, coffee and tea every morning.  I wasn't around at lunch, but at dinner they had some fajita wraps and salads available along with soda, water, beer and wine.  A couple of nights when my husband was working and I was exhausted from exploring the city, I enjoyed a fajita wrap and caesar salad for dinner - Free!   The lounge also included a TV, computers and printers.  There was no one to man the lounge, but there was a phone to call for assistance if needed.

 The hotel was right next door to The Tower Hill entrance to the tube station which was ultra convenient.  It was clean but just a little dated.  It is a good 20 minutes away from all the action, but it is easy to get there.  We had four people and we figured out that it was as cheaper to take a cab versus the subway when there were four of you.  The round trip tube ticket was 8 pounds 90 a person and a cab ride was about 30 pounds (roundtrip).

 To the right of our hotel was the Tower and Tower Bridge.  You could see it from the doorway.  Three minute walk across the street.

 This was the view from our room.  The Shard...

 Trinity Square and the Naval building.  Trinity square is a green space and it used to be Tower Hill where The Tower of London's executions took place.  Not the executions of those closest to the King, like Anne Boleyn, but others that were more minor that irritated him.

 The Gerkin.  This is 30 St. Mary's Axe, the former Swiss Re Building and affectionately known as the Gerkin.

 Right across the street from our hotel was The Natural Kitchen Restaurant.  They had a wonderful menu and the food was delicious.

The Chicken Club Sandwich

The restaurant had sit down service and a nice salad/food bar for take away.  We also enjoyed warm weather while we were there and they had outdoor picnic tables that were full everyday for lunch.  You could get all the sandwich selections (which include the hamburgers) as "skinny" and they would leave off the bun and give you salad instead of fries.  I really liked that.  I enjoyed this restaurant so much, I ate there 3 times! 

Hot Tips for Travel Overseas

I want to share with you a couple of hot tips and just some things that made our life a little easier while we were on our vacation in London and Loire Valley.  

1.  Buy your foreign currency from the bank.  You need about a 3 day notice, but our currency was delivered to the bank the next day.  You want to exchange at your bank because they don't charge you a fee which can be a percentage of the money you are exchanging and they give you the lowest rate.

2.  Buy as many things as you can here before you leave in US Dollars.  This also saves you a lot of money in exchange fees and fluctuating values.  I buy a lot of day trips, theater tickets, rail tickets, metro tickets, Disneyland Paris tickets etc. here before I leave.  Saves me at least 30%.  Sometimes the price is the same in US Dollars as in Euros and that saves you even more.  I buy from Things To Do in expedia and from the attraction's website depending on the offers.  

3. Use your credit card benefits to your advantage.  The American Express Platinum offers no exchange rate fee on purchases overseas.  This saves you 3% immediately.  This card allows use of Airport VIP lounges, best exchange rate, upgrades at hotels including things like free wifi, room upgrade etc.  Also, this card gives you insurance on a rental car, FREE, when used to rent the car.  The insurance can be almost as much as the rental itself if purchased separately.  This card came in handy with our rental car this trip.  While turning onto a narrow street in France, there was a car in the middle of a very small lane and we had to quickly move to the side of the street thus scrapping the rim of the mercedes we rented.  Since we paid with the American Express, they covered our bill of 850 Euros we were charged by the rental company.  Whew!

Band-Aid blister packs - Heel and Toe

4.  I don't care how comfortable your shoes are, if you wear them for hours and hours walking all over the place, they are going to rub your skin and might give you a blister.  I carried these blister bandaids  in my purse and when I started to get a blister on my toe and one on my heel, I just applied the bandaid and I never felt them again.  They stick really well and provide a lot of cushion which is better than just a good old bandaid.  

Garmin

5.  Driving through the highways and backroads of France would have been a nightmare without the Garmin.  It got us out of the confusing big highways of Paris and navigated us through the tiny back roads and highways in the countryside.  The roads are not marked very well in the country and can be confusing.  We were never lost with the Garmin.  We downloaded a map of Europe before we left and what a lifesaver.  To find where you want to go, you can input and address or just the name of the place, restaurant or airport where you are going.  Worked like a charm. 

6.  Carry Change when driving in Europe.  There are a ton of toll roads so make sure you have cash on hand to pay the tolls.  It costs us 19 Euros to drive the A10 when driving from Paris to the Loire Valley and when we went to Mont. St.-Michel.

7.  Have a plan but be flexible with your schedule.  Because I buy somethings here, we have to set dates to do certain things i.e. Matilda on Monday night, but leave some days open for fun things that come up or just to rest and explore nearby.  

8.  Keep a snack in your purse and carry a water bottle.  When you are out walking all around visiting different sights, sometimes its hard to find a place to eat.  If you have a small snack, it will tide you over until you are free for dinner. 

I'm sure there are many more that I haven't thought of, but these are the ones that have served me well. 

I'm back from vacation...

Katie

I'm back from my vacation to London and The Loire Valley.  I am editing photos and hope to have something posted tomorrow.