London Calling

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A red British phone booth with a woman standing beside it
London Calling

London Calling

Sleeping woman with a pink neck pillow, Canada flag mouth mask and light blue eye mask

I sleep most of the way to London…John doesn’t. We arrive at Gatwick within fifteen minutes of Graham and easily find each other.
Graham wearing a blue jacket sitting on the edge of a very tall mountain with fog below
Graham sitting on the cliff edge in Preikestolen, Norway

Graham fills me in on his experiences in Norway. I’m startled by pictures of him sitting on the edge of a high cliff. Thank goodness I didn’t know what he was doing at the time.
 

To the Hotel


We move quickly through Gatwick airport and catch the shuttle to our hotel.

It’s only 10:30am and our room isn’t ready so we go to a quieter spot near the lobby and get some things from our suitcase.

Today is Remembrance Day and a TV in the lounge shows a Remembrance Day ceremony. At 11:00am we stop as did a couple of women and take a moment of silence. I’m disappointed that the hotel’s music system continues to play a pop tune and most other people continue on with what they are doing.

After checking our bags, we take the shuttle back to the airport and continue by train to Victoria Station.

In and Around London

London street pavement with the words look right painted on itIt’s soooo good to walk around London seeing the iconic double decker buses, red phone booths and lets not forget the “look left” or “look right” signs painted on the pavement at crosswalks. Definitely a good idea for tourists (like myself) who are not used to vehicles driving on the other side of the road.
John and Graham in front of Buckingham Palace
We stop to check out Buckingham Palace. The Union Jack is up the mast,  advising all that the Queen is in residence. 

We continue on to Westminster Cathedral which is a different churchFront gothic style arched entrance to Westminster Cathedral than the more famous Westminster Abbey. Inside, the bagpipes play as an Armistice Day service takes place. Many older seniors attend the solemn event.
Painting of the annunciation of the virgin Mary who is covered in white gauze with an etheral angel hovering over her shoulder
Walking quickly towards the Thames River, we meet up with my dear friend Zoe at the Tate Britain Art Gallery.  The art collection here consists of many British masterpieces.

 

London After Dark

The British Parliament buildings at night with the lit up London Eye Ferris Wheel in the background
Being November, dark descends quickly. We walk past the Parliament buildings. The London Eye (a huge ferris wheel) is lit up in the background.
Westminster Cathedral surrounded by Armistice Day crosses
Crosses and memorial wreaths are spread across the grounds of the brightly lit Westminster Abbey. I watch a young girl put a cross into the ground as her mother stands nearby. The Duchess of Cornwall had visited it earlier in the day. It really is beautiful.

In true British form, our site seeing day ends with a pint of beer (or glass of wine) at the Duke of York Pub. We say goodbye to Zoe and catch a train back to Gatwick Airport and then a bus shuttle to the hotel. John is exhausted and falls asleep on the train. 
Man sleeping on a train

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6 thoughts on “London Calling”

    • I can sleep just about anywhere. Unfortunately today, there were four ladies who just couldn’t stop talking through the whole flight…they did keep me awake. I should have put in my ear plugs.

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