Day 2 - London

Quick weather update - we awoke to 4 degrees Celsius this AM- you can do the math!  Needless to say, we're glad that the sun is shining since we ride the London Eye this afternoon and happy that we packed gloves and a scarf for me!  Lovely wake-up call this AM with coffee and paper delivered at the door and breakfast in the Exec. lounge.  Could get used to this service (oh, that's right, we'll get the same on the cruise, so wonder who will continue this treatment at home :)).  Off to buy our Oyster cards and figure out how to get from the Marble Arch tube station to Westminster.....

Update (end of the day):

We walked to the Bond Street station to get a direct line to Westminster and not have to change trains the first time we used the tube.  Cold, sunny morning perfect for a walk. Arrived at Westminster station in good order and walked across the bridge to get good pictures of Parliament, the Eye, etc.  Of course, they had scaffolds up on two sides of Parliament and part of Westminster Abbey; so we just photographed the other sides :).  We then had a wonderful tour of Westminster using a very well done audio system that was not available when we were here in the 80s.  The only disappointment was the 'no photos' rule; it is an amazing place with photo ops around every corner and, on a lovely sunny day, the light streaming through the stained glass was spectacular. Once every hour, there is a one minute prayer and all visitors are asked to  either participate or observe a moment of silence....a very moving experience.  We loved finding tombs or commemorations in the form of plaques, marble slabs on the floor or statuary honoring everyone from British statesmen and generals to the 15 year old son of a wealthy patron.  Lots of American honorees as well - including FDR, American servicemen from WW II, Authors, etc. Those who wished could attend any church service being held while they visited or return at any time (free) to worship.  We truly could have stayed much longer than we did.  On the way out, I asked one of the docents how decisions are made about honorees. He told us that it is a very complex and lengthy process now but long ago anyone with money or high connections could honor a loved one (hence the 15 year old son of a patron).

Onward we went to less esoteric activities...we turned in my voucher for a 3 PM 'flight' on the London Eye which I ordered online to avoid long lines. So....we stood on a long Disney looking line to turn in the voucher for our 'real' tickets.  We found that part of the ticket was a 4D film that simulated the flight in all kinds of weather - we got rained on, snowed on, etc.  Fun and lasted all of 4 minutes!  Then we lined up AGAIN for about 40 minutes to wait for our turn on the 'flight'.  It was a great people watching experience - especially the well-behaved English children and their parents.  The weather was superb having warmed up a bit and now being mid-afternoon very pleasant.  The ride on the Eye is one of those 'must dos' but not exciting experiences. In weather like today, the views were clear and distant and the proximity to the Thames with its boats and birds was an extra treat.  Our 'flight' much like any ride managed to get stuck for a little while but the whole thing took about 40 minutes.  We then walked along the river enjoying the street entertainers including a good, small band and walked across the river on a new pedestrian bridge (at least new since my last trip here).  I had purchased a special deal online that included the Eye, a 3 course dinner at a typical English restaurant and a copy of the Cook Book published by the restaurant (Porter's).  The walk to the restaurant was fun and included a short distance on The Strand where we stayed on our first trip to England in the early 80s.  The food was quite good, service excellent and, of course, Art had a British Lager and we had Fish and Chips and ended with a Hot Chocolate pudding (cake-like and dripping in wonderful chocolate sauce).  We walked to the Leicester Square tube station through Covent Garden and thoroughly enjoyed the crowds, seeing the many ethnic restaurants and managing to get back to Marble Arch AND change trains without getting lost or missing a train.

We finished the evening with a drink in the Executive Lounge and a visit with a couple who recently moved to Charlotte that we met last night.  Art is now playing cards with Greg (learning a new game) while I'm updating my blog.

Pictures: Pictures - London Day 1