Final day

Our last Day. We are ready to come home but sad that the trip is almost done.
We decided we needed to see Buckingham Palace. It was only a short walk from the hotel. A crowd was already gathering 1 1/2 hours prior to see the changing of the guard. We snapped a few pictures and spent a little time sitting on the fountain steps.
I wanted to tour the HMS Belfast. The Belfast is a WWII cruiser that is now a  floating museum moored on the Thames. Volunteers have done an amazing job keeping everything in excellent condition. The engine room was very impressive and appeared ready for service.
Sherri spent her time checking out some of the shops on the water front.
We met for our last Pub lunch. Then to the hotel for a rest.
Dinner was in China town. We walked through Leicester Square on our way to dinner. This is were the casinos and many theaters are located. We enjoyed a great Chinese dinner then walked through Piccadilly Circus on our way to the tube. Piccadilly Circus is similar to New York's Times Square.
Weary and needing to pack to the next days flight, we headed to the hotel.

The flight was on time and uneventful.
We pulled into the driveway at 6:30 PM. I mowed the yard and tended to the garden a bit. Sherri held out till 9:00 PM then off to bed. She had been up 22 hours straight. I held out until 10:00 pm. This marked 23 hours of no sleep for me.
Amazingly we both woke at 5:00 AM ready to start the day with a visit to the fitness center. The rest of the day was spent resting. That evening we went to the Springfield Zoo for Ridewell's company picnic. Even though we both have a little bit of jet lag, it is quickly fading.

This brings and end to this blog. I hope those who have and will read this blog, enjoy its contents.
Sherri and I greatly enjoyed this trip and are planning another in 2015.
Until then...

Day 10

Today was spent seeing the sights considered close to our hotel. We still walked 3 or 4 miles around the city. Our first stop was the Royal Mews adjacent to Buckingham Palace. This is where the queens horses and carriages are kept. It was a very interesting tour. Most of the horses were traveling with the Queen. The highlight was the gold covered, 250 year old carriage. It was built by George the IV in 1762.
We then made our way to Hyde Park. The park is beautiful. Sherri and I rented bikes and rode its length. This brought us to Kensington Palace. This palace was used by Princess Diana. We enjoyed the tour.
Back to the hotel for a short rest then out for dinner.
We took the tube to Downtown London to eat at Leadenhall Market. This market dates back to the 14th century. We ate at Pizza Express. The calzones were great.
Back on the tube to the hotel and to bed.

Day 9

The hotel offers a breakfast thats included with our stay. We anticipated Continental style. We were wrong. They offered a complete english style breakfast bar with eggs, bacon, sausage and all the sides. It was delicious.
After breakfast, we took the tube to London Bridge Station. Our destination was The Tower of London. Construction of the Tower dates back a 1000 years to William the Conquerer. William needed a fortress to gain a foothold in England and built it next to the Thames River. The tower, sorrouned by walls, was mainly used as a defensive position and prison. We spent most of the day following the recorded guide and wandering the ancient halls.
We left the Tower and crossed the Tower bridge. From there we took the tube back to Victoria Station and our hotel. We skipped lunch so we needed a dinner of fish and chips. The pub across the street serves the best we have found so far.
After dinner, we hopped back on the tube to go to Waterloo Station and ride the London Eye. The views of the city were amazing. After the ride we walked along the River Thames as the sun set and took pictures of Big Ben. It was a nice way to end the day.