Day 8

Good morning from London!  Yesterday was really long and exhausting, and on top of that, I got SUPER car sick in the bus on the way back to the hotel last night.  So, I was not in any shape to write out the email!  Sorry!  Here is what we did:

We got a later start to try and avoid the rush (3-hour) traffic, but we still got stuck!  We took a bus tour with our local guide, Jason, who looked a lot like Hugh Grant (and, of course, talked just like him)!


We were able to see most of the major landmarks during the tour.  We stopped at St. Paul's Cathedral for a few pictures and a bathroom break.  St. Paul's is famous for many things...in particular, Charles and Dianna's wedding!  The original cathedral was destroyed in the Big Fire of 1666.  The newer one was completed in 1710! 

We also took a picture under Temple Bar which is the "gateway" between Westminster and London which are actually considered two different cities.  We saw Hyde Park, Harrod's, the River Thames, which is 214 miles long, and the London Stock Exchange.  

We drove past the hoards of people waiting to get in to Westminster Abbey, but we did not get to go in ourselves.  Westminster Abbey has hosted the coronation of every king and queen of England for the past 900 years! It is most certainly a famous landmark...also the location of Prince William and Kate's wedding!!




















We ended our tour at Buckingham Palace where Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live.  The Union Jack flag was flying at the palace which symbolized that the Queen was not home.  We're hoping she will be at Windsor Castle when we visit today! :)

We learned that the dragons we keep seeing along the side of the road signify that your are entering or leaving London.  The dragons face London.

We ate lunch in Piccadilly Circus which is a central place in London known for entertainment.  

We ended the day with a special "Jack the Ripper" guide through the events of his murder spree.  Although it sounds scary, it was really more entertaining a funny!