Sisters See London

July 9 – 22

My sister, Judy, arrived in London on July 9th and I was immediately determined that she get her money’s worth during her visit. After getting her settled in our small flat, we set out to see the neighborhood, grab a quick meal, then a walk across Green Park to Buckingham Palace where Judy was given her first view of the red-coated Royal Guards and Queen Victoria’s Memorial. For lunch, we stopped at Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly Street and enjoyed one of the five restaurants in this one of kind elegant department store known for their own brand of tea and the famous clock which features life size figurines bringing out the tea service on the hour.

Beginning early the next morning, Judy and I became London tourists and during her two weeks we took the Big Bus Tour, saw the crown jewels at the Tower of London, walked across the Tower Bridge, rode in the London Eye and took a Thames River Cruise. We toured Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Royal Mews. We saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and visited the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Wallace Collection. We saw Big Ben, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and shopped on Oxford and Regent Streets, Carnaby Square, St. Christopher’s Place, Harrods, the Portobello Road Market, and the Camden Lock Market.

Judy’s visit included some very special “beyond London” highlights! Rick booked us on a tour of the London 2012 Olympic Site. The site has completely transformed a very derelict part of London into a 350 acre site for athletics (track & field), swimming, cycling, basketball, opening and closing ceremonies, The Olympic Village, parks and waterways. This highly secure site has over 8000 workers each day and has been built with very high environmental standards….we were impressed!!! We spent a day in Stratford Upon Avon where we toured Shakespeare’s birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, and saw the charming River Avon. Our castle and palace tours included Hampton Court Palace (known as one of Henry VIII’s famous palaces), Warwick Castle (now a commercial property), and Windsor Castle (a working castle and home to the Royal Family). We had a leisurely Afternoon Tea at the Cheshire Hotel in Mayfair where we enjoyed flowering teas, finger sandwiches, tarts, and scones. We spent a lovely day in Richmond at The Ham House and Gardens, a very fashionable 17th century home owned by a close friend and court member of Charles I, it survived Cromwell’s rule and is now one of the National Trust properties.

We had a wonderful “sister visit” in and among all the touring, Tube and train rides, and walks and believe it or not, we did not see “it all!” Judy is already making plans to return with Lamar during her spring break in April!

See our pictures: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/alysehirsekorn/SistersSeeLondon?authkey=Gv1sRgCLq08PqipeXPlgE&feat=directlink