London!

No one can see London in a day, but Claire managed to fit every bit she could into our time there. But let me back up. Sioux and Claire live in Chertsey, a lovely town in Surrey about 20 miles southwest of London. The last time we visited, a few years ago on a brief stop before catching a cruise ship, they informed us that Chertsey was one of the first places the aliens took out in H.G. Wells The War Of The Worlds. Interesting claim to fame. But it is also close to Runnymede and Windsor Castle. It was awe inspiring to actually see where the Magna Carta was signed.

So, on this trip we took the train into London and spent the day along the Thames. Every time we turned around there was some famous (or infamous) site. Big Ben, The London Eye, The Tate Modern Museum (free to all and very convenient that their restrooms are free and on the top floor where their café has a great view), The Globe Theater complete with a statue of Sir Lawrence Olivier outside and a mosaic of Shakespeare nearby. We had a great lunch at a wine bar in Borough Market. The market was established in 1756 and continues with fresh food of all types as well as restaurants and take out shops, and was certainly bustling on the day we were there.

Next to the market is the peaceful Southwark Cathedral, which has a room dedicated to the memory of John Harvard, founder of Harvard University.

We continued on to cross the Tower Bridge and walk past the Tower of London, and on to Pudding Lane, the site of the 1666 Great Fire of London. The monument commemorating the Great Fire is 61 meters high (202 feet) – the exact distance between it and the site in Pudding Lane where the fire began.

Our next stop was St Paul’s Cathedral, an Anglican cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. While it was past closing time, we were able to admire the dome, the statue of St. Paul, and see the steps Princess Diana walked on her wedding day.

And after putting in almost 8 miles on foot we were ready for a cocktail. Claire is in the liquor distribution business, and had her contacts get us a table at the Sky Bar in the Fenchburg Building (also known as the Walkie-Talkie based on it’s shape). A garden in the heavens with magnificent London views at sunset, we couldn’t think of a better place to end our tour. Well, except for maybe the awesome noodles we had a Wagamama after. And guess what? It’s an international chain so there might be more Wagamama noodles in our future!