I know it does not look like it, but they are having fun!
Our two-day buzz over to London almost never got out of the train station in Brussels! Well, I guess I should say WE almost didn't leave the train station in Brussels! We left plenty of time to get to the station from our house but through the magic of technology....aka GPS....we ended up in some random street in the financial district of Brussels! We did finally get the correct address for Midi Station entered into the GPS (which we proceeded to save in our favorites) and after several attempts to get around a Sunday morning Farmer's Market, turning down a one-way street...the wrong way....in front of two Brussels Policemen, we did find parking and, with literally one minute to spare, made it onto the train and were able to breath a sigh of relief that we would make it to London!
We had a surprisingly decent day! Quite a bit of sunshine for London. Our first stop was the LondonEye. It was awesome and no lines! I can't imagine what it is going to be like this summer during the Olympics! After the Eye we had a "not so quick" lunch at Sherlock Holmes Pub and then onto Westminster Abbey....oops! Closed to tourists on Sunday! Change of plans brought us over to the Churchill War Rooms. If you ever have an opportunity to see this you really should. Really fascinating.
Relaxed that evening at the Marriott Court Hotel, which is right near the LondonEye. Went to dinner at Gaucho's in Picadilly Circus area. Great Argentinian Steakhouse. Dark decor, lots of spotted cowhides on the wall, seemed a very hip place! And the steaks were all awesome! And if you are not a fan of beef, there are other options.
Next....Day 2
Sunny! Sunny! Sunny! I can't believe how much we did yesterday, considering that we also traveled! Today was a little less hectic for sure. First stop was Westminster Abbey. Too bad you can't take pictures inside but we saw plenty of "cheaters"! I just love the Abbey, it's so beautiful in it's architecture and ornate carvings. Not to mention the unbelievable history. Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, entombed straight across from each other. My favorite was the intricately sculpted ceiling of Henry VII Chapel. I got these photos from the web.
After this we had a leisurely walk through St. Jame's Park. Got to Buckingham Palace in time to see part of the Changing of the Guard. As you can see there was no way to get near the gates to see the actual Change but we got to see them march up to the Palace. Mark took these photos, he did a great job!
On to the most tourist of tourist attractions in London.....Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Actually it was kind of fun. Mark took these pictures. Then a late lunch at St. Jame's Tavern just off Picadilly. A really great place for Fish and Chips. The fish actually had a lot of flavor!
12 Miles of Yarn
One piece of wood carved
Stamps
Camel Bone
Matchsticks
Jade
More Matchsticks!
Well, it was a packed two-days but I'm glad we went. The remainder of the week will be relatively quiet.
Au Revoir!
Sounds like a great weekend, and you had SUN !!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting all the pictures - love Eye, Churchill War room and Ripley photos, and Mark - nice job on the Changing of the Guard Ceremony photos (as they say in the UK 'Well done, you".
How long was the train trip from Brussels to London? Great way to travel, eh? If you can make it to the train station.
ReplyDeleteI remember when we were in London that I didn't have my sunglasses and REALLY needed them. It never occurred to me that I would need shades in England.
It's wonderful that you have this opportunity.
The train is about 2 hours. The plane is an hour. Heading back to the States on Sunday then back to Belgium "for good" at the end of June.
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