A TRIP LONDON

Living in Belgium is an adventure and full of everyday differences to life in the U.S.  One of those differences is the holiday schedule that the schools follow.  The schools are off on Catholic holidays.  So it's a little strange to get used to and in fact Mark had this past week off for Fall Break which included All Saints Day.  But don't forget - no holidays at Thanksgiving!  

I thought it would be fun to take him to London for a couple of days.  So we hopped on the Eurostar for the 2 hour trip.  

We had a fun, relaxed visit.  The city was really packed with families since a lot of schools throughout Europe had the week off.  Some of the lines to the museums wrapped around the street corners.  We decided to skip the museums and we rode around in the tour buses and a river cruise.  We also went on the London Eye.   The weather was mostly good.  

STARTING OUR VISIT OFF RIGHT BY MEETING UP WITH KAREN AND RICH SAKAKEENY;  THEY WERE IN LONDON AND WENT TO THE PATRIOTS GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM.  AWESOME TO CATCH UP!!

VIEW FROM THE LONDON EYE - ALMOST SUNSET

PROBABLY A 2 HOUR QUEUE TO GET ONTO THE WHEEL

THIS MIGHT BE FUN IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER - BUT I THINK A LITTLE COOL THIS TIME OF YEAR.   BRRR!

ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH

EARLY LONDON METRO ENTRANCE

HARRODS.  THE PLACE WAS BUSY AND WE STILL HAVE HOW MANY WEEKS TILL XMAS?

RITZ CARLTON - BUILT IN 1906 WITH THE POSH IDEA OF HAVING A BATHROOM IN EVERY ROOM!

ALBERT MEMORIAL - COMMISSIONED BY QUEEN VICTORIA IN HONOR OF HER HUSBAND WHO DIED OF TYPHOID IN 1861.  IT TOOK 10 YEARS TO COMPLETE AND STANDS 176 FEET HIGH

THIS STATUE IS CALLED "JUSTICE" AND IS LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF PICADILLY AND ST. JAMES STREET

ST. JAMES CHURCH - BUILT IN 1684 IN THE PICADILLY AREA OF LONDON - AT THE TIME IT WAS THE OUTSKIRTS OF LONDON;  PICADILLY IS A FAR CRY FROM THAT STATUS NOW.   IT IS THE OLDEST CHURCH IN LONDON

MARK & I FULFILLING OUR SUSHI CRAVING AT "YO! SUSHI"
DELISH!

ST. MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS CHURCH; BUILT IN 1724;  IN 2006 AN EXCAVATION OF THE SITE UNCOVERED A GRAVE THAT DATED TO ROMAN TIMES - 410;   

TRAFALGAR SQUARE.   IT IS SAID THAT IF BIG BEN RINGS "13" TIMES THEN THE LIONS AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE WILL RISE AND WALK AROUND THE SQUARE.

COUNTY HALL BUILDING;   NOW THE SITE OF THE AQUARIUM, RESTAURANTS AND A MARRIOTT HOTEL

UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS INTERESTING OLD BUILDING BUT I DO KNOW THAT NOW IT IS THE HOME OF A LUXURY HOTEL

CHARRING CROSS STATION.   THE PERSON WHO DESIGNED THIS BUILDING GOT AN EXTRA 10,000 POUNDS BECAUSE THEY MADE IT LOOK LIKE A TRAIN LEAVING A TUNNEL.   I GUESS A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T SEE IT - BUT I DO AND SO DID MARK.   DO YOU?

CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE - PRESENTED TO THE CITY BY EGYPT IN 1816 AS A COMMEMORATION OF THE VICTORIES IN THE BATTLE OF THE NILE (LED BY LORD NELSON) AND THE BATTLE OF ALEXANDRIA (LED BY SIR ABERCROMBY) IN 1801.   THERE IS ANOTHER ONE IN NEW YORK;  BOTH WERE MADE IN 1450 BC.

WATERLOO BRIDGE - BUILT DURING WORLD WAR II BY A LABOR FORCE OF 95% WOMEN;  IT IS THE WIDEST SPAN ACROSS THE THAMES.

THE SHARD - OVER 1,000 FEET TALL, IT WAS FINISHED IN JULY 2012; ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK IT LOOKS FINISHED (BUT I GUESS THAT'S THE POINT OF THE NAME).   95 STORIES TALL (72 HABITABLE), 44 ELEVATORS, 12 PENTHOUSE APARTMENTS, ONE OF WHICH HAS SOLD FOR
50 MILLION POUNDS;  

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL - BUILT IN 1708 AFTER THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE WAS DESTROYED BY THE GREAT LONDON FIRE;  HEIGHT 365 FEET;  SEPTEMBER 1940 IT WAS STRUCK BY A TIME DELAYED BOMB WHICH WAS DEFUSED PRIOR TO DETONATION;  

MILLENIUM FOOT BRIDGE - ALSO KNOWN AS THE WIBBLY WOBBLY BRIDGE -  OPENED ON JUNE 10, 2000 AND WAS CLOSED TWO DAYS LATER FOR 2 YEARS DURING WHICH TIME ENGINEERS MADE MODIFICATIONS TO THE BRIDGE TO ELIMINATE THE WOBBLE.

REPLICATION OF SHAKESPEARE'S THEATER IN THE ROUND;  IT IS THE ONLY THATCHED ROOF TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN LONDON SINCE THE GREAT FIRE.

SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL

HMS BELFAST - FLOATING WARSHIP MUSEUM

THE TOWER OF LONDON

HIGH WATER MARKER FOR THE THAMES;  IT IS SAID, "WHEN THE LION'S IN THE DRINK, LONDON WILL SINK."

ENTRANCE TO LONDON TOWER FOR THOSE CONVICTED AND PUT TO DEATH. AFTER THEIR CONVICTION THEY WOULD BE BROUGHT BY BOAT UP TO THE TOWER OF LONDON, BROUGHT THROUGH THE TUNNEL AND THEN TO "BLOODY TOWER" AND WELL, YOU CAN GUESS THE REST.   THE ONLY PERSON TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE TOWER OF LONDON WAS A GIRL, ELIZABETH I, QUEEN OF ENGLAND

ST. JAMES TAVERN - BEST FISH & CHIPS IN LONDON!
  PICADILLY CIRCUS AREA