Leaving Knock Ireland, heading toward Luton Airport near London.We stayed at The Hilton Doubletree at the Docklands on Columbia Wharf in London. This building is an old mill and offers awesome views of The Thames from our room.View from our room at night! The ferry on the right side of the pic travels back and forth all day from Canary Wharf to Columbia Wharf on the other side of the Thames where we caught the water ferry down the river and into the city.Our room was basically a flat. Lots of space and a small balcony overlooking the river.We slept with the door open all night so we could feel the breeze from the river and hear the tide coming and going. Loved it!I loved the rustic feel of the old building! Sean is counting his pounds.Our room is the top balcony. Below is an outdoor space with tables overlooking the river.Parliment and Big Ben were under renovation while we were there.It really IS Big!I had to pay attention when crossing streets, as the traffic was coming from the opposite direction than I’m used to!We rode the ferry to the Westminster stop and walked down St. James park to Buckingham Palace. It was lovely!Buckingham palace is very grand, very busy and very impressive. It’s crazy to actually be in a spot I’ve seen in so many pictures. And no, we didn’t see any royals while we were there!You can see the fountain driveway at the front of Buckingham Palace.Guilded gates are everywhere. This place is huge. It’s quite a walk from point A to Point B.Were practiving our “Royals” pose! Do we look royal?The queen leaves Buckingham Palace and goes to Balmoral Scotland during the summer. While she’s away, tours of the palace allow viewing and walking through 19 state rooms! Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside. But I will say that the decadence and grandeur is so breathtaking. It’s amazing to me that these rooms have been lived in and used since the 1700’s. This pic is taken outside the back of the palace where the queen holds Garden parties.This is 10 Downing St., through the gates. Home of Prime Minister Teresa May, at least for now. See the armed guards at the gate?This is just on the other side of the fence from Teresa May’s house.Standing on the London Bridge with a good view of the London Eye!They still have these phone booths everywhere!View from the ferry as we’re leaving London Bridge headed back toward our hotel.This sign is funny to me! Not just the part of not being a nuisance, but that they’ll report you to your church. Now that’s a deterrent!This old inn, circa 1520. We walked by it on our way to the Tower of London!I imagine midieval people walking around in the cobblestone street with a mug in hand, looking for a place to lay their head for the night.We took an obligatory break at Starbucks before going into the Tower. Fun to watch people from all over the world walk around these tourist attractions.We’re heading toward the entrance of the Tower of London. I’m walking by what was once a moat surrounding the Tower.The outside of the Tower. Entrance on the right.This is inside the Tower grounds, the London Bridge behind us. You can see the moat behind us between the stone wall and the sidewalk below.This is where the Yeoman Warders or Beefeaters live, inside the Tower grounds.There’s one getting into the back seat of his car.This whole fortress dates back over a 1000 years to 1070 AD. It’s been damaged, rebuilt and updated many times since then by a variety of Kings and Queens.The slits in the stone wall are actually windows. See the gargoyles looking down at us?Panoramic view. The Building straight ahead is the White Tower, or the Tower of London.Again, no photos inside, but The Crown Jewels are pretty spectacular and heavily guarded!Henry VIII’s armour. Hmmm.Living in a castle seems romantic, but this would not be so cozy. Now I imagine walking through these hallways with a candle in hand.Cold and dark, but the stone work is not only cool to see, it’s also super durable to have lasted this many centuries.This is looking out a window. They are so small to protect the habitants from a seige. I think I’d feel claustrophobic living here.This is a toilet. Basically a wooden box with a hole in it. I don’t know what’s below the box. The king’s room. A bed, fireplace, a table, a throne and a chapel.I guess this is where he makes plans for invasions.It seems simple, but considering the stone rooms that are everywhere else, it IS more cozy.The Kings throne.Huge fireplaces are in the rooms to heat the cold space.The White Tower. This is the tower that held the troops, weapons, armour, horses and of course, a chapel.The chapel in The White tower.The likeness of Queen Elizabeth I.The walls are several feet deep to protect the people from attack.This is amazing to me!Torture tools. It’s eerie in this room, knowing how many people were held, tortured and died here.A great view of London Bridge, standing next to the White tower.We walked over London Bridge to see what was on the far embankment.The London Bridge is a destination by itself. It’s a feat of engineering.Looking back at the Tower over the Thames.The Belfast warship is now a museum. It sits across the Thames from the Tower. We thought about taking a tour, but decided to find a cafe and have a glass of wine instead.This walkway takes you from the cafe to the Belfast.The little cafe overlooks the Thames and embankment.The embankment runs along the river for miles. Tons of restaurants, parks and pedestrians. The architecture in London is remarkable. Very modern mixed with very old buildings.Tired and feeling goofy after our stay in London, now we’re heading back to Colorado.London to Denver is a long flight. I’m grateful to have seen parts of London and look forward to a return trip at some point!
Smart Girl Ideas 