One (Almost) Perfect Day in London!

Here I am, three months after publishing my last post, finally completing my blog series from our trip last summer, 2024. If you read my last post from February 9, you'll know that I was considering joining the Witness Protection Program (WPP). Well, as it turns out, I did a short stint in the program (hence the three-month pause in hearing from me), but then had a change of heart. Although it is generally frowned upon to join the program and then leave in haste, an exception was made in my case. Once I explained how many blog posts I had to catch up on from my "old life," and how diffcult, if not not impossible, it would be be to accomplish under my new identity as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor (yes I borrowed my new name from the Queen), I was allowed a seamless exit. The US Marshal's Service, which runs the program, is also a fan of my blog, as it turns out, and thought it a better use of my time and talents to return to writing, rather than becoming a knock-off/second-rate Queen Elizabeth. I suppose they're right. The upside is that I'll be back to writing. The downside is that I have an awful lot of catching up to do. I figure a good place to start would be finishing our European trip, which wrapped up nearly ten months ago!

I could be happy living out the rest of my days in London. So, having only one (full) day felt a bit frustrating, given all there is to see and do. However, given the windfall nature of the day due to a cancelled flight home, I was grateful to have the time. When it comes to the good things in life, one is always better than none.

We started our day bright and early. I purchased tickets for the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour. I find that if you only have one day in a city, it can be a great way to canvas a large area, while still having the opportunity to get off and see things along the way. I have been to London quite a few times, but the children have not, so I wanted them to see as much as possible. The Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour was about as perfect as it gets (except for, perhaps, a private tour, which was not in our budget).

One of the stops to catch the bus was right across the street from our Airbnb in Notting Hill, which was handy. We had a bit of breakfast at our place before heading out to catch the earliest bus possible. We had to seize the day!

The weather was glorious with not a cloud in the sky (when does that ever happen in London) and a perfect temperature of 75 degrees. We sat on the upper deck of the bus and took in all the sights. The cheeky British host on our headset provided lots of interesting information whilst (I had to get that in there) making us laugh.

We passed by so many sights that we wanted to "hop off" and see, but there was simply no time for that. All I could do was take copious notes for next time. Much of what we wanted to see had to be seen from the comfort of our convertible two-decker bus. Passing by the flagship Barbour store on Regent Street, with the huge summer sale sign in the window, was a pain I won't soon forget. My love of Barbour jackets and coats is yet another thing the Queen and I had in common.

Our first "hop off" was at the Tower of London. I neglected to mention that I chose a "royals" theme for our one day in London. Not that I have to justify anything, but when raising four kids on one's own, one so rarely gets to be selfish. I decided I was going to cash in on that selfish chip on this one precious day in London. That said, I raised my brood right (or at least I think so) to have a healthy interest in the British royal family and, more importantly, my beloved Queen Elizabeth. As what I thought was going to be a bit selfish turned out to be greatly appreciated and enjoyed by my properly-raised youngsters.

Certainly, there is a lot of interesting history to be taken in at the Tower of London, which we did, including the Torture at the Tower exhibit. This exhibit, which I assume is self-explanatory, was a big hit with my travel mates. However, if I am to be honest, I was at the Tower for one reason only, and that was to see the Crown Jewels and to show them off as if they were my very own. It had been twenty long years since I had been to visit them, so our reunification was long overdue and so gratifying.

Funnily enough and quite coincidentally, just a few weeks prior, over gelato in the town square of Selva di Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites, we had been discussing the history of the Cullinan Diamond. Here's a little history on this to this royal diamond for those of you looking to brush up on your Cullinan Diamond knowledge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cullinan_Diamond I have no recollection of how the subject came up in conversation, but Graham, Catherine, and I went down a rabbit hole that night on my phone, as we enjoyed our gelato after dinner. We looked at multiple photos of the stunning gem and became amateur experts on the Cullinan. So then, when we found ourselves, unexpectedly, a few weeks later, face-to-face with the same stunning pieces we had carefully studied online, it felt way more than a coincidence. Life sure can throw you some wonderful surprises when you least expect it.

In the Jewel House, where the Crown Jewels are officially held at the tower, there is a moving walkway that takes you past many of the most dazzling pieces. The moving walkway goes rather slowly, to allow visitors to view the jewels, but also keep people moving along and avoid bottlenecks around any one piece. Well, I am sorry to report that it wasn't slow enough for me! "Passing by," at any speed, was not going to work for me. Since we arrived early and there wasn't much of a crowd yet in the Jewel House, I may have broken the rules a bit and gone back through the exhibit, on the moving walkway, a few additional times, to get a better look at my favorite jewelry in all the world. Okay, I went back around at least ten times, but don't tell the guards! I couldn't get enough. I wanted to move in and live there with them. I was enthralled, obsessed, absorbed, and consumed. They were even more beautiful than I had remembered.

Unfortunately, there are no photos of the jewels here since no photos were allowed to be taken inside. However, here is a link, so you can see them for yourself and so I can keep reliving that glorious moment of seeing them in-person, over, and over and over...https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-crown-jewels/#gs.k95mfz

With only time for a quick lunch, we grabbed some sandwiches at Pret-a-Manger and ate them in the sunshine outside the Tower of London, before hopping back on the bus to head to our next stop, which was none other than Buckingham Palace!

For our trip to Buckingham Palace, I had pre-purchased the Royal Day Out tickets, which include discounted admission to all three venues at Buckingham Palace: the State Rooms, the King's Gallery, and the Royal Mews. If we were doing a royal day, we were going to do it right!

Our Royal Day Out tour started at the King's Gallery, where the exhibit happened to be, "Royal Portraits." As stated in the description, "This exhibition charts the evolution of royal portrait photography from the 1920s to the present day, bringing together more than 150 photographic prints, proofs and documents from the Royal Collection and the Royal Archives." It couldn't have been more perfect. We saw some of the most iconic images of the royal family, along with some other rare and unexpected photographic portraits. Please use this link to take a peek, if you'd like, at this one-of-a-kind exhibit: https://www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/royal-portraits-a-century-of-photography/the-kings-gallery-buckingham-palace

Our next stop was the Royal Mews, where we had a chance to see some of the Queen's magnificent horses up close, as well as the iconic coaches we have all seen so many times at televised royal events. "The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is responsible for all road travel arrangements for The King and members of the Royal Family, from horse-and-carriage to car and from livery to harness," is how the Royal Trust website describes the experience. To see for yourself, use this link: https://www.rct.uk/visit/the-royal-mews-buckingham-palace "

Our final stop on our Royal Day Out tour was Buckingham Palace itself. Despite the Queen's absence, it was still lovely to be in her presence and her home. No photos were allowed inside the palace, so the memories of that special day remain in our heads and our hearts. By the time we left, the sun was starting to set, which made a lovely backdrop for our photo of the palace. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the gift shop! After having travelled extensively in the British Isles over the past two years and visiting numerous royal residences, we can say, unquestionably, that the royals know how to do gift shops right!

Miles took advantage of the fresh air atop the bus and took a little nap in the afternoon as we circled the city.

Before heading back to our Airbnb for the evening, we ventured to find the best fish and chips in London, but sadly, failed. We thought we'd never have another serving of them again, after travelling in Ireland and Scotland the summer prior and sustaining ourselves on this greasy classic British dish for nearly six weeks. However, we had it in our mind that we needed to try them in London, for comparison's sake, of course. One small setback led to another, and then another. Before we knew it, we were eating Nando's chicken instead, and quite disappointed to be doing so.

So next time, I'll have to hit the Barbour summer sale, and we'll be sure to get those fish and chips. And perhaps we'll hit a few other famous sights in London while we're added.

Remembering Fitzy...

This is the last photo I took of Fitzy. It was taken on May 28, 2024, just a month before his passing. When snapping this tender photo of him, I had no idea this would be the last. No one ever does. But he looks peaceful and happy in his bed with his stuffies, which makes me happy. It has been nearly ten months since he died, and not a day goes by that I don't long for and miss him deeply. Our family and our home are simply not the same without his loving presence. Fitzy, you are forever loved and missed, our sweet angel.