seashell7290
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2013
PART 2!
Day 3: We were finally adjusting to the new timezone. I had read about long lines at the London Eye so we opted to get there right when it opened around 10am. We had been given our tickets the day before in a welcome letter left in our room. It was a nice 15 min walk across the bridge to the Eye. The line was relatively short and we got right on. We got great views of the city! After, we strolled along the water front towards the London Bridge. We had 1pm entrance reservations for the Sky Garden. The Sky Garden is a rooftop garden and bar with 360 degree views of London. We relaxed and had a drink with wonderful views! There are a few sit down restaurants also. After all the walking, we took the tube back to the hotel for a nap before our welcome dinner. Dinner was at 5:30 served buffet style. It was delicious and great to meet everyone! If anyone is gluten free, we had one member in our group and she was accommodated, but she could not choose her dishes in advance. We went to bed early in anticipation for our early start.
Day 4: With Steven as our Blue Badge Guide on aboard our vintage double decker bus, we toured the city of Westminster with our destination being Westminster Abbey. We took plenty of pictures and took a guided tour of the Abbey. There was a great exhibit for the Queen's birthday with a collection of newspaper clippings and personal photos of her life. This was my first experience with the whisper headset system and it worked well, but I am glad I had my own headphones because my ears did not hold the buds. I have weirdly small ears so this was no surprise. After the tour and some gift shop browsing, we walked to Buckingham Palace for changing of the guards. We took some quick pictures and scoped out a great spot with no obstructions. We then headed to lunch at Simpson's which was delicious! It was served buffet style and the beef must be tried if you are looking for a traditional roast. The room was very elegant and full of history! After lunch, we headed to the river for our speed boat adventure. They give you big coats and life vests to wear so you felt very safe. We had one boat that was deemed the "slower steadier boat" and another boat that was the "faster" boat. Boat ride was awesome! It started out slow and we were able to get great shots along the river, then the boat sped up for the second half. Boat ride even came with James Bond music to add to the atmosphere. After the boat ride, we went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner at the Admirality. Yes this day was full of food but it was fine because it is vacation! After dinner, you could walk back to the hotel if you wanted because it was close but of course my mom and I got a little lost and I was wearing heels. Ugh thank goodness we got a data plan so I could use google maps to get us back.
I was taking a peak on the itinerary on the website, and noticing it is different than the itinerary I just experienced. There is one less day in London compared to Paris. I don't know if or when that itinerary will be used.
Day 3: We were finally adjusting to the new timezone. I had read about long lines at the London Eye so we opted to get there right when it opened around 10am. We had been given our tickets the day before in a welcome letter left in our room. It was a nice 15 min walk across the bridge to the Eye. The line was relatively short and we got right on. We got great views of the city! After, we strolled along the water front towards the London Bridge. We had 1pm entrance reservations for the Sky Garden. The Sky Garden is a rooftop garden and bar with 360 degree views of London. We relaxed and had a drink with wonderful views! There are a few sit down restaurants also. After all the walking, we took the tube back to the hotel for a nap before our welcome dinner. Dinner was at 5:30 served buffet style. It was delicious and great to meet everyone! If anyone is gluten free, we had one member in our group and she was accommodated, but she could not choose her dishes in advance. We went to bed early in anticipation for our early start.
Day 4: With Steven as our Blue Badge Guide on aboard our vintage double decker bus, we toured the city of Westminster with our destination being Westminster Abbey. We took plenty of pictures and took a guided tour of the Abbey. There was a great exhibit for the Queen's birthday with a collection of newspaper clippings and personal photos of her life. This was my first experience with the whisper headset system and it worked well, but I am glad I had my own headphones because my ears did not hold the buds. I have weirdly small ears so this was no surprise. After the tour and some gift shop browsing, we walked to Buckingham Palace for changing of the guards. We took some quick pictures and scoped out a great spot with no obstructions. We then headed to lunch at Simpson's which was delicious! It was served buffet style and the beef must be tried if you are looking for a traditional roast. The room was very elegant and full of history! After lunch, we headed to the river for our speed boat adventure. They give you big coats and life vests to wear so you felt very safe. We had one boat that was deemed the "slower steadier boat" and another boat that was the "faster" boat. Boat ride was awesome! It started out slow and we were able to get great shots along the river, then the boat sped up for the second half. Boat ride even came with James Bond music to add to the atmosphere. After the boat ride, we went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner at the Admirality. Yes this day was full of food but it was fine because it is vacation! After dinner, you could walk back to the hotel if you wanted because it was close but of course my mom and I got a little lost and I was wearing heels. Ugh thank goodness we got a data plan so I could use google maps to get us back.
I was taking a peak on the itinerary on the website, and noticing it is different than the itinerary I just experienced. There is one less day in London compared to Paris. I don't know if or when that itinerary will be used.
