Mike & Kris - Enjoying The Ride

We just completed Day 4 of our big trip across the pond. I must say we are excited, thrilled, and a little exhausted at the end of each day. On Saturday, we spent the afternoon wandering around our home base of Trafalgor Square, ventured down to the river Thames, and gawked at all the huge, old, beautiful buildings of Westminster. No, we didn’t get on The London Eye-but it sure is pretty right on the edge of the river. We did find Big Ben (officially the Elizabeth Tower), Westminster Palace (where the Parliament works), #10 Downey Street, and Westminster Abbey.

We spent the next two days just spending time in this small area. We learned more about WWII as it relates to London and toured the Churchill War Rooms (an underground area where the British government directed the Second World War). We also toured Westminster in the evening and were able to get the famous Red Phone Booth picture with Big Ben in the background. We also made our way to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. It was fun to watch all the hoopla happening around this event, especially the beautiful horses and marching bands. The Palace ain’t too bad either!! Finally we visited Westminster Abbey which was amazing. Bet you didn’t know that there are over 3500 people buried in or under the floors of this famous church. Piccadilly Circus even has a bit of Switzerland in it with this gift, pictured below, commemorating the 700th anniversary of Switzerland.

Today we ventured out of London and took a tour of the Cotswold area and Oxford. We stopped in the small village of Minster Lovell where we saw thatched roof cottages and some pretty awesome ruins of the once largest estate in the area. There was also a church on the property. Henry the 6th granted this property and the church was constructed in 1450.

Next we visited Banbury and ended our day in Oxford where we learned a lot about this University and how it relates to the history of the country. We took in a lot over the past few days! Our minds our cluttered with visions of past Kings, traitors, Prime Ministers, clergy….it’s a lot of history! To rest our brains we may have stepped into a pub or two along the way. By the way, some new phrases we have been learning: mind the gap (it’s the gap between the door and the platform when you are riding the underground), Hiya (when greeting someone), and innit (meaning isn’t it I think!)

The next few days will include the London Tower, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Greenwich, and the West Bank for some shopping. I’m still working on an Afternoon Tea experience, and yes, it’s Mike I am trying to convince!! So stay tuned.