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London

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This is the hotel I stayed in. It was very old, but very nice. It was across from the new Scotland Yard.

The foyer was so aristocratic.

Sitting across from Big Ben and Parliament.

Most of the time I walked around the city, but sometimes I would take one of the scenic busses. They were a lot of fun and gave you a great view.

Other times I would take the train, like to Windsor Castle.

These are called Duck boats. They are amphibious crafts that were first used in the D-Day landings. In WWII, they were known as DUKWS. Of course, now they have been totally refurbished, and comfortable hold 30 people. No, I didn't get a chance to take one of these.

I heard that they were getting rid of these great, red telephone booths, so I wanted my picture taken in one. They are such an icon of London, and it would be a shame if they weren't there anymore.

It was time for dinner, so I decided to go to the pub. I picked this one since my son's name is Adam. I wanted to try the shepherd's pie that I've always associated with Britain. I tried it, didn't especially care for it.

Another shot of Big Ben.

This is a closer view of a section of Parliament. It is also known as the Palace of Westminster, and is the seat of Britain's two parliamentary houses: the House of Lords, and the House of Commons.

This is Westminster Abbey, a large Gothic church sitting close to Parliament. It is the traditional place for coronations, and a burial site for British monarchs.

There are 24 bridges that span the River Thames, but I think this is one was my favorite. It is the Tower Bridge, a beautiful suspension bridge that is confused a lot with the London Bridge. It is close to the Tower of London.

A tourist favorite is Buckingham Palace. It is the official residence of the Queen of England. The red brick building was built as a country house for the Duke of Buckingham. In 1762, King George III bought it because he needed room for his 15 children. It didn't become the official royal residence until Queen Victoria took the throne.

This must have been someone very special, because the family enters the palace by a side entrance. Just watching something like this is so exciting.

You can hear the bands coming from a long way away. There is nothing like the sound. Everyone around you starts getting really excited, and try to volley for a space to get the best shot.

The Changing of the Guards is one of the events you want to see when you go there. It gets real quiet when this is happening. There again, the sound gives you goose bumps.

I tried to find out who this was, but no one around me knew. How thrilling it must be to enter and exit the Palace in a carriage like this. Once again, it got quiet, and all you could hear was the clip clop of the horses.

This is the balcony where the royal family comes to greet the people. It is also the balcony where Princess Diana greeted everyone after her wedding.

The statue is the Imperial Memorial Statue to Queen Victoria, and it faces the front of the Palace. If you can get there in time, it's also a great place to watch the parade.

Even though it's a great event, I had to laugh at Mutt and Jeff in the back.

The Queen's guard up close.

And......the Queen's guard from the back! It was my dad that taught me to take photos of the back of people, too. Sometimes they are just as interesting, if not more interesting, than the front. Case in point, not until I saw this photo, did I realize they had "horseshoes" on their feet. No wonder the sound was so loud.

Another "rear" photo. My dad would be proud.

I would think this would be a fun job for a London Bobby (police).

Visiting Bucking Palace was great, but now I'm ready to sit down at Starbucks for a hot cup of coffee.

This is a three for one. I got Parliament, Big Ben, and the London Eye in the photo. BTW, if Parliament is in session at night, the light will be on in the bell tower of Big Ben.

Had this photo taken before I headed over to the London Eye.

The London Eye was opened in 2000. It is the world's largest observation wheel. If the weather is clear, you can see over 25 miles.

This was one of my favorite shots.

I thought riding on it would be scary. It isn't at all. There are 32 "pods" that make a complete revolution every half hour.

This was taken inside the pod. I recommend this ride if you are going to go to London. Just make sure you make your reservation before you go, or as soon as you arrive in London. It fills up fast.

From this view, you are looking down on Parliament, Big Ben, the Westminster Bridge, and, of course, the Thames River.

I wanted to get the old against the new. The strange black and silver building is called The Gherkin, a skyscraper in London's main financial district.

I'm waiting to go into the Tower of London.

The Tower of London is an ancient fortress that draws tourists by the thousands. I believe it because it was a long wait to get in. It is associated with the legendary figures imprisoned and executed here. They say there are more spooks here per square inch than in any other building in Britain.

This sign gives you a good idea of the story behind the tower.

This is Her Majesty's Tower Guard band.

Nice looking goat. I never could find out what it stood for. There are lots of Goat Pubs, Goat Street, but don't know about the Guard Goat!

A very close-up photo of the Goat Guard! = )

Here is the sign that tells who was executed at this site. Queen Anne Boleyn was Henry VIII second wife. She couldn't give him a son, so he had her imprisioned in the tower, and executed here at this site.

It's creepy to think that all of these people were executed right here!

A Queen's guard at his post.

I had to have my photo taken with a "Beefeater." The official name is The Yeoman Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Tower. Originally, they were in charge of the prisoners in the Tower. Now they act as tour guides, and are a tourist attraction in their own right. One theory for the name is that they were rewarded for good service with a ration of beef, which would otherwise be hard to get.

This is a good view of the Tower Bridge.

This is Kensington Palace, which has been in the Royal Family since the 17th century. It was also the home of Princess Diana from the time of her marriage until her death.

William the Conqueror was the first to build the castle on this site. It is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. It is one of the official residences for the Queen.

It's a great tour spot or field trip for kids.

I like this shot of the castle. It was unbelievably green everywhere.

Here are the kids again going along the main promenade on the castle grounds.

This is St. George's Chapel, one of the most beautiful examples of medieval architecture in England. Within the chapel are tombs of ten monarchs, including Jane Seymour, the favorite wife of Henry VIII.