Long Sleepy Day in London

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Arrived London Heathrow at 5 a.m. Cleared British Customs & Immigration and took Heathrow Express Train into the city, arriving at the bustling London Paddington Station before 6. From Paddington, we took an iconic London Cab to our apartment in Canary Wharf. We dropped our bags and began a hard-target search for breakfast (which was tougher than you would think. There are 13 million people in this city. Don't they eat breakfast?).

After our appetites were satisfied, we started our exploration of the City.

We took the Tube (more on the Tube later) to Westminster and visited Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. We then walked down Whitehall to Horse Guard Parade. Allison was a bit intimidated by the size of the horses, but she bravely stood next to 1 of the great beasts to accommodate her camera-toting parents.

After we visited with the horses, we crossed the river to the London Eye, a giant farris-wheel on the Themes. After our ride we explored the South Bank of the river.

After a short break, we crossed the river again, and walked to Trafalgar Square. We climbed the bases of the giant lion statues (the kids were fine, but Ed and Lisa are too old to be climbing statues) for some great photos.

Finally, we strolled down the Mall to Buckingham Palace. At one point, we took advantage of a small break in the traffic and jumped into the middle of the Mall for a family pic with the Palace in the background.

By this time we were tired. Very tired! We took the Tube back to Canary Wharf, had an early dinner (and a pint) and crashed!

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Photos

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The Stones at Horse Guard Parade

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The Stones visit Tower Bridge

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Older sister is mean to younger brother ... so what else is new??

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The Stones dodge traffic and risk death for great photo of family in front of Buckingham Palace

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This will be our Christmas Card picture. The Stones in St. James Park, London