Sunny London !!!

---

After visiting relatives in Poole Dorset, we Stayed in London on the last part of our European holidays for 3 nights at the Shaftesbury Hyde Park International. A great hotel position wise. New fresh and modernized but their Deluxe Double Bedroom was smaller than our garage at home. The double bed was pushed up against a wall !!! I did like the hotel as it was 1 street away from the Bayswater tube and walking distance to Kensington palace and gardens and Hyde Park. I would book a Club Room in the future. If you are a businessman or a single with an overnight bag, this would be absolutely ideal. Unfortunately we travelled with 2 large suitcases and hand luggage.

Anyway, we had a wonderful few days in London with fabulous blue skies and warm, even hot during the day....and this was late September ! Unbelievable !

On the first afternoon we walked to Portobello Road...what great atmosphere even late in the afternoon. I had thought perhaps everyone would have gone - not so. We then went to Abbey Road for those photos that everyone takes. The poor people driving past. In the evening we had a great dinner at Kalamaris Greek Restaurant near the Hotel in Bayswater area.

The next day we bought an all day tube ticket and saw Westminster, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, walked across the bridge dowm passed the London eye and kept walking the Southbank. Walked around Tate Modern Gallery then off to the Globe. Saw the exhibition there but they were preparing for a play so couldn't go into Globe itself. They offered a differnt tour instead... it was an outside tour of the streets nearby of the old Rose theatre and history etc. What a treat. This was great !!! As we had printed out the 2 for 1 deals from" the daysoutguide" and had a train ticket from Poole to London ( which they never asked to see ) , we got in 2 for 1 and only paid 7.50 pound for this tour and the globe exhibition combined. The outside tour took about 1 hour and was soooo informative and the guide was great. We actually went into the excavations of the old Rose theatre.

We then walked over the Millenium bridge to St. Pauls. Took the tube to the Tower of London. Again I had printed out a 2 for 1 voucher and yes, again we only paid for one 17 pound entry and again I did not have to show my train ticket. We had fish and chips ( as you do ) just at the enrty and then did the tour with the beefeater then went through the Jewel Room! What a sight !!! Then explored the rest of the tower before heading back for dinner at Bella Italia , again near the Hotel. There were so many restaurants to choose from in Queensway Rd just outside the Bayswater tube station.

The next day we walked down to Buckingham Palace through the parks....saw many many squirrels! Then came across a troop of guards training with their horses. How great to see them so close up...and the horses cantering by us . Great photos here. The changing of the guards was a crush and no one knew whether the first lot of guards was it ... everyone started leaving and then 20 minutes later another band and group went past.
We needed some retail therapy so, where would you go in London for that, you ask? HARRODS !!!!! Oh my goodness.

After lunch and a break we went to Kensington Palace and did the tour there...again using the 2 for 1 voucher, yes, again no one asked to see my train ticket. Nice to walk around the gardens and park there.
That evening we went to Piccadilly Circus, Soho and West End theatre district and went to dinner.

On our last morning before our flight in the afternoon we bought an all day 6 zone off peak tube pass for 7.50 pound each that would get us to Heathrow later in the afternoon, but still allow us to hop on tubes all morning as well. We went out to Camden Markets then back to Oxford Circus passed Liberty and went to Carnaby Street and had lunch at the Shakespeare's Head Pub for our last meal in the UK - pie, chips and peas and fish, chips and mushy peas...what a treat !

---

Photos

Near Corfe Castle , Dorset
Before arriving in London