Whoa baby.

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Geo: 51.5002, -0.126236

Today, we returned FUU before the place opened. We had to duck under the entry. I though Barb had lost a limb, but apparently it was just her purse. We were so glad to get there despite all the roundabouts. It worked well. From there it was off to St. Paul's Cathedral, which was not yet open, so we opted for breakfast at Benji's... UK equivalent to McD's, but it was not American, so we said ok. Others opted for their own choices... for me it was cooked English breakfast, damnit. Mmm Hmm. From there we hit St. Paul's, which was quite expensive just to say hi to. We were all impressesed by the beauty of the place, and after a visit to the crypt and the toilet, hit the upstairs again and found the American Chapel. It moved me almost to tears. From there it was up the spiral staircase to the Dome balcony, complete with uneven floors. These did not agree with the average traveler, let alone Barb, who is not a fan of heights. Nevertheless, the pilgrims stuck together and rounded the dome, despite the uneven floor. From there, obligations called... those being a visit to the Tower. And so we went.

At the tower, we saw all sorts of history and weapons. Barb was especially pleased to be depicted next to Paddington Bear. Also, we got to see the crown jewels, which were amazing, especially the punch bowl. Walking through the section of chairs depicting the kings and queens in order was a great experience in history. Next, we visited the Bloody Tower, in search of the place where Ann Boleyn was executed and Elizabeth I was imprisoned. We found neither, but did find a place where the scaffolds were once in existence. Next, we went back to the Medieval Palace and learned a lot about history from the musicians. It was impressive and hard to walk away from. Sadly, tours like these involve more moving than appreciating. Booh!

From the Tower, we headed toward yet another Benji's for various specialties served in Eastern European dialect, including tomato soup and cheese and onion pasties. (Yes, that's the way it's spelled.) Next came Westminster.

So here we are, worried about being too late for the service, when in fact, being anal Americans as we all are, we got to the gate as early as possible. Needless to say, and grateful for our typical behavior, we were the first ones seated in the Choir (Quire) At Westminster Abbey for the last Evensong of 2005. Needless to say, we were shocked and awed (not in the military sense) at our surroundings and just pretty much overcome. Here we were, sitting in the Choir of one of the world's really special places. What a service it was, and we all sang right along with the Westminster Choir.

We were all shocked, whilst in line, to be standing on the grave of Charles Darwin. How does this make any sense? Oh well. Capital "W" = Whatever. From there it was back to hotel, where all took a breather before the boat tour and donned our evening clothes.

This is all I care to go for now, so we will add more later, internet and time being agreeable.

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