London Pass Day One

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Geo: 51.5002, -0.126236

Today was to be the first of two very busy and very exhausting days exploring London. We left our hotel around 9am, electing to journey to St Pauls on foot. The trip would take us about 45 minutes, consuming a bacon bap for breakfast to sustain us along the way. We elected to purchase a 2 day London Pass for 61£ each. This would utterly cover all attractions over the coming days and save us a fair bit of money. I missed St Pauls on my last visit to London so this time, it was a priority choice. We entered around 10.30am. A cathedral has stood here since 620AD and this latest version from the 17th century is absolutely spectacular. The great dome dominates the london skyline still. Inside, the art and craftsmanship is to be marvelled at. We explored the nave and crypts, before making the climb to the top. First, the Whispering circle after some 250 steps, then the Stone Circle after a further 150 and finally the Golden circle viewpoint, over 150 metres and 500 steps high offering great views of the city. From here we again set off on foot towards the infamous Tower of London. Dating back to the 10th century this fortress is as rich in history as it is spectacular to behold. We jumped on a 'Beefeater' guided tour which was informative and humerous. Alas, during this tour we received grave news from back home. Natalies nanna Elsie, aged 92 passed away around noon. We were both upset to hear this sad, though ultimately inevitable news. My condolences to Elsies family.A bit deflated, we elected to take it easy and jump on a cruise down the Thames from Tower Hill to Westminister and back offering a different perspective and view of the city. This gave us a chance to relax and refresh a little. Earlier in the day, wed heard of 'Jack the Ripper Tours' around Aldgate and Whitechapel. On our way home, we happened to stumble accross a ticket office, and after a quick HFC dinner (not a typo - Hot Fried Chicken), we were soon following in the footsteps of the infamous 1888 serial killer. It was a facinating tour taking us through cobblestone lanes, to many of the spots the victims were found. Included real photos and evidence from the gruesome crime scenes.Finally, we fell into bed around 11pm.

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Photos

Front of St Pauls
Unfortunately photos not permitted inside the cathedral

Westminster
View from Thames Cruise

Jack the Ripper Tour
Old building standing at the time of the murders in 1888

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Brings back fond memories.