The start of our seven day stint in London

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We arrived in London today at lunchtime. We settled into the apartment. Nearby is St Katherine’s Dock and Tower Bridge. This afternoon we visited Westminster Abbey and had the opportunity to go to the shrine of Edward the Confessor. It is a beautiful church, particularly the Herny VII Chapel, also known as the Lady Chapel with its fan-vaulting ceiling. We also saw the tomb for the two Tudor queens, Elizabeth and Mary, plus the tomb of many more kings, queens, nobles, poets and writers. Unfortunately we were not able to take pictures inside. Surprise, surprise! We then visited Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral, built in what they call ‘blood and bandage’ style. Inside, it is a mixed bag. There are many wonderful mosaics, but there are vast areas that are incomplete. In the middle of the nave, they had the body of a saint on view in a glass case; gruesome! Then we went to the Houses of Parliament. We were not able to have a guided tour at this time of year, but we were lucky enough to go to the public galleries and view the House of Commons and the House of Lords, both of which had some sort of debate going on. We were also able to visit the Great Hall of Westminster, where the Queen Mother laid in state after her death. After dinner, we walked through Trafalgar Square.

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Photos

Westminster Abbey.
15 quid to just to get in!

Westminster Cathedral.
Free, but doesn't seem to attract the tourists.

Parliament and Big Ben.
It was free to see the House of Lords and House of Commons in debate.

The Great Hall in Westminster.
The most amazing ceiling and the place where George VI and the Queen Mother laid in state.

London Eye.
Still on the to-do list.