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My favorite cookie
Clotted cream shortbread. Total tourist, but I love them. There are 10 photos posted. This blog site puts most of the photos way at the bottom after the blog. Since I know most of you only want to look at the pictures, I will note the number of photos at the beginning of each blog.
Breakfast at our B&B starts at 8 am. It is all Americans staying here and of course, we all swarmed the breakfast room at 8 am on the dot. Filled every table. Felt sorry for the poor lady who has to fetch all the coffee, tea and toast.
We had tickets for a special exhibit at Westminster Abbey this morning. We hadn't been inside the abbey in years. On our last couple of visits the lines and crowds were crazy. Dot got us tickets in advance to the new Queen's Gallery. This allowed us fast entry into the main abbey. We toured the abbey and saw the highlights - Poet's Corner, Queen Elizabeth's tomb, etc. Near Poet's Corner is the entrance to an area that hasn't been open in 700 years. They have created a gallery in this space that is fairly high up in the abbey and overlooks the Nave.
Westminster Abbey, London
Crowds were everywhere. Lots of school kids too, many in uniforms-hah. When we entered I saw all these people cramming into the single elevator. Then I saw the stairs and thought - oh, let's just take the stairs. Little did I know how high up we were going. I have no idea how many flights there were. There weren't many people taking the stairs, but eventually we made it to the top.
The exhibit was pretty interesting. A lot of old stuff (we are in London, after all), including funeral effigies (creepy), some of them falling apart and others dressed in resplendent kingly outfits. The people all look so small. People were so much smaller back then. My husband, Gary would look like a giant at 6'4". Even the effigy of Admiral Nelson looked small. Full coronation robes and everything on the kings and queens. The early effigies were wood but the later ones are wax and look more realistic. King Charles had an awesome outfit on. Wish pictures were allowed.
Some super old holy books, a copy of the Magna Carta, and the marriage license of Prince William and Duchess Katherine.
But the views of Westminster from this gallery were amazing. I had never seen it from
Selfie
Dot and I in front of Westminster this angle. You could see some fo the detail up on the roof. Again, I wish they would allow photos.
After Westminster Abbey we walked down to Westminster Bridge on the River Thames. Very windy there and tons of traffic. Glad we were on foot. They are renovating Big Ben, so it was entirely covered, but we got a nice view of the rest of the Parliament building and the London Eye.
We grabbed some sandwiches for lunch and went back to our B&B to eat in the garden in the back with the ducks. We needed to drop some stuff off before heading for the theatre, for one our trip highlights - Hamilton!
A couple of months ago, tickets to Hamilton for May went on sale and Dot sat at her computer at 5am to get tickets. She was able to get 4th row dead center. Normally, we can never sit close enough to see the faces. This was amazing. We were so close we could see them sweat. We could really appreciate the actors, the dancing, everything. The production was amazing. It was at the Victoria Palace theatre, which is a typical small London theatre.
Mesmerizing.
The family sitting in front of us had never seen it before and it was fun watching their reactions. They were so excited and into it. Funny.
After the theatre we went to Harrod's to look around and grab something to eat. They have the most beautiful food displays in Harrods. Everything looks fresh and delicious. Of course, gelato after dinner.
Tomorrow is a travel day. We have a leisurely morning and then at noon hop the train to Edinburgh.
Even though we took the Tube all over the place today, I got 16,000 steps. My legs feel like all of them were stairs. My Apple Watch gave me credit for 30 minutes of exercise, even though I didn't officially work out. Must have been the stairs.
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Mary Ash
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B&B
How’d you find this B&B? I’ve never stayed in a B&B in London!