06.20.06
Goodbye Amsterdam…Hello London!
It was a bitter sweet morning for matt and I as we packed our bags and said good bye to Amsterdam and our home away from home the Hotel Torren. We set out for the airport and caught our flight for London. After a nice 45-minute flight Matt and I set food in the United Kingdom. It was such a nice sight to see everything in English again. We had terrific instructions from Ronny on how to catch the train to Victoria Station and grab a cab to the flat. Upon our arrival at the flat we were greeted with an apartment full of banners and confetti congratulating the newly weds. Ronny’s flat made had decorated every surface for us. It was such a warm welcome.
Matt and I were eager to see London so we set out on foot. Our first sight was the huge Ferris wheel – The London Eye. Our instinct was to jump on the Eye and get a great view of the city. But, unfortunately the line was much too long so we decided to keep walking. Down the street, over the River Thames Matt and I came upon the most gorgeous sight Big Bend and the parliament buildings. It was beautiful, never have I seen a more ornate building. There is so much detail in each inch of the exterior of the parliament buildings. It has to be such a treat to admire this building on a daily basis. The British parliament is still in session so tourists are not allowed in the building but I do hear that if you visit while they are on holiday the building is a must see. Matt and I have it on our list for our next trip to London. After admiring Big Bend Matt and I walked over to Westminster Abby. We admired the Abby from the outside for quite a while; there is gorgeous stain glass over the doors to the sanctuary. We did not have enough time to tour the inside but having the opportunity to see the outside was a great experience. Buckingham Palace was our next stop. Matt and I enjoyed walking around the palace gates and admiring the palace guards. It is hard to imagine that the royal family actually uses the palace. I would love to see the inside and perhaps share a spot of tea with the Queen – think she’d be willing??? We took the time to tour the Royal Mews, where we were able to admire all the lovely royal stagecoaches and tour the royal stables. The Royal Mews is responsible for all road travel arrangements for the Queen and members of the Royal Family. One of the stagecoaches was the Gold State Coach, which was has been used at every coronation since that of George IV in 1821! It was quite a glitzy ride. I wonder if they made one now they would make it in platinum? My favorite part of the tour was seeing that the Mews staff lives on sight –right at the palace! It is very much a family oriented business.
After touring the Mews we toured the Queens gallery. The gallery consisted of all the paintings and furniture that has been collected by Queen Elizabeth and other Royalty. In addition to enjoying the beautiful paintings and amazing furniture we enjoyed seeing some of the royal jewels. Talk about diamonds! Bling Bling! The Queens diamond Diadem from 1820 was on display. I couldn’t help but wonder how many carats. Do you think they’d let me try it on???
After our walking tour of London we headed back to the flat in order to get ready for dinner. Matt and I had made plans to have dinner with one of Ronny’s colleges. We met Piet-Hein and Giovana right outside the Shell tower and took a cab to a restaurant near the Tower Bridge, right on the south bank of the River Thames. We were so honored to spend the evening with this lovely couple. We enjoyed a wonderful Italian mean and terrific conversation. Piet-Hein and Giovana have lived in London for over a year and served as terrific tour guides for the evening. They even presented Matt and I with a wonderful coffee table book of London so that we would be able to remember our trip. I can’t wait to get settled in Cali so that we can put the book on our coffee table. After dinner we walked from the restaurant along the bank of the river. This provided an amazing view of the Tower Bridge at night. The bridge consists of two towers, which stand on each side of the drawbridge. The Tower Bridge leads over the river to the Tower of London.
After a wonderful start to our London experience Matt and I said goodnight to our evening hosts and returned to the flat. Tomorrow will be our only full day in London – we’re hoping to make the most of it. Until Then!