London

Eek!  I've been home a week and I haven't finished our travel tale yet!  So here goes:  after the Trossachs we fly down to London for 4 nights & 3 days of city sightseeing.  We'd both been there a couple of times before so we didn't have to succumb to madly rushing about seeing all there was to see.  As it was, we arrived during a torrential downpour, which lasted for 24 solid hours.  We lugged our luggage from Heathrow to Waterloo Station via the Tube, then suited up for the 10 min walk to our hotel. 

Our hotel is actually pretty nicely situated - not in a pretty neighborhood like Knightsbridge, but very central and convenient to all transportation.  As we were just around the corner from Westminster Bridge, we ended up walking most days and taking the tube only when our feet rebelled against any more sidewalk walking.  Also, it was roomy (a key consideration) with a little kitchenette and a living room; and the hotel had a gym and free laundry (a necessity for us by this stage!).

Our first adventure was a tour of Buckingham Palace which was magnificent (my apologies, QueenE, for squelching all over your lovely carpets as we were absolutely soaked thru and thru) .  So glad this was our last 'house tour' as it understandably put all the others to shame.  Prince Charles gave a very nice introduction via the audio guide and we saw the lavish State Rooms, Picture Gallery and the Royal Jewels - not the Crown Jewels from the Tower but the ones the Queen actually wears such as fantastic brooches, tiaras, necklaces extra.  It was a special exhibition for the Diamond Jubilee.

Other things we saw and did:  walked along the vibrant South Bank of the Thames from Westminster up to the Millenium Bridge at St. Pauls and back the north side; toured Westminster Abbey with Jeremy Irons (audio guide narrator); gawked at the fabulous creations in the food hall at Harrods; window shopped both Regent and Bond Streets;  overloaded on art at the National and National Portrait Galleries; imitated Harry Potter at King's Cross Station; and viewed the treasures of the British Library.

"really Teddy, Winnie said what?"

But simple folk that we are, we were probably most excited by Virgin America's Upper Class lounge - we even tried to get to the airport extra early on our departure day just so we could take advantage of what they had to offer!  We only managed eggs bennie and a mini-facial (me) but there was enough there to entertain a body for the whole day!  Maybe next year....