On our way

After picking up our rental car we were ready to start our driving adventure. First we had to figure out if we could get both of us plus luggage in the little car! We were very surprised by how much room the inside had. My first thought when I saw it was that David will never get his 6'4" body in the drivers seat without having to fold his legs. To our surprise he fit and was quit comfy. So with us all packed in we headed toward York. I calculated on us driving about 200-250 miles per travel day. That way we could take our time and enjoy the scenery along the way. Some places I planned just an overnight stay and others were 2 or 3 nights.

Our little gem

Quaint little place we stopped for lunch

And what a lunch it was! This was their Shepard's Pie

David said "They took me off the road."

The Windmill
This was our lodging for our time in York. It is a local pub with a few rooms to rent.

Our room

Nice bathroom

Well we made it to our first stop without any issues. The driving on the other side of the road worked out well. When we got to the many "round a bouts" I would remind David to "turn left and stay left." Time for some sleep, hope the pub attendees aren't to loud!

Big Ben, Westminster Abby and Tower of London

The building architecture around London is amazing to see. I have said before how much I love old buildings and what a better place to see some. Most of the pictures will speak for themselves so I will do very little babbling. You can see the Big Ben clock from many areas of the city, but seeing the rest of the building is worth fighting the crowds. Big Ben is the clock tower attached to the Palace of Westminster. Across from there is Westminster Abby, a beauty to behold, and Victoria Tower Gardens.

Big Ben

Westminster Abby

The detail is amazing

Victoria Tower

still part of the Abby

old meets new

Standing on the outer wall around the Tower of London.
The wall on the left now has a road that goes over the tower bridge.

Tower of London

Inside the Tower of London walls

 These guys are pretty amazing. As you can see from the close up photo they are made from wire mesh.

Weapon of protection

Bell Tower

"Traitors Gate"
This was the only water entry from the Thames river. It was said the traitors would sneak
out through this gate or help the enemy in through it. 

 

 


The line was long to get in to see THE CROWN JEWELS. I was not gonna wait, not my cup of tea. I enjoyed all the other stuff more. I like history and how things were back in the day.

After 3 great days in London, tomorrow we hit the road. It's a little scary....

Our rental car

And more London

We did and saw so much the first 3 days in London that it was to much for one post. So here is the continuation of those days....

Yes that's my man in the phone booth!

James Bond outfit and car in a store front window

These are some of the sites from our walking around the city. 

Just one of the many theaters

Love this photo of the skyline showing the old and the new.

Loved this guy

Beginning of nightlife in the
Piccadilly Circus area

One of my favorite places to visit was the M&M store. It is 3 floors of pure bliss!! As you can see from the photo to the right, it has WALLS of M&Ms, not to mention tons of M&M merchandise. 

We had lots of yummy food as you can see. Our first night out was near our guest house. We were exhausted after our travels and then a day in the city. We made it an early night. The Thai food was very good. 










Night #2 was in the Piccadilly Circus area. We picked an "American" place to eat. 
My steak was cook on a sizzling rock. David's ribs were delish. We enjoyed as much patio eating out that we could get. I'm a people watcher and was in heaven. 

Day #3 we had reservations for an Agatha Christie play (which we both love) so we ate early. Mexican was the pick of the day. Just ignore the margarita glasses! It was so good. The salsa was fresh and we were given 3 different flavors. 

We visited some of the main tourist places these 3 days. They deserve a post of their own so I will end this one now. Next up...Big Ben.