Last Day in London

Greetings everyone,

Today we checked out of the historic Hart Inn in Lewes England and made our way north to London. Yes, despite our previous ventures we decided against the train and decided to drive into the city.

First stop..... across London bridge and to London Tower and London Tower Bridge. London Tower, built by William the Conquer. The original stark square fortress was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison. It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings (1483), Anne Boleyn (1536), Catherine Howard (1542), Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (1542), Lady Jane Grey (1554), are just a few of the execusions carried out at London Green. (Told you I had a mild obbession with Henry VIII and his wives.)

Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream.

Second stop.... this one a little harder to find parking in Trafalgar Square.... Scotland Yard, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, and Westminster Abby.

Scotland Yard. Heard it was a nice place to visit, you just would not want to live there. Scotland Yard has become internationally famous as a symbol of policing. However, the term Scotland Yard has been used incorrectly instead of Metropolitan Police to describe the police force in London.

Scotland Yard

10 Downing Street. The residence and office of he Prime Minister. The infamous red door can no longer be seen by tourist. Security measures have been out in place for the safety of the Prime Minister and his guests.

Big Ben. We arrived, as you can see arrive at 1:50. The world's biggest four-faced, chiming clock. In 1859, the bells chimed for London for the first time and has since been known for its reliability.

Westminster Abby. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and later British monarchs. Anne of Cleves, William Wilberforce, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and many ... many more important people are buried within these walls. There is also a Poets' Corner for burial of such names as Charles Dickens, Chaucer, Thomas Hardy, Lord Tennyson, and so many others.

Third stop... Buckingham Palace. Harry and I refused to pay the 15 pound / $30 usd per person entry fee. So as you can see... all the pictures are from outside the Palace. $60 is a steep price to pay to see the official London residence of the British monarch. The palace is a setting for state occasions and royal entertaining.

Fourth and final stop.... Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. The Castle has over 1,000 rooms making it the largest operating in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the majestic views of the castle are spectacular. Other than the overhead airplanes landing and taking off from Heathrow, which is our last stop.

Yes.... our trip has come to a close. Did we do everything we wanted to do? Did we see everything we wanted to see? No, but hopefully, we will return again.

God has blessed us immensely with the ability to travel and explore. Me more than Harry, but we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to visit foreign countries. To experience foreign cultures has always peeked an interest in both of us. We are fortunate to experience this adventure while we are still young and have the ability to bounce between time zones with little effort.

Blessings to those interested in our ministry and this week...(travels),

Kristie