I love London!

As my family plans and anticipates our trip to England this summer, and I've been working on a client trip for the spring, I'm feeling rather nostalgic for England this week. Therefore, I have decided to write about London and reminisce about many of the wonderful things I've seen and done there.  And to fully reminisce the true experience that is England, I have a pot of tea in my Royal Albert china to sip on as I type.

THEATRE

My family loves theater!  Its "our thing."  We enjoy making an evening or day of it.  London's West End is an amazing place to experience theater.  We had the privilege of seeing many shows there, including Wicked (dare I confess I saw that one 3 times!), Les Miserables, Lion King, Matilda, Sound of Music, and Top Hat.

Waiting for Lion King to start

THE LONDON EYE

The London Eye , one of London's (and the world's) most iconic landmarks, is a giant Ferris wheel in London.  Its 32 capsules can each carry 25 people who can move around and enjoy a 360 degree view of the city during its approximately 30 minute rotation.  On a clear day passengers can see as far away as Windsor Castle - about 25 miles.

 This view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben was taken from our capsule on the London Eye.

SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE

This reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe theater can be found along the south bank of the River Thames. Guests can learn more about Shakespeare and Elizabethan theatre during one of the tours and can also experience live productions.

Just as in Elizabethan times, seating is limited and audiences stand for the performances.

This spectacular costume for Queen Elizabeth is just one of many on display.  1400 pearls are hand sewn onto it. It took 90 minutes to put on the actor

MUSEUMS

Many of the museums in London are free and house some terrific collections.  Two of our favorites are The Victoria and Albert Museum and The British Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum is the largest museum of decorate arts and design, and houses a permanent collection of over 2 million objects..

Because no visit to a museum with 5 children can not NOT include a stop at the museum restaurant, we indulged in this
meringue!

 The British Museum is even larger and houses a permanent collection of over 8 million works. Its focus is human history, culture and art.  I couldn't begin to include photos of all the amazing artifacts it houses so I'll just limit it to these two which impressed us.

Samurai Warrior armor

The Rosette Stone

THE TOWER OF LONDON

No visit to London is complete without visiting the Tower of London and getting a photo with the famed "Beefeaters".  Apparently its a family tradition for us!

In addition to the awesome photo op, the Tower of London is truly a fascinating history lesson with much to learn and see!

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Have you really been to London if you haven't seen the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace? I can not put my hands on photos from the whole service which includes a band and marching,  but trust me, its worth seeing!

This is a blog not a novel, so I can only scratch the surface of things to see and do in London!  Definitely worth a trip!!