What a day! We had agreed to meet Matthew near Big Ben at 10am. We headed out of our hotel with Google maps on hand. The new live view works very well and kept us on track. We walked along Victoria Street through what looks like a business district. Along the way, we passed by Westminster Abbey, a stop for another day.
It took us longer than google says to get to Big Ben, but we do walk quite a bit slower than most, and stopped numerous times along the way to confirm our direction and to look around. Matthew had suggested we walk through St. James Park, but I think we missed that. All that being said, we are getting more confident in our journey.
The scaffolding has been removed from Big Ben and the clock is running, but it is not yet open. It is an amazing structure.
We met Matthew and headed off for Greenwich. We took a "river bus" which is part of the regular transit system, only on water. Matthew gave me a running commentary on the the buildings we passed while Bob took photos out the back. We passed Cleopatra's needle, which Egypt wants back, under London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and past numerous other buildings etc along the way. It was great getting a local's comments.
Arriving at Greenwich, we wandered the village and then walked past the university. We stopped for lunch at a local tavern, and then took a taxi up to the Observatory. There was a detour to get there, but the driver did not charge us for the extra distance - a "decent chap".
At the obseratory, we stood on the prime meridian! There is a marker on top of the observatory that helps mark the time. There is a red ball that falls at exactly 1pm every day.
On the walk down from the observatory, Matthew pointed out the different types of trees there. There are two types of chestnuts growing there. He explained the difference as one of them is poisonous. We tasted chestnuts right off the tree.
We took the train back to London, and then the tube to "The Strand". This is the tallest building in Europe. We took an elevator to the 68th and then 72nd floor. The views from this area are absolutely amazing. The sky was clear so we were able to see for miles!
We then took the subway back to Victoria Station and home. We said goodnight to Matthew and started our walk back to the hotel. We stopped at a local restaurant for drinks and chicken wings. We sat outside and people watched for almost an hour.
Back in our rooms, we are exhausted, but very satisfied. My tracker said I did over 14000 steps.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring?
Hotel: Resident Inn Victoria
Weather: warm and sunny - high 19c
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