London & Bath

A promising sign when I opened up my first magazine on the plane overseas

Upon our arrival, it became immediately clear to me that London is my foreign home away from home. The city is everything you expect, and more: hospitable, royals-obsessed, picturesque, steeped in tradition and history, easily navigable, and really, not so different from the U.S.

We began every day with “bacon and beans” and “loads of tea,” and then proceeded to make our way around town. The Tube wasn’t nearly as scary and confusing as I thought it would be, and it really helped us to cover a lot of ground. We each bought the London Pass, and because of the sheer volume of activities that we took on while there, it ended up being the way to go. Every night ended with a stop at the local corner store for jugs of water, Crunchie bars and stacks of British tabloids—certainly, my idea of a the perfect nightcap.

We reserved one whole day of our time in London for a Chunnel trip to Paris (covered in tomorrow’s post), and then we took the train to Wales via Bath. Bath was charming, and the town’s main sights can be seen in a 5-hour layover. It’s a stop that I’d recommend if you have the time and an appetite for Georgian architecture.

The first sight of London, after emerging from the Tube at Victoria Station

Believe it or not, we stumbled across the Houses of Parliament while wandering around the hotel

Another view from atop the Thames

The Horse Guards Parade

Vibrant flowers fit for a Queen, on the way to Buckingham Palace

Ta da! After all the walking, these taxis sure were tempting 

Perfectly sized cubbies so cute they almost seem fake

The Tower Bridge from within the famed Tower of London

Views from HIGH atop St. Paul's cathedral dome

End of day stop at Westminster Abbey

Blue skies and the Eye

View from the ferry on the way to Greenwich

Setting my watch at the Prime Meridian

Statue guards at the Roman Baths

Bath water...literally!

Georgian crescent, and a walk in the shoes of Rick Steves

Quaint bridge shops spanning the River Avon