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| London’s Big Ben is just about as cool as our own Big Ben! |
After enjoying Hamburg, our last day on the Norwegian Star was a relaxing sea day. We had smooth seas and docked at Southampton, England before sunrise. We felt the cruise itinerary was excellent and were grateful for good weather, with the exception of the day we arrived in Hamburg.
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| Hamburg Sunset Sailaway! |
It was a short (20 minute) walk from the cruise terminal to the train station. We were booked on a 9:00AM train to London. However, there is a rail strike going on this week that is interrupting service. Our train was cancelled, but we were able to get on the 8:30 train, so it actually worked in our favor. Better to be lucky than good!
London is a city that has withstood the test of time. It was founded by the Romans in 47 AD. It was conquered and occupied by several different groups including the Saxons, Danes and Normans. Currently over 14.9 million people reside in the London metropolitan area, making it the largest in Western Europe. London has historically built out, not up, and the metropolitan area covers 3,236 square miles. Times are changing a bit and large construction cranes dot the skyline and skyscrapers are becoming more prevalent in the city
The last time we were in London was 2017. Back then the Royal Family at least publicly acted like they liked each other. No telling what was already brewing behind the royal doors of Buckingham Palace. One thing that hasn’t changed is that London is still a really great city to visit.
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| Buckingham Palace…..not a “royal” in sight! Harry was actually in town the day before, but King Charles’s schedule was already full so they didn’t get together. Not exactly the most functional family at the moment! |
We stayed at the Staybridge Suites-Vauxhall, and can’t say enough good things about it. It’s not like the Staybridge Suites off the interstates in the US. The room is spacious, especially by “big city” standards. Breakfast is included and it’s amazing. There is free “self service” laundry, which is huge for us because we pack very lightly. There is a social in the lobby several nights a week with complimentary food and beverages. The property is located on a quiet side street near the Vauxhall tube station and just an easy one mile walk along the Thames River to the heart of the city. We’re staying on points, but the rates are several hundred dollars less than some of the big name properties nearby. We’re not the only ones who like it. On TripAdvisor it is ranked #16 out of over 1,600 London hotels!
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| A great place to stay! |
There is so much to see and experience in the London City Center. We spent the first three mornings roaming along the river, and in the huge parks and gardens (they’re full of benches!) taking in the “tourist” sites. Each afternoon we took in a West End play, returning to the hotel near sunset, having put in around ten miles of walking. We noted that we had settled into a pretty nice routine.
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| Shakespeare balancing a pigeon on his head in Leicester Square. It’s near here that you can buy discounted West End theatre tickets. |
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| The outside of the Now Building is impressive but not nearly as impressive as… |
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| the massive, constantly changing digital screen inside! It’s one of London newest and most visited attractions…..and it’s free! |
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| A couple of photos from St. James Park….. |
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Westminster Abbey
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West End fun…..Sister Act, Tina Turner & The Choir of Man.
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| The Tower Bridge. The picture was taken from the London Bridge, which in spite of the rumors out there, did not seem to be falling down. |
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| The Tate Modern Art Museum is along the South Bank and free! Modern art is always……interesting! |
Our last day in London we broke our routine and ventured out into the countryside. We had a “Royal” good time……but that’s for another blog!
