Final Day in London

Sunday, July 7, 2013

For our final day in London we planned to be tourists, and fit as much into one day that we possibly could.  Though we had been to the Natural History Museum on our last trip in 2011, Ewan was insistent upon returning so he could see the dinosaurs once again. He was most disappointed that we hadn’t had time to go on Friday, the day we had arrived, so we had promised him that we’d go there first thing on Sunday.  We took the Tube to South Kensington where we disembarked and walked through a nice, cool tunnel that crossed below the streets and took us to the museum.  

Natural History Museum

Since we had been there recently, we were able to be efficient and focus on just the dinosaurs (and the gift shop of course).

Once again, Ewan’s favorite sight was the life-sized, giant animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex that we walked past, as it gnashed its teeth and swung its giant head from side to side.  Unlike the last time we saw it, Ewan showed the utmost courage and wasn’t scared in the least.  Amazing how much a little boy grows up in two years!


Our next destination was the Tower of London, which was all the way on the other side of town from the museum (a 15 minute or so Tube ride).  In all of our visits to London, we had never made it inside this famous landmark. 

Ewan in front of the Tower of London

It is a massive complex, officially know as “Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress.”  We spent several hours tromping throughout the castle buildings and grounds.  Ewan enjoyed looking at the massive displays of suits of armor and other weapons.  

Sir Ewan, the Curly

I couldn’t help but be dazzled by the glittering opulence of the crown jewels.  Inside the vault where the jewels are kept, they were projecting a movie of the coronation of the young Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, which was fascinating to see.  We walked along the high walls of the castle, which afforded lovely views of Tower Bridge.  After spending a good several hours exploring, we headed to the pier to purchase tickets for a city cruise heading west back to Westminster.  

A cruise along the Thames is a great way to see many landmarks in a short amount of time.  We cruised beneath historical bridges and past the HMS Belfast, the famous Globe Theatre, St. Paul’s Cathedral, several other interesting buildings of historical and architectural importance, and finally ending our journey across from the London Eye at Westminster Pier, beside Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.  

Our riverboat cruise ship

Ewan and Daddy on the river cruise

Ewan and Mommy on the river cruise

The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral

The London Eye

Big Ben

By now it was after 6 PM and we had been on our feet for most of the day, and we were getting quite hungry (lunch had consisted of a Magnum Carte D’Or ice cream bar each--not exactly nutritionally sustaining or hunger staving.) 

Mmmmm, ice cream for lunch.  Hey, we're on vacation.  Don't judge!

 We walked by Westminster Abbey, but unfortunately it was closed to the public, and so we had to satisfy ourselves by snapping a few shots of the stately gothic exterior.    

Western facade of the abbey

We had hoped to find a nearby pub or restaurant, but the streets of Westminster were surprisingly deserted this Sunday evening, and every single restaurant and pub we passed was closed.

We continued on towards our hotel, past the royal gates of Buckingham Palace and upwards through the lively Green Park, where many Londoners were sprawled out on picnic blankets and canvas deck chairs for hire, enjoying the unusually balmy weather as the sun dropped lower on the horizon of this lovely Sunday evening. 

Gates of Buckingham Palace

 At this point Ewan and I had become quite “hun-grumpy,” after an entire day of walking and being on our feet.  So once we reached Piccadilly Road, we entered the first cafe we found, a little French Bistro.  We were seated right away, thankfully, and the waiter quickly produced a chilled bottle of crisp Italian Sauvignon Blanc for Gavin and me, and a glass of apple juice for Ewan, which immediately restored the smiles to our faces.  A tasty meal followed, as we looked back on our final day in London, satisfied that we had covered so much ground.  After dinner we all walked back the few blocks to our hotel where Ewan and I promptly crashed, but Gavin, ever the Energizer Bunny he is, went back out on his own for several more hours, armed with his tripod, to shoot some stunning nighttime cityscapes down along the river (see pics below).  I'd say we definitely made the most of this day!

Tower Bridge (Gavin's pic) 

Hungerford Bridge (Gavin's pic)

London Eye (Gavin's pic)