Day 2: London

12/28/10

We finally got a full nights rest since traveling and I think we are officially adjusted to London time. We had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel and headed off to do our exploring of the city. We took the tube to Westminster to see the major sights. We stood in awe as we walked up the steps from the underground to find Big Ben right there in all his glory. The clock chimed right as we were arriving. We snapped a few photos and headed over to Westminster Abbey. We were indecisive about whether or not to tour it. It was bombarded with tourists and we just weren't quite sure if it was worth the wait. In the end we decided we had to do it. It is greatest church in all of Britain, the church where Kings and Queens have been crowned, married, and buried since 1066... how could we not? It was impressive, as to be expected. Unfortunately, like St Paul's, there is no photography allowed except for in the courtyard so our minds will have to serve as our photo album. One of my favorite parts of the church was the High Altar. It is the holiest place in the church and the place where Princess Diana's funeral was held (as well as Kings and Queens dating back 1000 years ago) and where the current Queen took her first communion after her coronation. We learned a lot about Britain's history and heard some very interesting stories that I will never forget such as Queen "Bloody" Mary who locked her half sister, Elizabeth, in the London Tower... only to die childless (no one to pass the crown to) and have her once prisoned sister become her successor and one of Britain's most endeared Queens. Though the sisters were near enemies in life, they are buried side by side in the "Lady Room" of the Abbey.
We spent a good portion of the day touring the Abbey. We then walked over the Westminster Bridge and grabbed a quick bite to eat. We had a local favorite, the jacket potato (baked potato) before heading over to the London Eye. We had looked up sunset times earlier in the day hoping to ride the Eye at sunset. However the day was overcast, and while at home that often makes for gorgeous sunsets, in London it was just slowly getting darker. So we rode the Eye as dusk turned to night and it was BEAUTIFUL. The city was twinkling with lights and Big Ben and The Parliament just glowed. It was very romantic.
After the London Eye we took a stroll along the Thames River to Trafalgar square. We hung out there for a bit admiring the fountains and ginormous ship in bottle before heading off to find food, which turned out to be quite a task. Restaurants close unexpectedly early in London. While the pubs are open late, they usually stop serving food around 8. We went back to Nags Head Pub in Covent Garden, where we had a couple pints the night before, only to find the kitchen was already closed. We grabbed a couple drinks, I had my first mulled wine and Marcus had a McMullen Cask Ale. A couple from Arizona joined us at our table and they happened to be on the hunt for food as well. We sat around and chatted for a bit until our appetites led us to bid adieu and find some grub. A local had told us to head to Leicester Square to find late night restaurants. As we started our walk over to Leicester Square we came upon a Restaurant just around the corner from Nags Head that appeared to be open. We were seated at a window table on the second floor with a great view of the quaint shops along the street. Marcus was dying to have another local favorite and found what he was looking for in their steak, Guinness, mushroom Pie. As if he wasn't in heaven enough already, they lady sitting behind him had a Raider's jacket draped on the back of her chair. She had a thick European accent and was presumably NOT from Oakland. Marcus beamed as he pointed to the jacket and proclaimed "The Raider Nation has crossed the pond!" After our late night meal we went back to the hotel and crashed out while watching a hilarious British sitcom "Peep Show."