Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

London - Day 1 - Day 27 Virtual Europe

30 Day Blogging Challenge

Aug 27th London, England

In the morning we took a 2 hour and 19 minute train ride from Paris to London. Sad to go. Lyn's a Witchy Woman had us booked into The Nadler Soho – another richly posh boutique hotel with a mere 78 rooms. It is the heart of London’s city center. We are in the heart of the Soho district which is said to be the most cosmopolitan and eccentric part of London.

http://www.thenadler.com/soho.shtml

Lyn had a big day planned for us…. and although I was cool with seeing Buckingham Palace, I was not so inclined to see Parliament. Westminster Abbey was a definite… I decided to tag along for the palace tour, but then go off on my own for the rest of the day. Defection, I know, but there are just some things I did not want to miss and though I have never been to England before, my mother has and she has seen these sights and I have heard her tales…. I wanted to see stuff she had not necessarily talked about…. And if I did, I saw it at my own pace.

My mother is just this side of a Royals fanatic so she would happy to know we were beginning our day at Buckingham Palace. We got to delve into London’s rich royal heritage for two and a half hours. We also got to see the changing of the Guard Ceremony and marvel at the traditional Changing of the Guard performance, which involves meticulously dressed soldiers marching to the rhythm of military drums.
We got to enter the opulent State Rooms of Buckingham Palace. We saw lavish chambers that are only available to see for two months of the year. We also got to hear about the history of the British monarchy.
We got to wander through St James’s Park.

Read more about Buckingham Palace Tour Including Changing of the Guard Ceremony - London | Viator at: https://www.viator.com/tours/London/Buckingham-Palace-Tour-Including-Changing-of...

The rest of the group headed off for another 4 hour tour of Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. I followed the group around Westminster Abbey. My mother always raved about this church and I wanted to see it for myself…. I loved the gothic grandeur of the place. It was great to walk the aisle that Princess Diana walked.... and then Katherine and William. We got to stroll through the cloisters and see College Garden, thought to be the oldest garden in England. It was interesting to see the graves of Dickens, Hardy and other famous writers.
When everyone wandered over to the Houses of Parliaments, I ditched the tour. Our Canadian system is similar to this…. and I wanted to catch the Hop On Hop Off Tour and make my own leisurely way around London and its famous sights.

London hop on hop off bus tour – seeing the city from the top of an open-top sightseeing bus.

Read more about Big Bus London Hop-On Hop-Off Tour - London | Viator at: https://www.viator.com/tours/London/Big-Bus-London-Hop-On-Hop-Off-Tour/d737-6506...


Wanting to see as much as possible, I still caught up with the group for dinner at Bailey's Fish and Chips. I decided to join the rest of the group who were heading off to see the Kinky Boots Theatre Show.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d2719908-Reviews-Baileys_F...

https://www.viator.com/tours/London/Kinky-Boots-Theatre-Show-in-London/d737-3517...

Kinky Boots is a musical playing at the Adelphi Theatre in London. It is based on real-life events. It was a high-energy, uplifting show telling the story of Northampton shoe factory owner Charlie Price, who with his inspirational sidekick, cabaret performer Lola; transforms the fortunes of his struggling business by catering for drag queens who want sparkling, thigh-high stiletto boots. It featured a fun and feisty Grammy- and Tony-winning score by pop icon Cyndi Lauper – who I happen to really like, and together with sensational performances and staging, this uproarious show was a glorious, glamorous got-to-see while we’re in London. I was caught up in the hilarious plot and the amazing choreography by two-time Tony-winning Jerry Mitchell.