Long Live the Queen

It's our 2nd day in London - we are over the jet lag and got a good night's rest.  Remember to bring your converter!  Nothing like doing your hair in the bedroom with no mirror.  We brought 2 converters but sometimes you need more!

The Conrad London St James was the perfect hotel to stay in - warm, inviting and the best location!

Today we were up and going at 9:00am to have our first go at a traditional English breakfast:  Eggs (with heavy cream), bangers, (pork sausage, bigger than in the U.S.) breads, baked beans (yes, for breakfast, it's a staple) and also a continental breakfast with prosciutto, cheeses, cereals, yogurts and jams. 

Our agenda today was to make it to Buckingham palace for the 11:30 daily 'Changing of the Guard',  and then do a vintage London double decker city bus tour, followed by a Thames River cruise, which was included.  The changing of the guard lasts about 45 minutes, with 3 different marches coming into the gate from different directions.

The city tour showed us all of the highlights, including the oldest pub in London, and the narrator gave us plenty of information about the fires of London. Although we didn't get to visit St Paul's Cathedral, we did get to see the outside of it.

Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace - get there early! The crowds are fierce.

The amazing gate to the palace grounds

The Tower Bridge, or what I always called 'The London Bridge'

We finished the day off with a Thames River cruise, and had our first afternoon tea and crumpets, including cream and jam, with a glass of champagne.  We dined at our hotel restaurant and had a wonderful dinner....a ribeye....yes!