Day 18 -
For today, we booked a tour to take us to Stonehenge, Oxford, and Windsor with Evan Evans Tours. Our day started at 3:30 am to meet the bus for an early morning visit with Stonehenge before it opened to the public. Not only were we part of a very small group of people at the stones, but we also got to cross the barrier most people stop at and walk amongst the stones, which was cool.
We then visited Oxford and Christ Church College. The Great Hall at Christ Church was the model for the hall in Harry Potter. Austin and I split off from our tour group to make sure we got to see the Great Hall. We enjoyed wandering Oxford's old streets and checking out the covered market.
Our final stop on the tour was Windsor, which is clearly still celebrating hosting the wedding of Harry and Meghan. It was super crowded and the line to get into Windsor Castle was over an hour wait. We again set off to wander around the town. We found the Queen's swans, which apparently they count and tag each year. We also found a chocolate shop that had a pretty amazing milkshake.
The bus then dropped us back in the heart of London. One thing we saw throughout our time in London, and today was no exception, was Brexit protests. There were debates about the next Prime Minister, how to handle Brexit, and Climate Change. Citizens were vocal, active, and peaceful.
Watching all the protests inspired us to visit the Churchill War Room (on the London Pass). This was a very interesting and educational look at the actual war rooms in the underground bunkers that Winston Churchill used to carry out strikes in World War II. Many of the rooms are untouched and you can see the maps that were in use during the strategy sessions. After our visit, we walked through St. James' Park to see Buckingham Palace and the Wellington Arch. Lots of walking all over town, but worth it.
To give our feet a break, we hopped a tube to the south side of the river for a delicious Indian dinner. London has amazing Indian food all over and it is very affordable. It is a great change of pace from pub food. Our final stop of the night was to see sunset atop the Shard skyscraper (London Pass). This was a wonderful experience, but be aware that it can be very crowded and some people camp out by the glass for hours to make sure they have a good view. I was exhausted by the end, but it was a wonderful day!
We then visited Oxford and Christ Church College. The Great Hall at Christ Church was the model for the hall in Harry Potter. Austin and I split off from our tour group to make sure we got to see the Great Hall. We enjoyed wandering Oxford's old streets and checking out the covered market.
Our final stop on the tour was Windsor, which is clearly still celebrating hosting the wedding of Harry and Meghan. It was super crowded and the line to get into Windsor Castle was over an hour wait. We again set off to wander around the town. We found the Queen's swans, which apparently they count and tag each year. We also found a chocolate shop that had a pretty amazing milkshake.
The bus then dropped us back in the heart of London. One thing we saw throughout our time in London, and today was no exception, was Brexit protests. There were debates about the next Prime Minister, how to handle Brexit, and Climate Change. Citizens were vocal, active, and peaceful.
Watching all the protests inspired us to visit the Churchill War Room (on the London Pass). This was a very interesting and educational look at the actual war rooms in the underground bunkers that Winston Churchill used to carry out strikes in World War II. Many of the rooms are untouched and you can see the maps that were in use during the strategy sessions. After our visit, we walked through St. James' Park to see Buckingham Palace and the Wellington Arch. Lots of walking all over town, but worth it.
To give our feet a break, we hopped a tube to the south side of the river for a delicious Indian dinner. London has amazing Indian food all over and it is very affordable. It is a great change of pace from pub food. Our final stop of the night was to see sunset atop the Shard skyscraper (London Pass). This was a wonderful experience, but be aware that it can be very crowded and some people camp out by the glass for hours to make sure they have a good view. I was exhausted by the end, but it was a wonderful day!
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