London

London is my favorite city. If I couldn't live out in the country with my horses, London is where I'd want to live.


I've been there twice and have TONS more photos than what I've posted here, so hopefully sometime I'll get those scanned in and post about my more specific experiences in London. But for now, here's what I already had saved to my harddrive--a few highlights of this fabulous city.

Back when I was married, I my last name was Baker, so this was particularly fitting.

This is an Underground sign. The Underground is London's subway system, and by far the easiest and cheapest way to get anywhere in the city. You can visit London without ever renting a car. The Underground runs all the way to both Heathrow and Gatwick, so you hop off the plane, go through customs, catch a train, and you're in central London!

One of the most amazing things about London is all the historical, grand architecture. This is Parliment:

Here's a little up-close view of one of the many statues that decorate Parliment.

This is Tony Blair's car.

Just kidding! I mean, it could have been...I don't know. Jennifer and I just thought it was a cool car and assumed the PM would have a cool car.

That's like a law or something over there, right?

Here's the one shot of Westminster I have. They don't allow any photography in the churches.

And here's a view of St. Paul's.

Believe me, it's a really cool picture when it's a proper size. I took this before I even had a digital camera, back in the days when my Kodak had a cool "panorama" feature.

If you're planning a trip to London (Annette :), I highly suggest the London Walks tours as well. The Jack the Ripper walk is especially entertaining, but only go to the one given by Donald Rumbelow, who literally wrote the book on the Jack the Ripper murders.

Here's a list of my favorite places to see in London (with links):

St. Bartholomew the Great Church

--A 1,000 year old church seen in many movies, such as The Other Boleyn Girl, Shakespeare in Love, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. It's off the tourist-path so it's sort of a hidden treasure. Fun (aka gruesome) Fact: not too far from the entrance of the church cemetery is where William Wallace was dismembered.

The Globe

--See a play here. Get one of the floor tickets and you've instantly been transported back to the 17th century.

The British Museum

--See the Lindow Man, the Rosetta Stone, and thousands of other amazing relics in this wonderful museum!

Victoria and Albert Museum

--Like art and design? This is a different kind of museum, which honestly I thought I wouldn't really like. I went, though, and discovered I not only liked it, but LOVED it! It is one of the best museums I've ever been to, and I can't wait to get to visit it again!

St. Paul's Cathedral

--This is truly one of the most beautiful churches in the world. Be sure to climb to the very top to see a magnificent view of London, too!

Harrods

--Shopping at it's finest. Even if you don't want to buy something from the Cartier counter (yes, I'm being sarcastic, especially if you're a horse (aka broke) person), this is a store like no other, and it demands a visit.

Of course the Tower (mentioned before) is a must-see, along with Buckingham Palace, shopping the antique stores in Notting Hill and seeing a show in Picadilly Circus. There's just so much to see and do--it's a lovely city.

And one more London tip--if you get a hankering for food a little closer to home, the Mexican Food restaurant (0nly one I could ever find) is at the Covent Garden tube stop :)