London Day 4

Mum and I are both quite exhausted and overwhelmed after our second full day of London sight-seeing. We did the hop on, hop off thing again, but with a bit more purpose today after learning a little about how it all works yesterday. We set off this morning ready to go directly to Westminster Abbey. Have I mentioned how London is really just one big traffic jam? In some parts of the city, the journey from one landmark to another is less than scenic, unless you love to look at rows and rows of red double decker buses, travelling at snail's pace. So getting to the Abbey took a bit longer than we thought!

However, there is nothing that could take away from the experience in Westminster Abbey. As mum reflected, it is the true heart of London ... England ... the Commonwealth. It is a profoundly magnificent building and holds history dating back centuries. It's not only royalty buried there, but scientists, poets, musicians, officers, government leaders and other prominent people. Some of the tombs date back to the 1200s. We saw memorials to Newton, Darwin, Handel, Shakespeare, Churchill, Burns, Chaucer, Britten, and .... I really can't continue listing them for fear of suggesting a hieararchy of importance. We were awed by them all. We both had profoundly sentimental moments as we moved from room to amazing room. Many of our friends and relatives encouraged us not to miss Westminster Abbey and we now know why. It is a treasure. 

FYI, you can't take pictures inside, so we were limited to some outdoor photos. This is simply a record shot taken from the bus.

After our time in the Abbey, we took our time and walked down to Buckingham Palace, then down The Mall to Trafalgar Square. 

I could have stood there for hours ........

The picture above was taken from the steps of the National Gallery, which holds a place of prominence at the top of the Trafalgar Square. Like the Tate, the National Gallery is a free welcoming space and is filled with interested locals and tourists. 

Mum and I each found art that touched us deeply.

Ah, Vincent, yes, this was my favorite wall.

And mum loved seeing many beautiful Turners - a painter she loved as a student and young artist. Seeing so many in one beautiful space was truly a dream.

This was a very full day.

London has triggered many wonderful memories of past trips, and special  thoughts of loved ones. These really are the treasures we will bring home from this trip.