My London Trip Blog Part #2

This post is a continuation of the previous post. It discusses my trip to London as a GS. This post specifically focuses on my stay at the South London Scout Center.

London Pass #1 (7-12-17)

We woke up early to head straight to London Tower. Keep in mind, the SLSC is about a forty minute train ride from the city of London. We toured all over the Tower, hearing the stories of the famous prisoners. The Tower has some brutal history, but has played a critical role in England's past.

The tour was extra special because our tour guide happened to be the first female Beef eater. We also got to see the Beef eaters in their formal dress, as the king of Spain was visiting. While we were there, we saw the famous Crown Jewels. We also went in the White Tower to see the armor of various kings. At the end we stopped in the gift shop to get patches and other souvenirs.

We took a relaxing river boat ride on the Thames. It took us up to Greenwich (the spot along the Prime Meridian). We did not have enough time to get off, but we still got to see the Greenwich Observatory from the water. The boat ride lasted about an hour and a half. I highly recommend doing a boat tour on your trip because it is a great opportunity to rest while still exploring the city.

Next, we went to the Tower Bridge Experience. This is included on the London Pass. It takes you up the towers of London Bridge. You walk across a connected bridge to the other tower. This was fun because the floor was glass and you could see the cars and river below. From there we split up. Half our group went to the Crystal Palace while half went to have dinner.

My half ate dinner at Dickens Pub. This was a quaint restaurant on the water. It had flower baskets hanging from the balcony. The food was really good, and was probably one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. It was a very nice and scenic walk from London Tower and I highly recommend it.

After dinner we walked along the water towards Piccadilly Circus. This is not a circus as its name would suggest, but rather a big square with music, fountains, and shops. It is lively and safe even in the evenings. We got dessert at the famous Criterion restaurant. Any Downton Abbey fan will recognize the sight (it is where Edith once dinned with Michael Gregson).

Instead of ordering food we had tea and they gave us large sugar candy to put in it. We also got every dessert on the menu so we could all split them. They were divine and each bite had so much flavor. After dessert we went back to the SLSC and went to bed. It was about 10:30 by the time we got back.

Tip: Ordering tea or desserts is a great way to experience fancy restaurants without breaking the bank.

London Pass #2 (7-13-17)

Today was the second day of the London Pass. We headed to Westminster Abbey, but due to the King of Spain visiting, it was closed until 1. Therefore, we passed time by visiting the Globe Theater. This is a replica of what Shakespeare's Theater would have looked like. It was complete with a museum, gift store, cafe, and the theater.

We took the hop-on-hop-off bus back to Westminster when we were done. The church was filled with tombs and memorials. However, due to crowds, tight spaces, and limited time we spend only a bit of time in the large Church.

After this we got back on the hop-on-hop-off bus to Kensington Palace. Inside housed Diana's collection, Victoria's suite, Queens' and Kings' apartments, and so much more. If you go make sure you leave room for the expansive grounds that are covered in beautiful shrubs and gardens.

We had 5 pm High tea on the grounds at The Orangery. It was complete with cakes, scones, sandwiches, pudding, and of course tea. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The restaurant had beautiful china and the view from our table allowed us to look out over the Kensington Palace grounds. After this we headed back to the SLSC to get an early night.

Coach tour #1 (7-14-20)

We woke up extremely early to go to the coach station and catch a bus. Here we went on the Premium Bus Tours bus to Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, and Bath. It was a two hour ride to Stonehenge along which we were able to get some sleep. At Stonehenge we walked around. They provided audio tour sets on tapes that described the history of Stonehenge and the theories to its existence. We also checked the gift shop out. The tour company provided us with hot lunches from the Stonehenge cafe for the road.

Tip: Taking a tour bus is a great, cost effective way to see several sites in one day.

From there we headed about 30 minutes to the Cathedral in Salisbury. This is probably my favorite cathedral I have been in, plus you could take pictures unlike Westminster. The architecture was exquisite and was prettier then Westminster. Inside exhibits included the oldest clock and the Magna Carta. One of the most memorable parts to the cathedral was the beautiful granite fountain, where the water flowed seamlessly and reflected the stained glass.

We were able to quickly walk through the town of Salisbury, which had a festival going on. There were flags and banners hanging everywhere on the streets. The town was very beautiful and featured Tudor architecture and many great photo opportunities. Unfortunately we did not get much time in the town, but it was still a great experience.

We rode the tour bus to Bath. While we did not tour the Roman baths, we walked around the city to explore its unique architecture. This was one of my favorite cities. There was an opera singer singing on the street, which made the entire city filled with music. There were many shops around the town. These shops included local salt water taffy and fudge said to be some of the best in England. We ordered a pizza to go and hopped back on the bus. We arrived back at the Scout Center late and went to sleep.

Coach tour #2 (7-15-17)

Once again we woke up early to catch a Premium Bus Tour. This time we went to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle, and Oxford. First we rode to Stratford, which is where Shakespeare was born. We went to the school he attended and got a Latin lesson. We then headed to his birthplace to tour his home. After, we explored the historical town. The Avon River ran next to the town and we were able to sit at its edge. The town was packed with shops and cafes and I could have easily spent more time there.

From there the bus went to Warwick Castle. We toured the grounds and the castle. There, I recommend climbing one of the taller towers. At the top you can see the countryside for miles around. There is also lots to see inside the castle. This is a great place for families and groups to travel.

They even had a Peacock Garden with live peacocks on the grounds. This was one of many sites on the grounds of the castle. Posing with the peacocks made a great photo and made you feel very regal.

While driving to Oxford, we passed through the Cotswolds. This is a large land reservation with many historic cottages. We passed through the countryside and got to see thatched roof cottages and Wales from a distance.

When we finally arrived in Oxford, we took a detailed walking tour. We saw lots of colleges and learned about the towns history. We happened to visit on the day of Oxford University graduation so we were able to see graduates in their caps and gowns. An essential visit are the Oxford University book stores which carry lots of souvenirs. Finally, we headed back to London and ate at an Italian Restaurant. We explored camp which was crowded with more than 600 people. We packed our bags and then went to sleep.