Day 1 - London Bus Tour

Marble Arch

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben at Parliament 

Kelsi, Queen Elizabeth, and I

Big Ben

Kelsi and I in front of the Buckingham Palace Gates

Trafalgar Square

A cool, May morning as we walk to Paddington Station to take on our first day in London. Much of the group, myself included, are experiencing extreme jetlag as we just arrived from the eight and a half hour flight from Texas to London the day before. However, the excitement of seeing first hand the history carved into buildings as we walk along the crowded sidewalks, are keeping us bright-eyed and alert. We join The Original Tour for a double-decker bus view of London.
Our first stop is Buckingham Palace, home to Queen Elizabeth II. It’s a picturesque scene in the morning air, as the sun and morning dew are not yet settled into their places for the day. Guards stand along the front of the palace just inside the courtyard. Tall black and gold gates keep watch around the palace walls. As we join the bus tour once again, our next stop is a wide display of iconic London buildings. 
 Immediately we are faced with the Parliament buildings facing along the Thames River. Big Ben, the enormous clock standing on the Prime Meridian is at the end of Parliament. Around the corner we see Westminster Abbey in all of its glory. Many of us are speechless to be standing beneath the church that we have seen so many times in movies and royal weddings. We cross the bridge to take a closer look at the London Eye, and decide to stop off for lunch. With our 2 P.M. deadline to be back at Trafalgar Square quickly approaching, a few of us decide to take on the tube as we map our route back to the meeting place. We were thrilled to have gained a skill in mastering the art of maneuvering the tube, and also to lose the constant fear of getting lost in this city we are not yet used to. We are taken back for a moment to the fact that we are natural-born Americans as we pass a Starbucks, and do not hesitate to enter for a quick boost of energy. Back in Trafalgar square we are assigned to introduce ourselves of several people, and discovering why they are in London. After the assignment is completed, we are free to go about our afternoon as we wish. A few of us explore the National Gallery as we gaze into the works of illustrious artists such as Monet, Renoir, and de Goya. Again conquering the tube back to the hotel to prepare for our afternoon meeting and dinner. We walk past the United States Embassy and eat at the original Hard Rock Café, located right across the street from St. James Park, making a mental note to visit the park later in the trip to further enjoy it’s beauty. With the group divided, a few of us travel to Piccadilly Circus for a view of London’s miniature version of Time Square. Souvenir shops line the streets as many tourists roam the sidewalks of the area. After a short stop at a local pub, we head back to the room to prepare for our next day of adventure in London, England. Blisters on my feet, a full memory card in my camera, and a heart full of joy to be in such a wonderful place for the next 10 days will carry me through to day two of our journey. Students from Texas Tech University will be taking London by storm for the next few days as we explore, discover, and are amazed at London’s beauty and illustrious history. 

A young Queen Elizabeth and I just hanging out, I'm a little underdressed.

Me in front of Westminster Abbey