Blimey!

I've been planning this trip for months and it will be here in a couple days. After much research and help from fellow cruisers, the internet and cruisecritic.com I think I've become a wealth of information and I haven't even started the trip.

I've been to Europe when I was younger pre kids doing the bus tour through Italy, France, Germany, Swizterland, and a week in London. I always wanted to go back to see Ireland and Scotland and now that dream is coming true.

This time I have a husband, 2 teens and a cell phone.  Yes....that's how long it's been.

London Day # 1

We're traveling non-stop from LAX to London and depart from sunny So Cal around 3p.m. And arrive the next day around 11:00 a.m. which was 3:00 a.m. our time. I felt hungover without even having to drink. Going through customs wasn't too bad because it was mostly just people off our plane. 

There are a few ways to get to London. The "Heathrow Express" train which is the fastest and mid price. It will drop you off at Paddington Station and then from there you can either take the tube or cab to your hotel.  Since it overshot where our hotel was and we were getting a 2 day "Oyster Card" we decided to take the Tube to our hotel. The cheapest way to go and a few more stops. We only changed one time and found our hotel very easy which happened to be right by the London Eye.

Premier Inn is kind of a chain of hotels here in London. I believe this building was the "Town Hall" that was converted to a hotel. 

We were 4 dreary eyed tired people but knew we had to keep going so we could crash out at night. We headed out to the tube station and it happened to be the Tour De France that day so all the roads were blocked off and we walked straight into a protest with naked girls and the bobbies were trying to handcuff them and shoo away all the onlookers. Welcome to London.

I had pre bought tickets to "The London Tower" so on we go for our first castle of many. When in 
London it can rain at any time....even in July.

It was so nice not having any lines and getting to see " The Crown Jewels" without a wait. It is amazing, they're definitely something to see, but you are not allowed to take pictures.

History goes that the presence of the ravens protect the castle. If the ravens fly away, the tower and Britain will fall. Hence they clip their wings...or wing so they don't fly away.

Tower of London selfie

London Eye day and Night

We bought the day and night tickets since they were only a few pounds more. But being summer,  the sun goes down later and so you will only get dusk pictures, not the truly dark night twinkling lights of the city view. I took the night picture from the bridge.

More London Eye

The London Eye opens up at 9:30 and we got there about 9:00 and were at the front of the line. If you buy your tickets on line you still need to go to the ticket counter to get your tickets. Also, the last 5 minutes if you stand on the footprints in the capsule it will take your picture. Make sure you look left of the flash. My son was the only one who looked straight in the camera and of course I bought the pictures that come with the keychain and magnet.