Two full free days in London, yea! We spent the first morning at the historic Tower of London, marveling at the Beefeater’s tales of blood and gore, torture and beheadings. Here two wives of Henry VIII were executed, and two young princes were found murdered. We saw Traitor’s Gate through which most of the inmates entered from the Thames River; the spot at the inner courtyard where two young queens lost their heads; the infamous Bloody Tower, the magnificent diamond-encrusted Crown Jewels, the barracks rife with weapons and dizzying spiral staircases. Most impressive and a must-see on every visitor’s list.

Onward from here, via Underground tube, to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Inside, the vastness is awesome. Imagine being a bride like Princess Di and walking down that endless aisle. Works of art abound, along with quiet chapels, tombs down below that I thought were rather commercialized, and pews for patrons of this still active place of worship. Hungry, we sought a restaurant and found a crush of customers at a place just behind the cathedral. Most seemed to be residents, and we were amazed that everyone had wine bottles or beer glasses on their table.  While the lunchtime martini habit seemed to be a done deal in the States, people here had no such inhibitions. City workers, at least in the financial district which we were near, must have a long lunch hour, and of course, they don’t have to drive. We felt very much like tourists asking for tap water to drink. I ordered a dish of ravioli that was quite tasty.

My daughter wanted to see Harrod’s, so we took the tube there next. The infamous Food Halls greeted us: coffees and teas, meats and cheeses, fruits and veggies, gourmet delights, chocolate heaven, and more, all in an opulent setting. Their souvenir department excels, as does the French tea room where we had our dessert. I didn’t bother to look at the clothes or accessories, knowing they’d be beyond my budget. From this renowned emporium, we shot over to the Houses of Parliament to admire Big Ben and to stroll past Westminster Abbey. All this walking and sightseeing made us hungry again, so we stopped for dinner in a pub along the way to the theater. Then we attended Wicked in the Victoria Apollo Theatre. Fantastic show! Go see it if you get the chance: Original script, a prequel to the Wizard of Oz, and great performances by the lead actresses.

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