A Quick Update from London

Wednesday, June 12, 2024
London, England, United Kingdom
We had 2 days in London, and didn't have quite enough rest.  The first day we rode around Kensington and Hyde Parks, and saw Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, and had a nice lunch in Hyde Park.  Mostly relaxing day, fortunately
On the second day we took a tour, and did too much walking!  But interesting.  We started in the City of London, which is a square mile area that has it's own Lord Mayor and Police, and is autonomous from the rest of London.  It has always had wealth, and is now the financial center.  It's also the original Londinium, settled by the Romans.  We saw a museum that has original excavated Roman walls and foundations - interesting.  In the afternoon we learned about all the gruesome ways people were killed, many, but not all by any means, by Henry VIII.  A highlight was visiting St. Bartholomew's Church, founded in 1123!  Like most ancient buildings, it has been damaged and rebuilt over the centuries.  I found it amazing and interesting.  One interesting tidbit:  at one time the Lady Chapel (generally these are dedicated to Mary) was turned into a commercial print shop, and Benjamin Franklin worked there for a year, learning the printing trade!
Our ride out of London was really interesting, because it was during the morning commute.  London has built a vast cycle network, and it is very widely used.  So, once again we found ourselves intimidated by fast cyclists who knew where they were going, and zipped by us right and left!  Eventually we left London proper, but spent a long time going through the suburbs.

Comments

Drex
2024-06-16

Sounds sensational, Greg & Eve- Cheers!

Kaison & Liz
2024-06-17

What a beautiful trip, such rich history! What a treasure of adventure for your grandkids .

MURIEL
2024-06-18

It's a pity you missed the excitement of the Trooping of the Colour in London - mind you I don't think you'd have been able to cycle passed Buckingham Palace that day ! :)

2025-02-14

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