London, England

A trip to England was a dream of mine all of my life. My senior year of English literature and my love of poetry and writing were the spark. Plus, after doing the Ancestry test to find out my origins, the results showed I am 95 percent English. I was thrilled. I somehow felt that once I stepped on English soil, that somehow it would feel like my homeland.

I am so thankful that in the Spring of 2025 I got to see what my heart had dreamed of. Most all of the books I read for pleasure are set in the English countryside. Here, I share a bit of our travels. I will post not only London, but will share in later posts the visits to Oxford, The Cotswolds, and Windsor, England. I hope to return sometime and venture northward or perhaps to the coast. It's always fun to dream! Below, just a snapshot of a great trip.

We arrived after an overnight flight to a typical rainy day in England. However, it was the only rainy day of our visit. Big Ben is the clock, the structure is actually called The Elizabeth Tower. The iconic red telephone booth and a rather disheveled, but happy traveler.

Our favorite pub was The Horse and Guardsman where we ate lots of Fish & Chips.

Oh, and mushy peas, which I enjoyed. Next day, we visited Westminster Abbey. Also, while in London we toured The Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, walked to Buckingham Palace, saw the changing of the guard, and enjoyed a rest in St. James Park. Our stay at the historic Great Scotland Yard hotel was amazing. The location was walking distance to most all of the major places I wanted to see and the service was nothing I had ever experienced.

(left) A tower guard and (right) The Coronation Chair, a historic chair used during the coronation ceremonies of British monarchs since 1308.

So many blessing came our way.

Our hotel was a very short walk to

the Royal Horseguards stables which was more like a palace in its own right. We happened to be nearby at the changing of the guard at the stables. We could not have gotten this close at Buckingham Palace as

the crowds were very large.

The Union Jack flys proudly.