12 December 2011

[The] Holiday



Regent's Park


Jazz concert we stumbled upon at Foyle's Books

Yes, we did: Harrods.


Best part of Harrods may well have been the Harry Potter room!




TRAFALGAR SQUARE





Parliament
Remembrance Day wreathes






Westminster Abbey


Cool old pub sign



They're changing the guard at Buckingham Palace . . .

Actually, they weren't by the time we got there, but that's okay. We got to enjoy taking in the flags and pomp of a real live palace where royalty still lives--sometimes--and welcomes visitors (on this particular weekend, the Turkish president was around, so he probably got a nice dinner at some point).


Turkish and British flags on the Mall.


Camden Lock


Andrea's friend Amy took us down to Essex to visit her aunt's family and to enjoy a real English tradition--the Sunday roast. It was excellent! Plus, we got to escape the city for a bit, explore an old fort and churchyard, and enjoy a magic show put on by Amy's two young cousins.


Coalhouse Fort




Still looks pretty forbidding.



Tiniest gate ever!









The Tower of London, ladies and gentlemen.


Climbing to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral--the views are so worth it!








After a visit to Twinings--the first tea shop in Britain, if I'm not mistaken, we made our way to Covent Garden for dinner.






Trafalgar Square with our Pret tea/coffee.



A man in an inflatable suit. We asked why he was full of hot air, but didn't really get a satisfactory response.




On to Bath!
Tea in the Pump Room and locating Jane Austen sites were a couple of our favorite things.































Reindeer?!













OXFORD





Three guesses where this is (hint: Muggles think it's called Christ Church College)

Christ Church Cathedral for Evensong





An American Thanksgiving!
Grenwich: cold day, but lovely scenery!