The House on Ladd

The joy of a new day in a new city after much needed sleep is one of my favorite feelings. Up and at ’em, we left the hotel for our first full day in London. We set off to find a bakery I had seen (a true Millennial follows the ratings), giving us our first ride on a double decker bus. How clever we felt, giddily climbing the stairs to the top floor! Surely the locals know just how lucky they are? One of the best things we did to help find our way was to download the CityMapper app. This app has all the public transport routes downloaded for major cities, and follows you stop by stop. All we had to do is say where we were and where we wanted to go, and it gave us several options of how to get there. Hop on a bus or train, and it will guide you through each stop, with warning that your stop on the route is about to arrive! So, so easy. A godsend.

The bakery we wanted didn’t impress, so we walked a bit to a cafe, Loka Lounge. The french toast was perfect. It was a lovely breakfast and just right for a start to a very busy day. Afterword, we walked to Kensington Gardens.

Did you know that Kensington Palace is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays? Neither did we. See, mistakes are inevitable. Much like my trip through Moscow, sometimes you win and sometimes it’s closed. Oh well. The gardens were lovely. We had ample time to see The Albert Memorial, to walk through Hyde Park, see Royal Albert Hall, make a pit stop at the Royal College of Music, and make our way past consulates and other stately homes. Then, we hopped on a bus to visit Westminster Abbey.

The Abbey, Westminster Hall, and the illustrious Big Ben all stand together on the same block. How exciting to walk into Westminster Abbey, where men and women are made Kings and Queens. Where I watched Kate become Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Where so many are buried and remembered. So much history it was overwhelming. I truly had no idea that people were buried inside the abbey… I found it so odd, and to just walk on top of them felt so… wrong? Anyone else go the long way in a cemetery just to avoid walking on top of someone’s grandma? In the walls and on the floor were tomb after tomb. It didn’t feel spooky like a cemetery or catacomb, it just felt like an old building.

And there it was, the checkered floors made famous by royal weddings, and the rows of seats with little lamps. Magic. All of it.

Walking through the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I, and Mary, Queen of Scots was so moving. The stone reminding us of those before us who were doing their best to serve God and honor Him. Those are thoughts for another post.

The Abbey has an exhibit for Queen Elizabeth II on the top floor called The Diamond Jubilee Galleries of Westminster Abbey. Photos were not allowed, but it was worth the extra $10 to visit. I was brought to tears by this portrait of QEII, wearing her red coronation robe, which was painted in honor of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The look on her face, heavy and worn. The grandeur of an empty Abbey. The light shines through the window as if God Himself looks upon her. It felt final, and sad. The world, as I gazed upon this painting, was readying itself for a new English monarch. In fact, they were painting and applying gold leaf to the Abbey while we walked around. The Coronation Chair was being readied, the world was moving on. And yet, here they stood, she and God alone in the Abbey, the end of 70 years of faithful service.

Next, we headed to The British Museum. I had no idea why Austin wanted to visit a museum about England, but quickly found out this was not a museum about England at all… We saw collections from Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome. The Rosetta Stone, and the stone with the first written depiction of the Flood from Genesis. All controversy aside, this free museum was an incredible stop!

After, we stopped by Buckingham Palace. What I expected to feel overwhelming, was not. They were setting up for the Coronation, lining the streets with flags and stands. It was so fun to watch the Coronation after we returned home to say, “I stood right there!”

We ended the evening with dinner at our hotel restaurant The Soak. Austin had the Fish and Chips, and I tried the Black Prawn Dumplings. All were good, and it was nice to just walk back upstairs to go to bed. We walked over eight miles this day!

xo, Amanda