London Bridge Falling Down

Our Europe Vacation continued in England. We were very excited to see all things royal and that is what we did. I absolutely enjoyed England. It was cute, quaint and clean. Of course, you can't beat the accent. Everyone was so proper.

We stayed in the cute Lime Tree Hotel in the Belgravia neighborhood. The staff and amenities were very nice. Each morning we had breakfast in the hotel before heading off to our destinations.

First on our list was to see the Crown Jewels at the London Tower. I liked how it was set up. We actually rode a conveyor belt by the Jewels. I enjoyed it because it forced people to keep moving. However, I hopped right back on to get a longer look. They were huge, sparkly and gorgeous.

Next up, Tower Bridge, which I always thought was the London Bridge. We arrived after the Olympics so they had taken down the rings and put back up the Queen's decor for her Jubilee.

We took a boat cruise along the River Thames and were able to get some great views of the city. We got off at Big Ben or Elizabeth Tower.

We were very excited to visit Westminster Abbey. The inside of the Abbey is an optical illusion. I have watched so many events on television and had a hard time figuring out how the large crowds fit into such a small area. The majority of the Abbey is filled with crypts of so many people. I could have stayed in there for hours.

The next day was our big day at Buckingham Palace. What a beautiful home full of so much history. Unfortunately, there were no sightings of the Royals.

We ventured across town to check out St. Paul's Cathedral. Our State Capitol was modeled after this beautiful church. I sat inside under the dome and tried to figure out how they built it.

The Underground became our new best friend as we trekked across London. Once we figured it out, it was so easy and a no brainer.

We spent the shortest time in London. We headed out of the city to the London countryside and visited Althorp. Princess Diana's childhood home. It was such a beautiful estate. Her brother Charles still lives in the home. We actually saw him crossing the courtyard to sign books in the bookstore.

We walked down the pathway towards Princess Diana's final resting place on an island in Round Oval lake. It was a beautiful and serene place. Perfect for the Princess.

After leaving Althorp, we headed over to Stonehenge. We all thought we would finally get the answer to our question, "What do these rocks mean?" As we walked up to the stones, listening to our guide machines, we were quickly told that no one knows what the rocks mean. We heard about all of the possibilities. What an impressive sight to see!

Cheerio London! We miss you too! Next up Ireland.