INTERNATIONAL EDITION: Europe - Day 3

"Please mind the gap"

Westminster Abbey

I woke up to sunny blue skies, had breakfast and hopped onto the tube towards Westminster Abbey. Having arrived at 10am I was amazed how many people were lined up to see the abbey. The line wrapped all the way around and just kept on going. I stood in the line for 15 mins and gave up knowing I would be standing for several hours before I even got the chance to pop inside so I continued down to Southbank to take some happy snaps of Big Ben and the London Eye.

There were so many tourists bottled up along the bridge with everyone trying to get the perfect shot of the clock tower, it was amazing to see the traffic rushing through and people everywhere!

I decided to join a walking tour called "Free Tours of London" which was a big hit on TripAdvisor and was a great introduction to London. It was a 'pay what its worth' type of tour and Glenn the tour guide was funny, informative and had great insider tips to get around London without spending too much.
I went on the 'Free Royal Tour' and it covered several main attractions such as:

• Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
• Westminster Abbey
• Churchill War Rooms
• Horse Guards Parade
• St James' Park
• Buckingham Palace
• St James' Palace
• Trafalgar Square
• Lunch at a pub in Soho for 6 pounds (cheap as chips !)

London Tour Walking group with Glenn

After a satisfying lunch at the pub I made my way to the London Eye and luckily I had purchased a 'skip the line' ticket because there were SOOO many people lining up. 
The London Eye felt overrated to say the least. I paid AU$50 to get crammed into a capsule with 15 other people for one revolution and that was it! That said, I can say that I've done it and tick it off my bucket list but I'm sure you can get a better experience in and around the surrounding buildings.

London Eye and a fancy lamp post

Following the London Eye I made my way across the Golden Jubilee Bridge and ended back near Westminster to take some more photos.

A great tip to get into Westminster Abbey for free was from the walking tour guide, Glenn. He advised there was a daily service at 5pm and it was the best time to see the abbey and listen to the angelic voices of the choirboys.
I waited till 4.50pm and again, there was a line wrapped around the Abbey but it went by quickly.

Unfortunately, you weren't allowed to take photos inside but the size of the abbey was phenomenal. I was unable to get a seat but I stood in the nave and listened to the choir sing which was quite an experience and beautiful. I took a moment to take it all in as there was a lot of history at Westminster Abbey including coronations of Kings and Queens, royal weddings and burials.

The service finished at 6pm and I made my way back home to Chiswick only to find out that my camera stopped working and decided to malfunction only 2 days into my 6 week trip which was frustrating.

Apart from my camera having a technical meltdown, London felt like a second home to me.

Thats a wrap for another day as I look forward to the following day for another adventure and a new camera!

Big Ben and Houses of Parliament

Free Royal Tour
Everyday at 11am near the Churchill Statue of Parliament square
http://www.freetoursoflondon.com/free-royal-tour/

Jen xoxo