Day Fourteen (Wednesday)
Our first night in a hotel – I slept like a baby but was up before 6 am. These last days are without any real agendas. I can’t believe that we have been gone for so long. Over the decades, you get used to the week-long vacations. And this trip has been like three vacations in one. We spent the first two weeks in areas that we hadn’t been to before, so a lot of exploration was going on. Emotionally, we didn’t know what to expect or what we would see. No guarantees that we would enjoy the day. But, with every step and turn, the day was just as exciting and grand as the previous day. Now we are back in a town that we have been to a dozen times over the past 30 years. So with the views, we can relate to our history. And so, with that in mind, the goal of our final days here is just to wind down and enjoy London.
So with that in mind, we are off to one of our favorite places in the world, Westminster Abby. We both have been there at least a half-dozen times. But every time, it is the same; awe-inspiring of the history and just the size. Normally we would spend around an hour going through the past. However, today it was almost two in half hours because, in 2018, they had opened up a new section, and we had never been. So why didn’t we see that area in 2019 when we were there? But we had a sizable group, the queue to get in was very long, and we had a lot going on (Shannon’s graduation from Royal Holloway). So today, Katy and I got to enjoy the new section. If you are in the Abby, pay the extra 5 pounds to view the new section.
Like the other days, today was no clouds and around 62 degrees; Just gorgeous. So from the Abby, we strolled through St. James park towards the Palace. We were just taking in the people and “wild” life. Lots of birds and squirrels – maybe too many. We got to watch them set up for the Queen’s Baton Relay for Thursday. Our walk continued to the Covent Garden area, where we found a pub for a late lunch, and Katy got her macrons. In total, it was a 4.6-mile “hike.” From there, we headed back to the hotel to chill and get ready for the evening.
I’ve been wanting to dine at St. John’s for years but never could get a reservation, or the timing wasn’t there. So I did reserve a table for two before we left Indiana. St. John’s was fantastic, but it’s not your typical restaurant. I say that not scare you off, but just to let you know if you are going there for something that you’ll find and every other restaurant, you will not. But if you like to experience new things, this is the place for you. Everything there is first class but very welcoming to all.
We meet up with Mic, a Royal Holloway friend of Shannon’s, to cap off the wonderful day.
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