London (Day 2)

 Day two in London was no day of rest either.  Plus, it was New Year's Eve and I had no official plans...yet.  On this day, I got to see St. Paul's Cathedral, The Globe Theater, Burrough Market, HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge, enjoy an Afternoon Tea, and spend NYE partying at a club in Islington.  B was amazing at navigating the Tube.  We zipped all over London with ease.

First stop of the day was St. Paul's Cathedral.

St. Paul's Cathedral, done in the English Baroque style, looks pretty normal outside but has a lot going on inside.  You have to pay to get in and there are audio guides included.  There is also a crypt and you can walk over a thousand steps to get to the top of the dome.  I had no idea there were so many steps and I was going cross eyed by the time we got to the top.  But seeing the view of London at the top of the dome was nice.

Next I wanted to see Shakespeare's Globe Theater.

The Globe Theater is south of St. Paul's Cathedral near the Tower Bridge. I'm not really a theater person, but you can't deny how great his written plays are.  Having studied an entire semester of Shakespeare's works, I had to see the Globe Theater which today (because of multiple fires), is a replica of what the stage would look like in Shakespeare's time.  Back in the day, plays used to be illegal and definitely not a place where women were allowed. If you head to The Globe, make sure to check out the nearby Borough Market which is full of local food stuffs.

Also near this area is the HMS Belfast, which B wanted to see.  The HMS Belfast was a Royal Navy warship that had a long history in WWII.  It is now a museum that floats on the River Thames.  We didn't go inside the museum, though this is obviously an option.

Source

Right next to the HMS Beslfast is the Tower Bridge.  You can literally see it in the same picture above.  It can be a very pretty sight, especially when illuminated at night and it leads to the Tower of London.

For my last day in London, I wanted to make sure I experienced an "Afternoon Tea."  I found one near the Tower Bridge that wasn't super expensive.  You get a layer of scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam which is delicious, a layer of finger sandwiches, and a layer of sweets along with your choice of tea.  The price wasn't bad at 18 GBP (some can be very expensive).  I loved it!

If you'd like to try an Afternoon Tea at the Quarter Bar and Lounge, head to:

London Bridge Hotel, 

8-18 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG, United Kingdom

+44 20 7855 2200

We made some last minute plans to spend New Year's Eve at a crazy night club in Islington called Passing Clouds.  It was one of the strangest clubs I've ever been to but  a lot of fun.  I'd describe it as a reggae space odyssey night club.  We met up with some of my college besties that we hadn't seen since our wedding (over a year ago) to ring in the New Year.  It was a fabulous night.

 

Stay tuned for my last day in England where I took a day trip to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath, England, to see the Roman Baths.

For today's itinerary in London I rated as follows:

Next Stop: Windsor Castle
(If you missed Day 1 you can click here)

Linking up at:

Serenity Now

The Table Scaper (Oh the Places I've Been!)

French Country Cottage

Travel Photo Discovery

Twigg Studios

Dwellings

Mel's Daisy Patch

Coastal Charm

The Dedicated House (Make it Pretty Monday)

A Stroll Thru Life

Knick of Time

Kathe With An E

Do Tell Tuesday

We Call it Junkin'

Tuesdays with a Twist

Wordless Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style

Ivy and Elephants

Lavender Garden Cottage

The Brambleberry Cottage

From My Front Porch To Yours

Budget Traveler's Sandbox

Rooted in Thyme

Common Ground

Finding Fabulous