Day 3 London

For as many times as I've been to London, it's hard to believe that I never went to the Britannia (YSA ward), especially because where else am I going to meet my British husband? :) And we didn't plan on hitting the Britannia ward this time either, but with a silly little thing called jetlag we ended sleeping through the family ward so the Britannia ward was the only option. Can I just say how much I miss seeing well dressed men on a daily basis? I miss the plaids, checks, and strips together, cufflinks and great shoes, but mostly I miss seeing guys wearing purple and pink and them NOT being gay. One of my favorite study abroad past times may have been to purposely choose certain tube lines so I could watch all the men either going or coming home from work.

Because we missed the morning church, we had a little time to kill before church and we spent it at the Victoria and Albert Museum as no trip would be complete without a trip to my favorite museum ever! I've even blogged about my love for the V&A here.



Walking around London you're still able to see damage caused by the German Blitz during the the end of 1940 and the beginning of 1941. In fact one of my favorite pictures of ALL time is St. Paul's covered in smoke, but still standing.


Not only does the V&A house a great collection, it's a stunningly beautiful building.


The rest of the day was spent enjoying some of my favorite places--Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and the Mall, Regents Park, and we topped of the night with London highlights bus ride.

Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Hyde Park
The Serpentine, Hyde Park
(created in 1730 for Queen Caroline, wife of George II)

In fact the Serpentine one of the few places I've had a picture taken all four times I've been to London.

The Serpentine

2003

2004 (Don't you love the pink sunglasses)

2005

2010

Hyde Parks lawn chairs. You have to pay to use them. And yes, I may have taken a picture in them while the attendant wasn't looking. :)

I love the variety of what you find at Speaker's Corner

Hyde Park
Isn't this a great tree?
Kensington Gardens-Peter Pan Statue

Kensington Palace
Kensington Gardens

Kensington Garden
The Elfin Oak (a 900 year old stump carved with all sorts of "little people")


One of the very first pictures I took in London during my study abroad in 2003 was of this clock tower in Kensington Garden. It's face (with the saying "time flies") reminds us that time really does fly.


The BYU Centre


I'd LOVE to in one of these flats.



Trafalgar Square

Admiralty Arch


Pall Mall decorated for the queens birthday.
We may have seen PRINCE WILLIAM on our way to Buckingham...too bad he's engaged.

London Icons

Telephone Boxes


"Look Right" and "Look Both Ways"
to remind foreigners which way traffic is coming.

"Mind the Gap" probably the only phrase I can pull off with a reasonable British accent.

And my favorite London Icon of all--Parliament and Big Ben (the clock) I could spend my days (and evenings) listening to the melodic sounds of the Thames and the chime of Big Ben.

And if all works out right, this is where I'll be next year--the London Olympics.