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  • TravelerCornwall & London in Spring
    1
    22
    Day 16

    Big Ben: Up Close & Personal 🔔

    May 12 in England ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today we had the absolute thrill of climbing all 334 steps inside the iconic Elizabeth Tower—an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Standing in the bell chamber as Big Ben struck
    1 PM was nothing short of magical; the deep, resonant chime echoing through the tower was both powerful and humbling. To be so close to such a world-famous symbol of London history, feeling its vibrations in real time, filled me with awe and joy. This wasn’t just a tour—it was a moment of pure exhilaration, etched forever in memory.

    Betcha didn’t know:

    Big Ben isn’t the tower – Most people call the whole structure Big Ben, but technically, Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell, not the clock or the tower. The tower itself was originally called the Clock Tower and was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

    Big Ben cracked almost immediately – The Great Bell first chimed in 1859, but cracked just two months later. Rather than replace it, they simply rotated the bell slightly and used a lighter hammer, which is why Big Ben has its distinctive tone today.

    The clock is famously accurate – Its timekeeping is regulated by old British pennies placed on the pendulum. Adding or removing a coin can adjust the clock’s timing by 0.4 seconds per day.

    The clock faces are enormous – Each dial is 7 meters (23 feet) in diameter, and the minute hands are over 4 meters (14 feet) long—about the length of a London double-decker bus!

    I absolutely loved this experience, honestly one of the best experiences of MY LIFE! Therefore this entire blog is dedicated to The beautiful ELIZABETH TOWER & bold BIG BEN ❤️🤍💙🇬🇧

    (PS: No photos allowed on Tour so I found some representative from the web 🙃)    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    Day 124

    London

    May 7 in England ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Our adventure in London began with a ride on one of the water taxis that goes up and down the Thames river. As our ship is anchored in the Thames, it was easier to travel into London on the water.

    The started our wandering at Westminster, where the Palace of Westminster, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and Westminster Cathedral are located. The gothic architecture is fantastic. Due to the 80th VE Day ceremonies and celebrations, we weren't allowed inside any of them, but there was plenty to see outside. There is so much history here!

    After wandering and gawking for a few hours, we crossed the bridge to the other side of the Thames and continued our wandering. I think we could walk around London for a week and still not see all there is to see.

    We were both a bit hungry and a lot thirsty, so it was a perfect opportunity to duck into a neighborhood pub for a pint and a good old fashioned English meat pie.

    The Tower of London was the next place on our list of "must see". We hopped back on a water taxi to get there. The Tower of London has served as a royal palace, fortress, prison, and a place of execution throughout history. It is also home to the Crown Jewels and the Yeoman Warders, known as the "Beefeaters". We had a tour of the Tower property, led by one of the Beefeaters, who was full of information and also a great storyteller.

    As the Tower of London closed for the day, we headed back to our ship to get some much needed rest after a fabulous day of exploration.

    Cheers!    Read more

  • TravelerWorld Cruise
    11112
    Day 122

    Greenwich

    May 5 in England ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Our wonderful Viking Sky is anchored on the Thames river, right next to Greenwich. It is a town steeped in history

    The modern history of Royal Greenwich started almost a thousand years ago in 1012, when the Vikings murdered Alfege, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in Greenwich. The site is marked by St Alfege Church. Today, old crypts and gravestones are crowded around the still active church.

    Greenwich was also a favored residence for Tudor monarchs for over 200 years. It is the birthplace of Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.

    The growth of Royal Greenwich as a naval, military, and industrial center began with Henry VIII. The area's proximity to the Thames River made it an important naval center. The Royal Hospital, later the Royal Naval College, was built on the site of the former Tudor palace.

    The Royal Observatory Greenwich, founded in 1676, played a pivotal role in establishing the Prime Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time, which became the standard for global time zones.

    The Royal Naval College is now home to several museums and the University of Greenwich.

    We wandered the city, stopped by a pub for a pint, and then returned to the ship for our last night with many of our new friends, who will leave early tomorrow. Around 600 of the passengers will disembark in London. Our remaining six weeks will not be the same without them!!    Read more

  • France/England 2025
    1
    Day 7–8

    London (Leg 1)

    April 30 in England ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Our first leg of the trip in England was in London. London was so warm! We went to Kensington gardens and Kensington Palace. There were so many cute swans and birds, and Diana's gardens were especially pretty. We then rented a bike and biked to Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park. We made our way through St James Park and got ice cream! Then we walked back to Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, where we went to visit the M&M store (home of the Maggie-Mae) the night before. There was a protest for May Day happening in Trafalgar Square where we saw a marching band playing which was very fun! On our way to the train station, we crossed the water and saw Big Ben and the London Eye.Read more

  • France/England 2025
    1
    Day 7

    The Phantom of the Opera

    April 30 in England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The Phantom of the Opera was spectacular, and a great way to spend our first night in England. The music, the set pieces, the venue, it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It's Maggie's favorite show, and I can see why. We also got some British Fish and Chips beforehand, and went around Carnaby Street, Trafalgar Square, and the Canada Hosue after the show.Read more

  • 3 Friends Totally London
    22
    Day 1

    Les incontournables de Londres

    April 28 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Après une arrivée tardive dans la capitale anglaise (merci Eurostar pour les retards répétés), nous voici partis pour nos premières visites.
    Nous avons rejoint Buckingham Palace via Hyde Park avant de traverser St James Park jusqu'à Big Ben, Westminster Abbey et House of Parliament.
    Le temps est de notre côté. Un grand soleil, le ciel bleu et une température idéale nous accompagnent tout du long.
    Une récupération de bagages et un court repos dans notre logement s'impose avant de ressortir ce soir.    Read more

    See translation
  • UK 2025
    3
    Day 3

    London Day 2

    April 20 in England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Heute wollten wir eigentlich zur Oster Prozession in die Westminster Abby gehen. Leider gab es eine Warteschlange um den ganzen Block. Also haben wir kurzer Hand die Pläne umgeschmissen und sind auf ein Uber Boot gehopst und zum London Tower geschippert. Von dort ging es dann in den Hyde Park auf einen ganz wunderbaren Spielplatz und beendet haben wir den Tag mit einer Ostereiersuche organisiert von der wunderbaren Christine🥰Read more

    See translation
  • TravelerCornwall & London in Spring
    1111
    Day 20

    To Market, To Market…

    May 16 in England ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    So, I got up early to head to the Borough Market and discovered it didn’t open until 10 am. When it did open, it was like people fell from the sky! They were everywhere! It wasn’t as big as I thought but plenty of delicious stands to wander through. Just for the record, the prices are hefty and high and the lines are long for the TikTok-able foods like the giant pulled pork sandwiches, oysters and choc coated strawberries. I personally enjoyed mushroom risotto and Apple crumble smothered in custard. 😋

    From there I walked across London Bridge to the Monument that commemorates the fire of London in 1966. I climbed the 377 steps to witness fantastic views of Tower Bridge and the Shard. Monument is 61 meters tall: the exact distance from where the fire started in Pudding Lane. Continued a leisurely stroll through the streets of London, past St Paul’s Cathedral, relaxed in Inner Temple Gardens and onto Covent Garden.

    Well, the trip is coming to an end. If confirmed, we start the long journey back home at 9pm 🕘 tomorrow night!    Read more

  • TravelerCornwall & London in Spring
    2
    Day 19

    Secret Food & Showtunes 🎭 in Soho

    May 15 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Enjoyed the Secret Food tour equivalent of our SFT Tour in Melbourne… It was great. There are actually five different tours to choose from here in London & we did the one in Soho. We visited places where you got to sample lots of delicious foods including Arancini with black truffles, Beef Rendang (a little too spicy 🌶️ for me!), London Dry Gin, Chinese Bao, cheese croquettes and more. The best part was the guide, Gary’s knowledge of the area…particularly the bohemian past which was very interesting.

    In 1963, the Rolling Stones recorded their first single, “Come On,” at Regent Sound Studios on Denmark Street. The band also played early gigs at Soho clubs, including the Marquee Club on Wardour Street, which became a launchpad for many major rock acts. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were immersed in Soho’s gritty energy, which influenced their raw blues-rock sound.

    Though Amy Winehouse was famously linked with Camden, she frequented Soho’s jazz clubs like Ronnie Scott’s—a legendary venue that shaped her musical style. She performed there and soaked up the history of Soho’s jazz scene. Her music carried the essence of vintage Soho: smoky, soulful, and a little bit wild.

    While mostly associated with Abbey Road and Liverpool, The Beatles also frequented Soho. They played early gigs at the Marquee Club and hung out in Denmark Street. Paul McCartney has spoken about the importance of Tin Pan Alley to the early days of their career, where songwriters and music publishers were buzzing.

    Afterwards, we went out to the unique but very loud “Room where it happens” in SoHo. Essentially it is a bar where the waiters and servers burst into song and the piano 🎹 continues to play constantly with showtunes. In the right frame of mine it would’ve been fantastic, but we met one of Marks friends and it was probably more of a distraction than an interaction at that stage!

    It had turned freezing 🥶 today so beanies & coats were the order of the day too!    Read more

  • TravelerCornwall & London in Spring
    11
    Day 19

    Pumpkin Style Coach

    May 15 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    The weather 🌦️ has made a full 360 degree turnaround today. A chilly 🥶 wind, grey and cloudy ☁️ skies. Much like my mood, to be honest. Feeling a bit ‘flatsy-doll’ today. But, that’s just me sometimes, even on holiday. Still, took ourselves off to see the coaches at the Royal Mews behind Buckingham Palace.
    Kimmie would have been impressed! 😉The opulent Gold State Coach was the most impressive and it was great to see the Glass Coach up so close, having seen it used on so many spectacular ceremonies and special occasions.

    To top off this Royal Romp I took myself off to the National Gallery and literally whizzed past everything & everyone just to see the brand new official Coronation Portraits. Displayed here until being permanently relocated to the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace    Read more

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