Ray and Traci decided to travel to Europe for their very first time. Because of the historical ties with the US and predominance of the English language in the UK, they chose London as the primary destination for this initial European adventure.
British Air flies two non-stops daily to London from Seattle making choice of airline easy. With the current economic crisis, economy class tickets were available as low as $178+taxes each way! Ray and Traci took the 747 flight (the second daily flight is a 777) and had a pleasant 8 hour 40 minute journey, leaving Seattle at dinnertime and arriving in London at lunchtime (London is 8 hours ahead of Seattle). The airline served a fair chicken teriyaki & rice dinner for Traci and a Beef & Potato dinner for Ray. The highlight of the journey was the “On Demand” AV system with a rich selection of both new and old movies / TV shows available for free!
After arriving at Heathrow, clearing passport control and customs was quite fast as overall traffic at the airport during mid-day seemed light. Ray and Traci used an American credit card to get Heathrow Express tickets (16 pounds each, 1 pound = 1.43 American dollars at the time of this trip) and hopped on a very fast train which travelled nonstop from the airport to central London’s Paddington train station in 20 minutes. After arriving at the station, Ray and Traci got into the taxi “queue” – in London, places where people line up and wait are called queues. Fortunately, there was little wait and their taxi driver took them to the May Fair Hotel near Buckingham Palace. Their taxi driver was a wealth of information: unlike most American cities, taxi drivers in London are extensively tested before getting a taxi permit. Also taxis are relatively cheap when you consider the $8/gallon “petro” prices and high London car taxes. Our driver disappointed Ray and Traci by telling them they missed Michelle Obama’s motorcade by 10 minutes (The Obamas, like most of the G20 World Leaders were meeting in London during this time). After a 15 minute, 8.8 pound taxi ride, Ray and Traci found their new home at the May Fair Hotel. Their hotel room was quite modern – the size was quite good, larger than you would expect in New York. The May Fair obviously expects many foreign travelers as dual 110V and 220V American/European outlets were available at the computer desk and the bathroom. London is notorious for high priced hotels, but with the bad world wide economy and the weak pound, internet 50% off (or more) deals were widely available! The marble bathroom was the nicest seen since their stay at the Tokyo Westin years ago. Two interesting British factoids about many London Hotels – 1) “Lifts” (elevators) number floors 0 for lobby, -1 for basement, -2 for subbasement, etc. and 2) Signs state “Way Out” not Exit.
After unpacking, Ray and Traci started their London adventure by buying an “Oyster Card” 28 pounds each (which permit riders to travel unlimited thru two zones of London by subway or bus, basically downtown, for one week). Next, the subway at Green Park Station (2 blocks from the hotel) took them one stop to Piccadilly Circus. They walked to the National Portrait Gallery to look at many pictures of famous Brits, although neither traveler could identify most of the people. They did recognize Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek Next Generation fame) and Judi Dench (M from James Bond movies). From the Portrait Gallery, Ray and Traci went to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery (of Art).
British Air flies two non-stops daily to London from Seattle making choice of airline easy. With the current economic crisis, economy class tickets were available as low as $178+taxes each way! Ray and Traci took the 747 flight (the second daily flight is a 777) and had a pleasant 8 hour 40 minute journey, leaving Seattle at dinnertime and arriving in London at lunchtime (London is 8 hours ahead of Seattle). The airline served a fair chicken teriyaki & rice dinner for Traci and a Beef & Potato dinner for Ray. The highlight of the journey was the “On Demand” AV system with a rich selection of both new and old movies / TV shows available for free!
After arriving at Heathrow, clearing passport control and customs was quite fast as overall traffic at the airport during mid-day seemed light. Ray and Traci used an American credit card to get Heathrow Express tickets (16 pounds each, 1 pound = 1.43 American dollars at the time of this trip) and hopped on a very fast train which travelled nonstop from the airport to central London’s Paddington train station in 20 minutes. After arriving at the station, Ray and Traci got into the taxi “queue” – in London, places where people line up and wait are called queues. Fortunately, there was little wait and their taxi driver took them to the May Fair Hotel near Buckingham Palace. Their taxi driver was a wealth of information: unlike most American cities, taxi drivers in London are extensively tested before getting a taxi permit. Also taxis are relatively cheap when you consider the $8/gallon “petro” prices and high London car taxes. Our driver disappointed Ray and Traci by telling them they missed Michelle Obama’s motorcade by 10 minutes (The Obamas, like most of the G20 World Leaders were meeting in London during this time). After a 15 minute, 8.8 pound taxi ride, Ray and Traci found their new home at the May Fair Hotel. Their hotel room was quite modern – the size was quite good, larger than you would expect in New York. The May Fair obviously expects many foreign travelers as dual 110V and 220V American/European outlets were available at the computer desk and the bathroom. London is notorious for high priced hotels, but with the bad world wide economy and the weak pound, internet 50% off (or more) deals were widely available! The marble bathroom was the nicest seen since their stay at the Tokyo Westin years ago. Two interesting British factoids about many London Hotels – 1) “Lifts” (elevators) number floors 0 for lobby, -1 for basement, -2 for subbasement, etc. and 2) Signs state “Way Out” not Exit.
After unpacking, Ray and Traci started their London adventure by buying an “Oyster Card” 28 pounds each (which permit riders to travel unlimited thru two zones of London by subway or bus, basically downtown, for one week). Next, the subway at Green Park Station (2 blocks from the hotel) took them one stop to Piccadilly Circus. They walked to the National Portrait Gallery to look at many pictures of famous Brits, although neither traveler could identify most of the people. They did recognize Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek Next Generation fame) and Judi Dench (M from James Bond movies). From the Portrait Gallery, Ray and Traci went to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery (of Art).
Trafalgar square is a most interesting place – full of people, some street performers entertaining audiences. Artists doing amazing works in chalk decorated the pavement. Ray and Traci entered the National Gallery to admire many works of art from the usual suspects (Picasso, Monet, Da Vinci, etc). The Portrait Museum and National Gallery are similar to America’s Smithsonians in that they are free to get in. After this cultural experience, Ray and Traci had dinner at the nearby Bella Italia – a very busy café with very rapid service. Ray had a spaghetti meal while Traci enjoyed linguini, total price about 20 pounds. From Piccadilly Circus Subway Station, Ray and Traci took the “Tube” (locals call their subway the “Tube”) to the Waterloo station and the rapidly tiring travelers rode the London Eye – a giant Ferris wheel on the Thames River near Parliament and Big Ben.
London doesn’t have a very distinctive skyline by New York, Chicago, or even Seattle standards, but you get a nice view of the river and a perspective of this city is at the top of the London Eye. You also get a great picture with Big Ben 
– by the way, Big Ben is not the name of the clock or the tower next to the parliament building, it is the name of the bell underneath the clock. Thoroughly exhausted, Ray and Traci retired to the May Fair for the evening.
On the second day, Ray and Traci started by taking a Tourist Bus Ride around downtown London. Their tour guide was quite entertaining and the bus driver was quite skilled but the close maneuvering around obstacles and traffic was unsettling. Ray and Traci got off the tour bus 3/4s way thru the entire 2 hour course at the London Tower. From the London Tower, the sightseeing continued on a ferry boat ride up the river to Westminster Abbey. With the assistance of a knowledgeable and witty tour guide, passengers were entertained and educated about London’s waterfront areas. Ray and Traci exited the Ferry and entered Westminster Abbey, the site of Princess Diana’s Funeral. Visitors to this church are immediately overwhelmed by the 600 year old building – Seattle couldn’t even build a domed sports stadium lasting more than 30 years! While Westminster Abbey lacks some of the glitz of New York’s St. Patrick Cathedral, the overwhelming size and age of the church is awe inspiring. For an offering of 12 pounds, visitors can tour one of the world’s oldest churches and learn about British History during the self guided audio tour. Located in crypts and coffins inside the church are famous bodies from British history – giving the two travelers the creeps. From Westminster Abbey, Ray and Traci walked back to their hotel picking up sandwiches for a very late lunch (Ray had a BLT (price about 3 pounds) from the ubiquitous Pret sandwich store and Traci had a less expensive Tuna sandwich from Sainsbury, a Rite-aid sized combination grocery/drug store located right across the street from their hotel. After a brief rest, Ray and Traci headed to Chinatown to meet Traci’s cousin, aunt & uncle for dinner. Loon Tao was the chosen restaurant at the heart of Chinatown – a meal of Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Prawns and Cashew Nuts, Fried Squid, Fried Rice, Tofu and Broccoli pleased all, but Traci felt it was a bit bland. The entire meal cost about 57 pounds – in London many restaurants add an automatic 10% tip, others hope to get a tip but not as large as American restaurants expect. Tragedy struck the group as they tried to take a photo only to discover Ray’s camera was stolen by the diners next to them who mysteriously disappeared before ordering anything. While the Sony camera was 3 years old, lacked necessary hardware to even charge it, and had little value even on Ebay, the day’s photos were lost to these criminals. Pickpocketing is common in Europe and often they steal things with modest monetary value but cause high frustration to the victims. Crime victims Ray and Traci returned to their hotel without the day’s photos.
The third day, started out with typical London drizzle although like the previous two days, sunshine dominated most of the day. Ray started out with a run around London’s Hyde Park, similar (but 3x larger and much better according to their London cab driver) to New York’s Central park. Ray and Traci then took the tube to London’s Electric City (Tottenham Station) to buy a new Sony T series camera. Although even the Sony Store had very little inventory of the latest version ultrathin camera, Ray did find a local camera chain had the model he wanted.
Happy to be photographers again, Ray and Traci travelled to St. Paul’s Cathedral – one of the most amazing buildings on earth. The current St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in the early 1700s, being the 4th or 5th church on the site – the first one was built around 606 AD. After making a customary 11 pound each offering, visitors are immediately overwhelmed by the size of the Cathedral, the site of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding. While not as prominent as in Westminster Abbey, coffins and memorials to former heroes are found at the church margins and in the basement. One of the treats to the St. Paul’s experience is the ability to climb hundreds of steps to the top of the dome – the highest level was closed for maintenance but the second highest level offered a great view of London. Ray and Traci then had a take out lunch (10 pounds) consisting of salads and drinks from a store called Marks & Spencer, across from St. Paul. Like many other visitors, Ray and Traci enjoyed lunch on the steps of the cathedral. From St. Paul’s, Ray and Traci walked across the Millenium Bridge to the Tate Modern Museum (free admission). Like the MOMA (Museum Of Modern Art) in New York, the Tate caters to those who believe that art is to be experienced, not judged. The exhibits included a clone of the MOMA’s plexiglass encased vacuum cleaner, a hanging wire with used soap bars impaled in it, and a windmill that appeared stolen from a local miniature golf course with the inscription “Moulin Rouge” on it. After this “experience”, Ray and Traci headed to Covent Garden Market – combination street fair and permanent outdoor market with all types of foods and goods available. Ray and Traci shared a waffle, which was somewhat disappointing compared to the ones they had in Japan. 
London doesn’t have a very distinctive skyline by New York, Chicago, or even Seattle standards, but you get a nice view of the river and a perspective of this city is at the top of the London Eye. You also get a great picture with Big Ben 
– by the way, Big Ben is not the name of the clock or the tower next to the parliament building, it is the name of the bell underneath the clock. Thoroughly exhausted, Ray and Traci retired to the May Fair for the evening.On the second day, Ray and Traci started by taking a Tourist Bus Ride around downtown London. Their tour guide was quite entertaining and the bus driver was quite skilled but the close maneuvering around obstacles and traffic was unsettling. Ray and Traci got off the tour bus 3/4s way thru the entire 2 hour course at the London Tower. From the London Tower, the sightseeing continued on a ferry boat ride up the river to Westminster Abbey. With the assistance of a knowledgeable and witty tour guide, passengers were entertained and educated about London’s waterfront areas. Ray and Traci exited the Ferry and entered Westminster Abbey, the site of Princess Diana’s Funeral. Visitors to this church are immediately overwhelmed by the 600 year old building – Seattle couldn’t even build a domed sports stadium lasting more than 30 years! While Westminster Abbey lacks some of the glitz of New York’s St. Patrick Cathedral, the overwhelming size and age of the church is awe inspiring. For an offering of 12 pounds, visitors can tour one of the world’s oldest churches and learn about British History during the self guided audio tour. Located in crypts and coffins inside the church are famous bodies from British history – giving the two travelers the creeps. From Westminster Abbey, Ray and Traci walked back to their hotel picking up sandwiches for a very late lunch (Ray had a BLT (price about 3 pounds) from the ubiquitous Pret sandwich store and Traci had a less expensive Tuna sandwich from Sainsbury, a Rite-aid sized combination grocery/drug store located right across the street from their hotel. After a brief rest, Ray and Traci headed to Chinatown to meet Traci’s cousin, aunt & uncle for dinner. Loon Tao was the chosen restaurant at the heart of Chinatown – a meal of Sweet and Sour Pork, Fried Prawns and Cashew Nuts, Fried Squid, Fried Rice, Tofu and Broccoli pleased all, but Traci felt it was a bit bland. The entire meal cost about 57 pounds – in London many restaurants add an automatic 10% tip, others hope to get a tip but not as large as American restaurants expect. Tragedy struck the group as they tried to take a photo only to discover Ray’s camera was stolen by the diners next to them who mysteriously disappeared before ordering anything. While the Sony camera was 3 years old, lacked necessary hardware to even charge it, and had little value even on Ebay, the day’s photos were lost to these criminals. Pickpocketing is common in Europe and often they steal things with modest monetary value but cause high frustration to the victims. Crime victims Ray and Traci returned to their hotel without the day’s photos.
The third day, started out with typical London drizzle although like the previous two days, sunshine dominated most of the day. Ray started out with a run around London’s Hyde Park, similar (but 3x larger and much better according to their London cab driver) to New York’s Central park. Ray and Traci then took the tube to London’s Electric City (Tottenham Station) to buy a new Sony T series camera. Although even the Sony Store had very little inventory of the latest version ultrathin camera, Ray did find a local camera chain had the model he wanted.
Happy to be photographers again, Ray and Traci travelled to St. Paul’s Cathedral – one of the most amazing buildings on earth. The current St. Paul’s Cathedral was built in the early 1700s, being the 4th or 5th church on the site – the first one was built around 606 AD. After making a customary 11 pound each offering, visitors are immediately overwhelmed by the size of the Cathedral, the site of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding. While not as prominent as in Westminster Abbey, coffins and memorials to former heroes are found at the church margins and in the basement. One of the treats to the St. Paul’s experience is the ability to climb hundreds of steps to the top of the dome – the highest level was closed for maintenance but the second highest level offered a great view of London. Ray and Traci then had a take out lunch (10 pounds) consisting of salads and drinks from a store called Marks & Spencer, across from St. Paul. Like many other visitors, Ray and Traci enjoyed lunch on the steps of the cathedral. From St. Paul’s, Ray and Traci walked across the Millenium Bridge to the Tate Modern Museum (free admission). Like the MOMA (Museum Of Modern Art) in New York, the Tate caters to those who believe that art is to be experienced, not judged. The exhibits included a clone of the MOMA’s plexiglass encased vacuum cleaner, a hanging wire with used soap bars impaled in it, and a windmill that appeared stolen from a local miniature golf course with the inscription “Moulin Rouge” on it. After this “experience”, Ray and Traci headed to Covent Garden Market – combination street fair and permanent outdoor market with all types of foods and goods available. Ray and Traci shared a waffle, which was somewhat disappointing compared to the ones they had in Japan. 
Covent Garden was full of music performers, notably a Chinese man playing the world’s first wind instrument the Sheng (from 1000 BC). After a break back at the hotel, Ray and Traci traveled to Traci’s cousin’s “flat” where they met up with more family and had a nice dinner for 6 at Marechiaro, a pizza/Italian food restaurant. A feast (70 pounds) consisting of pizzas, pasta dishes, and salads was satisfying.
A few notes about London – you have to be very careful when crossing traffic where Walk/Don’t Walk signals are not visible. Cars do not stop for pedestrians except at very rare crosswalks marked with large yellow light domes on top of poles. You also must remember that busses and trucks often squeeze thru narrow streets by encroaching on sidewalks. In an international city like London, money exchange places are everywhere – and you shouldn’t use any of them – they charge huge 10-20% fees! The best exchange is using your credit cards for significant purchases and obtaining cash from ATMs (It seems most American ATM cards from major banks will work in Europe). London appears to be a very international city – crowded, with people of all races speaking all sorts of languages. Being a center for commerce, you see people much more dressed up than in cities such as Seattle. At busy subway stations such as Piccadilly Circus, many artists perform for the bustling crowds as in New York. While in NYC, subway riders often see fancy dancing routines with gymnastic tricks, most of the London performers stick to music. Talented violinists performing classical music are found along with guitar hero “musicians” that should stick to the video game in the privacy of their own home.
A few notes about London – you have to be very careful when crossing traffic where Walk/Don’t Walk signals are not visible. Cars do not stop for pedestrians except at very rare crosswalks marked with large yellow light domes on top of poles. You also must remember that busses and trucks often squeeze thru narrow streets by encroaching on sidewalks. In an international city like London, money exchange places are everywhere – and you shouldn’t use any of them – they charge huge 10-20% fees! The best exchange is using your credit cards for significant purchases and obtaining cash from ATMs (It seems most American ATM cards from major banks will work in Europe). London appears to be a very international city – crowded, with people of all races speaking all sorts of languages. Being a center for commerce, you see people much more dressed up than in cities such as Seattle. At busy subway stations such as Piccadilly Circus, many artists perform for the bustling crowds as in New York. While in NYC, subway riders often see fancy dancing routines with gymnastic tricks, most of the London performers stick to music. Talented violinists performing classical music are found along with guitar hero “musicians” that should stick to the video game in the privacy of their own home.
On day 4, the weather continued to cooperate with clouds in the morning which parted somewhat in the afternoon. Ray and Traci started at Buckingham Palace, the home of Queen Elizabeth II. After passing an ornate gate, visitors are overwhelmed by the size of the Queens Home. Ray and Traci patiently waited on the recommended location atop the Victoria Memorial for an event that never happened. Sunday morning tourists were quite unhappy when the horses, guards and band that normally put on a majestic ceremony didn’t show up as scheduled. Fortunately their hotel was only a 10 minute walk from QEII’s home. Disappointed, Ray and Traci boarded a subway which due to construction didn’t complete its normal route. After a ferry ride (and a 30 minute wait), they finally arrived at their destination – The London Tower. 
Perhaps the most famous London tourist site, the tower actually lives up to its reputation. Once a monarch’s castle built 1078 AD, it served as a home, a prison for special inmates (kind of like a medieval Guantanamo Bay), and now a tourist delight. Visitors are guided by Beefeaters (even they are not sure where their name came from), and see areas of the castle where prisoners were housed, tortured and guillotined. The Brits seem to enjoy celebrating monarch Henry VIII for his “colorful” life, but after learning about his habit of beheading wives at the Tower, one has to wonder where the attraction for the 15th century “OJ” comes from. 
The Beefeaters, including their own cleric and doctor, live in houses around the wall. Tourists also get to see the Queen’s crown jewels in a vault in one of the buildings at the site. Getting to tour a castle built nearly a millennium ago is quite remarkable and well worth the 17 pound entry fee. After a 3 hour visit to the tower, Ray and Traci walked across the Tower Bridge and took an operating subway back to their hotel near Buckingham Palace. Ray and Traci decided to try some Japanese food in London, chose a place called Restaurant Toku near Piccadilly Circus. The restaurant boasts healthy & organic Japanese food – Ray had a beef teriyaki set and Traci had a pork katsu curry. Ray found the 25 pound meal quite bland but he was hungry and left satisfied. Both travelers turned in early with their whirlwind Paris adventure on deck. 