Tampa to London Gatwick, and Day 1, London

Tuesday, 23 April 2013, Tampa International Airport: What awaited to carry me to my new adventure.

Try as hard as I might, I could not sleep sitting up. Dozing was the best I could achieve, but by golly, the next morning I was in London! This is Ebury Street. My B&B (B&B Belgravia) is located on the left about halfway down the block.

First day in London: I checked into the B&B and decided straightaway to go sightseeing (to overcome that little thing called jetlag). Figuring it would be best to view London and get a feel for the layout of the city from the top of a double-decker touring bus, it was the best decision for my first full day there. Where's the rain and fog I'd heard so much about? This Florida girl got a sunburn after 2-1/2 hours!

 

Such a non-descript hotel, huh! But this is where Lady Gaga stays every time she comes to London. Sorry, don't ask me the name of it. I didn't take notes and I've slept since then.

This is Green Park. There are no flowers planted here. Anywhere. Hence, the name. You can see how Londoners enjoy their parks on those rare days the rays are shining.

 

 

 

The first excellent photo (of many) that I got of Big Ben. To be honest, Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the tower; it's not the name of the clock. But everyone calls the clock Big Ben. The tour guide had the bus driver slow down so all the tourists riding on top of the bus could snap away.

 

 

Various shots of Trafalgar Square. It's huge! The dome and photo just beneath it go together--it's the National Gallery, where I told the docent that a description was wrong on a Gainsborough painting. Anyway, the N.G. overlooks Trafalgar Square. All these photos were taken from the bus. I came back the next day to visit the N.G. and obtained some much better photos that I'll post later.

 

 

View of the London Eye, which I rode two days later, as we crossed Tower Bridge. (More shots to follow on Day 3.) I was surprised that it actually is over the Thames River. Who knew?

 

 

Fleet Street, London. The equivalent of Wall Street here in the States.

 

 

This is the Tower of London Bridge, or simply Tower Bridge, not to be confused with London Bridge, which the bus is setting on as we crossed the Thames and I took this photo. Someone asked me if the Olympic rings were still hanging from Tower Bridge. Uh, obviously not.

 

 

In my 2-1/2 hours on the bus I saw so much more, but at some point I just had to lay my camera down and take it all in. Besides, the places that were important to me? I came back and visited up close and personal. And took a second bus ride two days later.