Because time was short, we made the decision to do the tour bus. Not normally how we like to travel, we felt like we could see the most with a little organization in our day. That proved to be a great decision.
We had a nice breakfast to start the day and it was a good thing, we didn't even slow down for lunch!
Our morning started with a walking tour to see the changing of the guards. We actually got to see the old guard dismissed at St. James palace, followed the band to the barracks, then saw the new guard leave for Buckingham and followed them there. It was a great, almost 'behind the scenes' tour, but spanned more than a mile at a fairly brisk pace. I had told the guide that a couple of us mught lag behind at times, but she kept an eye on all the killer aunts for me. At one point she told me she couldn't find the "red one", referring to Tita and her red coat. Not to worry, she had lagged behind to get an up lose look at the handsome young guards. .... go figure.
We all made it to the palace with the group and enjoyed watching the crowds as much as looking at the palace. There were all sorts of people.... everywhere.
After the walking tour we boarded a bus for a 2.5 hour overview of London. The guide portion was not live, but instead taped and played through head phones. I think the other passengers on the bus got more than their money's worth, as they got the three sisters comedy show as well. Tita's headphone didn't work so she had to share with mom. ... one ear bud for each of them. They had a hard time remembering they were attached to one another, and spent a lot of time jerking each other around by the ears. Across the aisle Joyce was oblivious to the "attached at the ears" sisters, but provided her own entertainment for the crowd. She had many questions and comments about the tour, and forgetting that she had ear phones in, she asked them all really loudly. Often couldn't hear the answer, resulting in a loud, "huh?". There were smiles and giggles all around us. Have I mentioned I really love these women?
We saw Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Pauls church, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge and countless other historic spots in the course of that 2.5 hours. Afterwards, we walked through London tower, took a boat ride down the Thames and capped off the day with a walk from Parliament to Trafalgar so we could get better photos.
I was so proud of Aunt Joyce, who really didn't feel up to doing all that walking. She held her own quite well, even climbing the stairs at the tower to see the wall carvings of those held prisoner there.
We ended the day with a well deserved dinner at a local pub. What a great last day together.
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