Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
We took advantage of Craig having no patients for two days and headed to London to do the touristy things. After checking into our B&B we went for a walk and checked out Westminster abbey, which was so packed with tourists, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and then took a ride on the London eye. Then we brought a ticket for the Original Tour sightseeing hop on hop off bus to see the rest of the sights. We headed for Kensington palace to take a look around. We didn't go inside because we got there an it was closed, we meet a couple along the way who were so desperate to get in, she was running to try to make it on time then when there were tears when they wouldn't let her in, poor thing, it was only 5mins after closing time! The on and off again rain ended and the sun came out so we walked around Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park and saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, the Albert Memorial and Albert Hall. We decided to walk back to town via Buckingham palace and found the Aussie and NZ war memorials along the way. We joined the crowd hoping to get a glimpse of the Queen or a prince before dinner but surprisingly, no such luck! We met up with goose and Cherie for dinner then went to the pub for some football action.
The next day we were up early to finish our sightseeing, we were told Madame Tussards opened at 9:00, and got there just before to find a line had already started to form, turned out it didn't open until 10:00 but it was a good think we got there when we did because by the time the doors opened the que was about 10m long. We went through several rooms looking at all the models of the rich and famous we came to an area called Scream. Its designed to be a maximum security prison that crazy inmates have taken over. It's really dark and there are live actors in masks and chains and strait jackets who get really close to you and make snorting and snarling noises in your ear. Before we went in they told us the actors would get really close to you but not touch you. It was a bit much for me and I didn't really like it, didn't help that there were 2 French girls clutching at us and screaming the whole way through! After that there was a cool little ride where you hope is a black cab and it takes you through the history of London.
After a little more commentary on the bus around London we took a ferry trip down the Thames to the Tower of London and walked across the Tower Bridge and went to find the London Dungeon attraction. The London Dungeon has live actors, rides, shows and special effects to tell you the dark side of London's history. To start with I was really worried it was going to be like the scream section of Madame Tussards but luckily it wasn't. It was full of actors dressed in costume to take you ona tour of historic events, first we were told all about the plague then taken into the labyrinth room where we walked round and round in circles for a while before being taken into a room where we learn about grave robbing and surgery and lucky Craig got to sit in the chair while the 'doctor' demonstrated on him, then the lights went out and we were sprayed with 'fake blood' (water) and I wasn't sure when he was coming back. We were shown all the best torture tools, put on trial and went on a boat ride to hell for traitors. We walk through scenes of the story of jack the ripper, Sweeney Todd and the great London fire. Finally we were taken to plead guilty (or not) and then hung (on the extremis drop ride to doom). It was a really good mix of scary, funny and entertaining.
After the London Dungeon we went to the Tower of London and explored for an hour or so then on our way to the train station we took a detour via St Pauls Cathedral.
- comments