The first day was difficult and we didn't accomplish much due to jet lag. I hardly remember Thursday but on Friday, we did much better. We spent the morning at the Tower of London and enjoyed the ravens, torture and diamonds. The history of it all is overwhelming and my favorite part was learning that the Queen's quarters, Henry VIII's wedding gift to Anne Boleyn, are still in domestic use by the Tower's Constable.

After a lovely walk down the River Thames, we visited St. Paul's. And then rushed over to the British Museum. By this time, we were both exhausted and after a very dissatisfying meal, I was beginning to get dizzy. Even the clock exhibit couldn't keep Andy awake. We're going to try and revisit the British Museum on our last day.

We fared better today and I think it's mostly because we've defeated our jet lag. We went to Westminster Abbey early in the morning and took the docent tour. It was certainly worth it as we gained access to King Edward the Confessor's tomb among other monarchs, including Henry V, one of my personal favorites (probably due to Kenneth Branagh). We also used the audio tour for the cloisters and that was absolutely worth it because the narrator was Jeremy Irons.

After the Abbey, we visited Buckingham Palace and walked down Pall Mall to the National Gallery. The National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square, which was also the rallying point for a huge protest today. It was a pro Palestinian march protesting Israel's actions of the last few days. It was a very large protest and I question if such a large protest of Israel could happen in the US. More than anything, it revealed the diversity of London in ways I would have otherwise missed. With the exception of New York, I can't say I've ever been to such a global city.

We did make it through the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. I think the protest must have scared some of the crowds away because both galleries were quite empty. I had been looking forward to seeing da Vinci's Madonna of the Rocks but it was removed for conservation work. In its place was the Virgin and Child with St. Anne and John the Baptist. This was pleasant surprise and the knockout of the evening.

London has been cold and damp, the kind of chill that gets into your lungs and into your bones. It's fantastic! It's perfect weather for enjoying a pint of beer from a casket in some fine establishment with mahogany finishes and Victorian wall paper. Andy and I soon discovered though, that many of the pubs belong to a chain. We did discover an excellent wine bar called Gordon's Wine Bar, the oldest wine bar in London.

So far, we've been having a marvelous time and Andy has been surprisingly impressed with London. The cost is certainly high but it isn't nearly the shock that we had been warned about. I think that living in San Francisco forces you to adjust your expectations of what the price for food and drinks should be.

We'll be leaving for Paris tomorrow at 10:30 tomorrow morning so au revoir for now.