So we have not updated our site as we have been having issues finding an internet cafe on route. The hotel charges £5 per 15 min- an hour would be around $40 Cdn .forget that. We found this place yesterday but the site was down. It won't let me download pictures so today is verbage.

The weather in London has not been the greatest - a little bit of sun, lots of overcast, windy and a spot of rain here and there - so much for all those summer clothes in my luggage

All of us have been having not the best of sleeps since we left on sunday but we manage to crawl out of bed each day and trudge on. We are staying at the Sheraton Park Lane across from Hyde Park, sounds impressive but not really, a quick walk across the park and we are at Buckingham Palace - hoped to have afternoon tea with Charles and Carmilla but they had to cancel - instead we got to see hundreds of on lookers for the last few minutes of the changing of the guards. Walking along the Palace wall there are lots of cameras every where - like big brother - a sense of security but no privacy, I guess there are lots of cameras throughout London.

Next we headed to Wellington Arch which was built in 1825 as part of the processional route into London. A bit disoriented on where we were and where we were going, we managed to get lost - another hour detour - like we needed the exercise - a few blisters as our feet got being broken in by our new shoes.

Back on track we arrived at Westminster Abbey. It was founded as a Benedictine monastary and has since evolved into a house of kings and queens both living and not. In 1065 St. Edward the Confessor was buried here, a year later William the Conqueror had his cornation here. We decided to not go inside for a tour at 15£ per person (or about $30 Cdn) we decided to splurge at the Vatican in Rome, besides, Gail and I had already had our fill of churches in Oxford.

Next, House of Parliament which sits between the Abbey and the River Thames. The house has been home to the House of Lords and House of Commons since the 11th century when Edward the Confessor established court. William the Conqueror added Westminster Hall in 1099, the rest of the Palace burned in 1834. Except for the hall, everything has been added in the 19th and 20th centuries. Big Ben was named after Benjamin Hall, former commissioner of works and is the 14 tonne bell that hangs in Victoria Tower which was erected in 1834 to celebrate teh emancipation of slaves in the British Empire.

Cross Westminster bridge to the British Airway's London Eye or the Millennium Wheel; at 430 feet it is the biggest observatory wheel in the world. Each revolution takes 30 minutes and cost £17 per person. Gail and I decided to give it a whirl while Michael stayed grounded and watched from below - it was really cool and offered amazing views of Parliament and the River Thames.

On our back to the Hotel we cruised through Covent Gardens, which silly me thought it was an actual garden, but is is a market with "stuff" mostly from China and a small quaint market with hand made wares. Next we passed through Trafalgar Square. In 1820 John Nash laid out the 1st plans for the square which took 50 years to take its current appearance. Nelson's column arrived in 1843 and the lions in 1867. The Square commemorates the victory over Napoleon's navy at Trafalgar.

For dinner we strolled to Piccadilly area and found "Tidbits" down a very narrow quaint street. Its a cool mediterrean restuarant where you fill your plate and pay by weight.

So lesson learned during all this walking in London, is how to cross the road without be run down. Look left, right, left right then either follow the locals or run like heck, only two cars actually stopped for us, the first one, we were in utter disbelief, we stared at him, he stared at us, neither not knowing what to do, we took our chance and ran across the road before he changed his mind.