London Trip Report
 

Thank you all who helped out directly by answering my questions prior to our trip, and those of you who I learned equally as much from in your trip reports or posts in doing research for our trip to London. I just spent hours creating a blog for the purpose of having my family have a record of our journeys together. It has been years since I have gone to the effort of printing photos and making photo albums. I had spent so much time compiling and creating these albums in the past, and none of us even look at them. I figured with the paperless world we live in, I would create a blog for that purpose and to record a couple other interests of mine.

We had a wonderful time in spite of the pretty awful weather. Rain, rainy, pouring down rain, cold, and windy. We had a wonderful time in spite of a college freshman who really didn't want to be on this trip, and at some points made it pretty miserable for everyone, I was flabbergasted because the person I knew just two years ago would have told me she wanted to live in London. She would have loved all of the history, and read up on everything.

We saw and did so much, and I truly enjoyed everything. If I had to say my top three things we did it would be Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, and the British Museum, but members of my family would say differently, they would say the Tower of London, Churchill's War Rooms, shopping, walking around the neighborhoods, Borough Market, HMS Belfast, Buckingham Palace, and afternoon tea. London truly did have something for everyone. We had a great time.

If you would like you can check out my blog post regarding this trip.
http://woolwanderingsandwashington.blogspot.com/

Thank you again Fodorites, you truly are the best.

Sorry about the miserable weather. London can be like that almost any time of year! But it's great that you still managed to see so much and have a great time. Can't wait to read your blog!

Great report/photos! (You <i>might</i> want to make one little edit - that is Tower Bridge, not London Bridge)

Too bad about the dreadful weather - all the London area Fodorites are on notice to fix that before I arrive next month :)

(Your daughter is gorgeous BTW. Didn't look like she was being a pill ;) )

Excellent report. And tell your son (I think he took most of the pics--daughter if she helped) that I am planning on showing some students his pics before we travel to the UK and Paris this June as they can learn from his terrific framing and composition about how to take terrific pictures. So many good examples of how to use the "thirds" principle and also getting movement in photos and having different angles. Great work. Gave me great ideas for how to look anew at things I'm going to be seeing for the 5th time!
Thanks all!

Concur with Janis that your daughter is very pretty. Really enjoyed your blog and photos. Surprisingly, with the crappy weather your photos DID turn out great!

I think we have always visited London in May and the weather can be wet then too OR beautiful, you never know. But the Hampton Court gardens are especially lovely when the flowers are blooming.

Great report and excellent photos. Seems like your family created some lasting memories together. Thanks for sharing.

I was in London today and the temperature barely rose above freezing. And the wind! Whole of Northern Europe is currently experiencing a very cold spell with lots of snow in places. Said to get a little less cold by Easter Sunday, but still below average.

Enjoyed your blog & pictures, you're a beautiful family

What fantastic photos. Thank you for taking the time to post your experiences.

The most important thing about our trips to the UK aside from fulfilling my lifelong dreams, is being able to share this time with family. When we come home and sit over breakfast and talk about our trips, the people we met, the paintings we saw, the meals we had, the mishaps, the colors, all memories to savor, all memories that reflect what it means to be together.

Worth every penny, which I'm sure you know.

Thanks again.

Great photos. I like the clever use of selective focussing and telling detail.

Yes, the weather is impossible for the time of year, and apparently not expected to change at least in the coming week. It's all to do with the jet stream being stuck unusually far south, for some reason. So it's all down to whoever's sending it to us. Perhaps it's payback for having been a bit spoilt this time last year.

Thank you all for your compliments and taking the time to look at my trip report. I woke my son up this morning reading all your wonderful words about his photography. janisj, I do hope your weather is better than ours, and I changed the label for the Tower Bridge, thank you. My daughter left for college without my downloading her photos. I'm anxious to get hers since they will show a different perspective.

What wonderful pictures! Good eye for details and composition. I will go back to read the blog when I have more time. what camera did you use?

Great photos and wonderful trip report.

Wonderful, wonderful. My favorite city. Almost made me cry to think I won't be there this year

Great report, and what fabulous pictures! Thanks for coming back and posting.

Lee Ann

enjoyed the photos and commentary

We were at Trafalgar Square on St Patricks too! We had tea at St Martins!! Truly amazing pictures - loved reading your report!!

Thank you all for the compliments. I will continue to forward them to my son. Debbielynn, it's a Nikon D90 with a Tamron 18-270mm lens. It's my camera, and I'm usually the photographer on the trips, but it was so cold and rainy, I had no interest in taking pictures. It turned out to be the best thing because it kept him busy. In the past, when he has taken pictures, he has had a nice eye and many of them are kind of artsy.

Small world oh2doula! My kids couldn't get over the girls dressed for St. Patrick's day dressed in just t-shirts and shorts. I told them the alcohol was keeping them warm!

Great trip report and photos. Is that black pudding on the plate with beans and eggs? Little blob of dark stuff? I loved the look of the salmon and eggs. I need to copy your itinerary and condense it into 4 days.

Roris: thanks for a lovely report, and your blog and photos are first rate!

What a shame the weather was so horrid. I do not think I could have risen above it as you did! Congratulations.