We’re back! And, thanks to jet lag, it’s 4:15am, and I’ve been awake for hours. Ugh. Well, I can use this time to be productive and update the blog!
We flew out to London via a red eye flight to Chicago Tuesday, September 18th. Arriving in London late Wednesday evening, we checked in at the hotel and passed out before spending our first full day in London.
All ready for the flight!
LONDON
We thought we’d be exhausted and suffering from jet lag, but we walked a huge chunk of the city, and got to see a lot in our first day!
View from our hotel room
Trafalgar Square
When I was a kid, there were pigeons everywhere, and you could buy bird seed to feed them. Probably for the better, the city has been doing some cleaning up, and there was hardly a pigeon to be found.
Buckingham Palace Round I
We had missed the changing of the guard, so we made plans to come back during the latter part of our trip. 
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
Westminster Abbey
It is hard to wrap your mind around that kind of historical significance here. Not to mention the people that are buried there; Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Henry VII, and the list goes on. Really quite amazing.
Pictures were not allowed in most parts of the Abbey, but I was able to get the above picture from one of the outside chapels, built in the 1700’s.
After the Abbey, we needed a break! We found a little tea shop, and stopped for a nice cup of tea, and a sweet treat.
Our final stop of the day was back at Trafalgar Square. The new mayor of London is trying to incorporate more arts into open spaces, and in conjunction with Design Week, a music “bubble” was set up in the square. Called “Be Open”, a different composer was invited to create an original piece to be featured each day for five days.
Stepping inside the sound booth was like entering another world. Outside was busy London, and inside you were surrounded by the sounds of a local composer. Be sat on benches or on the floor for as long as they wanted listening and absorbing. In a busy city, taking time to stop and listen, and be transported in such a refreshing experience. It was a wonderful end to our first day in England!
The next day we were off to the north!