Day 9

Beautiful day in the Lake District.  We took the train to Oxenholm -Windemere.  We saw thousands of lambs!  So cute!!!!!!!  Went to Beatrix Potter's home and got driven around this beautiful area.  Had tea at the home that Beatrix bought for her mother; on the other side of the lake from her house.  ;-)  We had fun chatting with a woman and her daughter on the tour from Australia.

Above: one of the farms purchased by Beatrix and donated to the National Trust at her death.  This was where the MISS POTTEER movie was filmed.

Hilltop house (Beatrix's home):

Day 8

Asked for early breakfast at hotel.  No coffee eek!

Busy day. Sunny!  ;-) We went on bus tour of Windsor Castle, Bath, lunch in a pub in the historic town of Lacock and finished up at Stonehenge.  Interior scenes from Harry Potter movies were filmed at the Abby in Lacock.

Windsor Castle:

Bath:

Jane Austin's house in Bath:

Lunch in Lacock (David and I had cottage pie -- not too great):

Our tour guide, Danny:

Stonehenge:

Day 7

We went back to the Wallace Collection.  David tried on some armor and we went through the Reynolds exhibit.  Then to the Victoria & Albert Museum, then we finished up at the British Museum.  Met Rachel at the Metropolitan Pub (near Baker Street station) for dinner.

Elevator was out at our station returning to our hotel.  124 stairs!

Day 6

Wallace Collection and tea with Rachel.  David has pics from Wallace.  Will post when we get home.   My stupid foot continues to hurt.

Tea @ Bea's of Bloomsbury:

Day 5

We took a bus to Portsmouth to the Historic Dockyard. We toured the HMS Victory, the worlds oldest commissioned warship. Lord Nelson was killed on it.

The HMS Warrior 1860 - the worlds first armored warship launched in 1860. We did tour the whole ship. Just didn't take photo til they closed.

And toured the Mary Rose museum.  That ship was part of Henry VIII's fleet. It was pulled up from the bottom of the ocean partially preserved and containing artifacts and bodies of the crew. Including a full skeleton of one of the ship's dogs.

Back to London at 9pm.

Day 4+

Walked neighborhood around hotel this am. One Pound Store (Dollar Store) how hilarious! David and I took tube (Mind the Gap!!!) to Natural History Museum. Love the tube here. No exit signs; instead signs that say "way out" and an arrow. British people seem nicer than Americans. It's intereesting though that most of their entertainment is American (tv, movies, plays). Dinner tonight at a pub I found down the street.

Our hotel:

Natural history museum:

Day 4

Thurs - Finally got a night of sleep! My heel is hurting.  Stupid me for not bringing sneakers.  There is a a little mall 3 blocks from here going to look to buy a pair.  Museums today.  Meeting Rachel for tea.