But the best part of the stay was waking up in the morning and looking out the windows to this little Notting Hill like garden. Seriously, there was a little deck off our room and we could just sit out there and enjoy. It was the best way to stay (if you don't mind missing a few hotel amenities like a blow dryer and an iron). We absolutely loved it and it was only two blocks to the Underground.
First thing we did was get on a bus and take a look around (see if you can see us in the reflection of the bus in the window).
When we got to Trafalgar Square, we hopped off to see the National Gallery Museum. Most museums in London are free and this one had some amazing stuff in it - more Renoir's, Picasso's, Van Goghs. Interestingly, it was much more pleasant to see them because the crowd was nearly as big and the layout of the museum was much more conducive to enjoying the paintings. Outside, we looked around at the fountain and started walking towards Westminster and Parliament.
Things are very squished together there. We past #10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives, it's right across the street from Parliament. And if you go behind the PM's house, there is a large garden that leads diagonally down to Buckingham Palace. In the middle of that triangle that Parliament, #10 Downing Street, and Buckingham make, is Westminster Abbey.The picture of Parliament and Big Ben was taken from the boat on the Thames. Don't you love the red bus in it?
We went in Westminster Abbey and though it felt more like a graveyard than a church, it was one of the coolest things we've seen. They don't allow photography so sorry, I can't show you the graves of Jane Austen, Handel, Newton, King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and thousands of others buried there. It was not cohesive, I'm sure since it has been around for about 1,000 years and everyone keeps adding to it. But each monarch had an elaborate tomb and many others had placards on the floors and walls. One of the coolest things to know was that many of the royals were christened, marries, crowned, and buried in that church. They showed Queen Elizabeth's coronation and you wouldn't believe how many people you can fit in that church! Like 10,000!Here are some pictures from the outside. There is a garden formed by the offices and residents of the church clergy and choir members. We sat out there to eat our lunch of bread, yogurt, and fruit. It was much easier to bring all that stuff in your backpack and stop where you were rather than go and find a restaurant and waste your time waiting for the food.
After Westminster, we took a walk down to Buckingham Palace. We didn't see the changing of the guards, most people said it wasn't worth the time as it's not what it used to be. When Erin was there, the music they played was Abba. Come on, there wasn't someone from England that was better? The Beatles? Rolling Stone? Anyway, one thing that was interesting about it was that you could see that it had been designed to hold a crowd of people so that the monarch could address the crowd from the balcony - just like Princess Diana did on her wedding day. Diana is another post:)
That night, we went to see Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors at the Globe. The Globe is a reconstruction of the original theater that Shakespeare performed at back in the day. It is open at the top and has a thatched roof. The play was wonderful! This picture is taken from a river boat while we were on the Thames. So after the play, we ate at a little pizza place on the river that came recommended from some of Dan's colleagues who work in London. It's amazing how different pizza can be from one country to the next. (They were very chintzy with the cheese). 
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