London

May 21-24, 2010
AC856 YYZ-LHR, AC849 LHR-YYZ

Benefiting from another Air Canada two-for-one sale, a long weekend in London was another great place to spend my last free spring free hotel nights.  Although we've transited through London a number of times recently, it had been a very long time since we actually spent some time in the city as tourists.  For our first day, after a shower and breakfast in the arrivals lounge, we picked up a rental car at the airport and headed to Salisbury, Stonehenge and Avebury.  After a pretty long day of driving we still had enough energy to walk the South Bank of the Thames from Big Ben to the Tower Bridge and had a late dinner on the river front.  We explored the city the other two days and met up with a friend of Tom.  The sun shone the entire time and a jacket was not required with it pushing 30C by Monday.   It was a perfect long weekend.   

May 21-22
Overnight flight to London, pick-up car after shower and breakfast

Our first stop, Salisbury Cathedral, with the tallest spire in the UK @ 123m

Very cool reflective fountain inside the cathedral

Stonehenge with a blue sky was certainly an incredible sight

Two of the taller stones show just how impressive this mysterious site is

A sampling of the beautiful fields that surround the monument

Another perspective on Stonehenge

We’ve moved on to Avesbury and to the much large stone circle encircling the town

More stones in the surrounding fields

A close-up of one of the largest stones

The British Parliament with Big Ben near sunset

Millennium Bridge over the Thames

Enclosed mall on the edge of the Thames

The Tower Bridge marks the end of our long walk along the south shore

After a late dinner along the Thames we walk by St. Paul’s Cathedral

May 23
A full day in London

Tower Bridge was the start of our walk through the City

Our look down the 311 steps we climbed to the top of the Monument to the Great Fire

The Royal Exchange in the financial centre

Guildhall square, a traditional town hall dating back to 1411

Wall commemorating fatal acts of bravery since the early 19th century in Potsman’s Park

Soho Square filled with Londoners soaking up the warm weather

Parliament at night

The London Eye at the end of our night

May 24
The start of the day in London and an afternoon flight home

Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park

Isis Statue in Hyde Park

May 24
After a fast flight, we arrive home early in the evening