Picked up a very nice BMW 520 Diesel at Victoria Station at 9:30 am. GPS is a must as there is always a learning curve driving on the left side of the road.
Drove to Windsor Castle and arrived at about 11. Very light crowds as it was threatening rain, but the tour did not disappoint. Beautiful collections of gold and silver work, paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger (who painted Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell in the 16th Century), and amazing tapestries.


We then continued west and drove to the village of Lacock in the county of Wiltshire.





After a quick pint of a Wadworth Swordfish Rum Infused Ale, we finished the drive at our Hotel, The Bird, in Bath.
We went into town and visited the Jane Austen Center, well worth it for the animated presentation, and costumes to be tried on.





We walked through Bath and were amazed at the shops, restaurants and social scene.





We finished up with Fish and Chips and two Gin and Tonics at The Saracens Head, the oldest pub in Bath.


After a great British breakfast, hopped on the Tube at Tower Hill and headed for the South Kensington station. Arrived at the Victoria & Albert Museum as it opened at 10.




















































Set out at 9 am across Tower Bridge and experienced South Bank.
Borough Market is a must visit and it delivered delicious stall after stall of every cheese, meat, vegetable and savory or sweet foods.
We then continued along the Thames for a quick view of Shakespeare’s Globe, followed by a tour of the Tate Modern.






Headed north to Buckingham Palace before walking through St. James Park to the National Gallery.







After touring the Tower, three blocks west lies (very appropriately) The Hung, Drawn & Quartered.
They feature Fuller’s Frontier lager and an excellent small plate food selection. We decided on Crispy Squid, Steak & Fuller’s Mini Pie and Chorizo in Red Wine. All were very good and followed up with another Fuller’s Craft Lager.



Heathrow Express to Paddington Station in 20 minutes.
Grab a Black Cab outside and enjoy a great ride to your hotel near the Tower Bridge.
Check into your hotel and walk over for a 2-3 hour tour of the Tower of London.


















The presence of the inn itself demands this kind of myth-making. Its hulking imperfections, hidden staircases and infinite doorways, narrow pathways and intricate stonework, call to mind an honest, handmade world, where times were slower and things made to last. Rumors of its past are worn proudly on its proverbial sleeve — stripped wood where there once was a second floor balcony, prominently displayed plaques of historic register, mismatched sediments of historic photos, the speckled outline of a dart board and creaking floorboards. The front door was originally the back door because most guests arrived by boat.
…one of the top
But there is nothing quite like the mind-bending spectacle now on display at dusk in the hills of Paso Robles here, a popular wine destination. That is the witching hour when thousands of solar-powered glass orbs on stems, created by the artist Bruce Munro, enfold visitors in an earthbound aurora borealis of shifting hues.