London Calling!

Despite many miles of travels for both P and I...neither of us had ever visited London!  We enjoyed a whirlwind 48 hour tour this Labor Day weekend and crammed in many sights.  The great part about London is that it's a short 2 hour train ride from home - and I have a feeling this will be the first of many visits for us.

This trip was focused on seeing Buckingham Palace - which is opened for a few weeks each summer while the Queen is traveling.  That was definitely a highlight of the trip!  It was amazing to see the State Rooms that so many dignitaries and famous icons had traversed (not to mention William and Kate!).  That visit reminded me of visiting the White House - in the sense that the rooms we visited are still very much in use for various State Dinners, banquets, and ceremonies.  Below are the highlights - not many photos of Buckingham Palace because you couldn't take photos inside!

The view of Buckingham Palace from the gardens!

We also had the chance to visit Kensington Palace - the current home to William and Kate (and George and Charlotte).  It has recently been restored and was a great tribute to Queen Victoria (the Current Queen's Great Grandmother):

P was too tall to be truly lost in the hedge garden!

We also enjoyed the sites along the South Bank - we visited the Tate Modern and later had dinner at an amazing Chop House (thanks, Janice!!!) with the most amazing views of the Tower Bridge.

Post-Dinner Photo

Another personal highlight for me was visiting Chipotle - my most very favorite restaurant in the United States.  There are 4 in London and we stopped at one for lunch...it was a wonderful taste of home!!!