London has recovered from the Royal Wedding of William and Kate just in time to celebrate the Queen's unofficial birthday and Prince Phillip's "retirement" from a lifetime of being the guy standing next to the Queen. There's a lot of construction going on in preparation for the 2012 Olympics, but it's not going to get in the way of a little sightseeing, beginning with the British Museum and continuing on to the Tower of London and London Bridge, where a new exhibit is a nice look at some nifty Victorian steam drawbridge engineering.
Perhaps because of the Royal Wedding hangover, Westminster Abbey is so crowded that you can barely see who's buried where. St. Paul's, scene of the last wedding of the century (Charles and Diana) is much less popular.
The Churchill War Rooms don't seem to be attracting many visitors these days, as World War II is a dim page in the history book for the younger generations. A hot tip for Americans: be prepared for the sky-high attraction prices and buy the London Pass before you come. Admission to just one attraction, such as Westminster, is a whopping 16 pounds, or about 25 dollars, but the pass includes almost all the major sights and can be purchased with a discount underground travel card. Highly recommended at
http://www.londonpass.com/ if you're looking to stretch your weak American dollars.
By far the strangest attraction we've seen is the "Enchanted Palace" at Kensington, the former home of Princess Diana. It's a bizarre art installation that attempts to remind visitors that Diana wasn't the only fascinating princess in British history. Of course, it wouldn't be London without Andrew Lloyd Weber, the Royal Opera and Shakespeare on the agenda. Tally ho! Time for some pub food and another pint.
Perhaps because of the Royal Wedding hangover, Westminster Abbey is so crowded that you can barely see who's buried where. St. Paul's, scene of the last wedding of the century (Charles and Diana) is much less popular. 
The Churchill War Rooms don't seem to be attracting many visitors these days, as World War II is a dim page in the history book for the younger generations. A hot tip for Americans: be prepared for the sky-high attraction prices and buy the London Pass before you come. Admission to just one attraction, such as Westminster, is a whopping 16 pounds, or about 25 dollars, but the pass includes almost all the major sights and can be purchased with a discount underground travel card. Highly recommended at http://www.londonpass.com/ if you're looking to stretch your weak American dollars. 
By far the strangest attraction we've seen is the "Enchanted Palace" at Kensington, the former home of Princess Diana. It's a bizarre art installation that attempts to remind visitors that Diana wasn't the only fascinating princess in British history. Of course, it wouldn't be London without Andrew Lloyd Weber, the Royal Opera and Shakespeare on the agenda. Tally ho! Time for some pub food and another pint.
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