London Sightseeing & Theatre with Russell, Debbie & Brigitte

 London Sightseeing & Theatre

We were off to London to visit the King! With so many sights to see we headed straight to the iconic Tower of London.  

We had a very informative tour from a Yeoman of the Guard (also known as Beefeaters), who told us that the Tower played many roles over the centuries, including a royal palace, prison, treasury and even a zoo. Did you know that the animals from the Tower were the first animals to populate London Zoo? . The Crown Jewels were another highlight of our visit—safely housed at the Tower since 1661. The collection was absolutely stunning.

The sun was shining, and there was a great place we wanted to visit. After a lovely stroll around Russell Square, we boarded the 133 red London bus and made our way to Broadgate passing iconic landmarks such as The Bank of England, The Old Bailey and the Royal Exchange, a famous filming location featured in Bridget Jones’ Diary. Horizon 22, at 22 Bishopsgate, has an incredible viewing platform on the 58th floor and offers 300-degree views of London, making it one of the best free panoramic spots in the city. 

A must see was going at Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards, the formal handover of duties between the soldiers protecting Buckingham Palace and St James Palace. We made our way just outside the gates for an amazing view of the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers with musical support from the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and Band of the Irish Guards. We met a very nice horse mounted police man, who let us stroke his horse George who particularly liked to eat carrots. David who was wearing his captains gave him a salute and was given a special Mounted Police badge, a lovely memento of the day. 

We strolled through St James’ Park, through Horse Guard’s Parade, Whitehall, the House of Parliament and Big Ben. 

We took our seats at the theatre for a dazzling performance of Moulin Rouge! the musical. Stepping into the theatre felt like being transported to the famous Parisian cabaret in Montmartre, complete with a giant red windmill and a massive blue elephant. The passionate, tragic love story of Satine and Christian unfolded through energetic dances, lavish costumes, and timeless songs. It was the perfect end to a magical day. 

We made our way to The London Transport Museum, a fascinating destination that celebrates the rich history of transportation in London. The collection houses over 450,000 items and we saw maps, horse drawn carriages, omnibuses, the first London Underground steam train, Routemaster buses and many more.

 A fun morning was spent at the Paradox Museum, a space full of optical illusions and mind-bending exhibits. The Illusion Rooms were a hit, where one moment you felt tiny, and the next, larger than life. The experience made us feel as though we were floating in space in the Gravity Room, just like an astronaut! 

We couldn't resist heading to some of the biggest tourist attractions. Harrods looked spectacular with its fabulous displays  and we loved visiting Covent Garden at night time when the infamous Christmas tree twinkled away. 

We were wowed by the iconic Westminster Abbey, famous for royal weddings, coronations and the final resting place of 3300 notable figures. As we were so close to the river it was a unanimous decision to hop on a river cruise. We boarded the Thomas Doggett and sailed toward Greenwich, enjoying the sunset views of the London skyline. The humorous commentary from the captain added a personal touch to the cruise as we learned fascinating facts, like how Waterloo Bridge was built almost entirely by women. As darkness fell, the city’s landmarks, including The Shard, Tower Bridge, and the London Eye, lit up the skyline in an unforgettable way.