Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Time in London, 3

The next three days were spent with our grandchildren and their parents, staying on board at Little Venice while the sun shone. It had been suggested that we visited the Planetarium now at Greenwich, the Tower of London and get a ride on the London Eye. Tickets were pre booked on the internet so we could 'fast track' past the queues. Our Underground tickets were purchased each day in order to get a discount using our Senior Rail cards. We got two Oyster cards for our guests while the children go free.
Our family arrived at Paddington by train and the first thing to do was to find Paddington Bear. We just had time for sandwiches before setting off for Greenwich. Our visit was booked for two thirty so we got down through the tubes and on the Dockland Light Railway. The Bakerloo Line was noisy, hot and full. We actually got a seat on the Jubilee Line which was cleaner. We got off at Canary Wharf and were very impressed how new and modern it all was.

The DLR got us to Greenwich where we climbed the hill to the Royal Observatory. We all learnt about how the planets were formed and how different they were. Also saw a live demonstration creating an asteroid.

Next day we all set off for the Tower after a cooked breakfast. When we arrived we watched a contest between two Knights using swards and axes and then spent the rest of the day exploring the tower and the grounds. It has been a very long time since we have been touring the capital and must say how well all the sights have been cleaned and restored.

Although the London Eye was the most expensive ride it was well worth it for the views. The structure is simply huge and impressive. We had time during the day to get to see Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus on the way back to the boat. Our guests returned on the train from Paddington while we recovered.

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