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The Grand tour group departed from Charlotte with feelings of excitement and nervous anticipation. When we landed in London, we experienced typical London weather — rain, rain, more rain, and hail.
We had our first experience with the tube when we walked down 175 steps at Russell Square station on our way to explore the city. During a particularly brutal hail storm we sought refuge in the National History Museum and were able to get a great view of Trafalgar Square once the rain cleared.
Learning how to navigate London via the tube was clearly the highlight of the day along with adjusting to a new form of the English language. After being up for one very long day, we all crashed early.
Our first full day in London began with a group tour of Westminster Abbey directed by a terrific guide, Ann. We loved her gentle way of moving us along with the reminder that "Time moves on and so must we." Along the way we learned that Big Ben is the name of the bell and not the actual clock.
We learned a lot about Parliment and got caught in the middle of a State visit the Queen was having with the President of Poland. The Queen's horse guards were magnificantly lined up along both sides of the street and the group was well positioned to catch a clear view of her. Very exciting!
We have all noticed that the English have a very polite way of talking and we are becoming sensitive to our more direct way of speaking.
The Tower of London was the main group activity of the day and what a treat it was. We had an incredible Yeoman Warder guide (commonly known as a Beefeater) who reminded everyone of a combination of Drs. Whelan and Goode (he was quite entertaining and extremely knowledgable). A totally enjoyable morning. Lunch for some was at a cafe with a clear view of the Tower Bridge, which we later explored.
The British Museum was a very special group experience and the group got lost for hours examining Lindau Man, the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian relics. With just a few hours left in London everyone is off on their own to tackle the last experiences on their priority list. Getting into the opening night of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe is on the schedule for some.
We are off to Bruge and Bastogne in the morning and will spend the next several days learning more about the Battle of the Bulge and seeing the countryside where many Americans gave their lives some sixty years ago.
— Karen Reynolds | 
