All Good Things Must Come to An End

Today was a bitter-sweet day for us.  On one hand, we got to spend another incredible day in London, England.  But, on the other hand, it was our final day.  Tomorrow we leave the hotel at 5:00 in the morning to catch our flight home.  Today was another full and exciting day.  We began at 9:00 leaving the hotel for a bus tour of the city.  We made a few stops for photos at the London Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace.  At Buckingham Palace, we had hoped to see the changing of the guard but unfortunately it happens every other day and that did not include today.  After Buckingham Palace, we strode through Green Park towards the Hard Rock Café for lunch.  Along the way, we passed several war memorials.  One in particular, just outside of Buckingham Palace, is a memorial for Canadians who fought in both world wars.  Also, nearby are the elaborate memorial gates known as the Canada Gates at the entrance to Green Park.  

After lunch, some of our students had time to venture into a small museum beneath the Hard Rock Café gift shop which holds many mementos of rock and roll history.  After that, it was a quick ride on the tube to the Tower of London where we learned the bloody history of the fortified castle.  Some of us were able to follow the Yeoman Warders (more commonly known as Beefeaters) on a very entertaining guided tour.  We finished up the day with a few hours of free time and shopping around Covent Gardens and Oxford Street.  Some of the group broke off and spent their time at Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station, and still others spent the time with their various family members living in Britain.  Overall, it was a fantastic end to a fantastic trip!  Thank you all so much for following along with us on our European adventure, it's been a blast.