'Travel Mahem....London - Part 2'

Today was evidence that not even maticulous planning and forsight can always prepare you for what is to come. Ever had one of those days when you know you just should have stayed in bed?....well almost!...mmmm
This week we carefully planned out our second trip to London. As we didn't get to see it all last time we very carefully mapped out our trip this time, using google maps and tourist sites on the net to 'get it right'. Well the information was perfect and would have made our day absolutely perfect.....then we hit the traffic 'diversion' of a lifetime. After leaving home at 9am (nice and early..ish) we headed out on our planned route only to find that the M3 was closed for the weekend for maintenance...arghhh. This meant we had to follow the 'diverted traffic' signs which took us an hour longer than our direct route....interesting. Then, after making a planned stop to pick up roof racks for the car for our Europe Trip, we headed for the nearest train station to get on a train to London....only to find that the trains aren't running to London from that line all weekend due to Engineering work on lines....arghhh. So we headed back to the station we parked at last time we visited London and started all over again. This time is was plain sailing to get into London, only it was 1pm when we arrived. We had planned on arriving in time for the Changing of the Guards at the Palace at 11:30am....not likely on such a day...ca sera sera.
It just continued from there really. Each bus we got on seemed be slowed down by the many hordes of people protesting around the city. It took us almost an hour to travel the distance that should have taken 15 minutes. The up side to this is that we got a really good tour of the city. It really is amazing what you can see from the top level of a Double Decker Bus....we made the most of our time by looking at all the wonderful sights around and even had a 'giggle' at some strange man who was taking great pleasure in knocking on the windows of shops and cars that were waiting in traffic...he was a little 'strange' to say the least.

We breezed past Hyde Park but stayed only momentarily before heading off to 'Wellington Arch' before it closed.
After that it was more buses and more 'sight seeing' as we waited in traffic until finally arriving at the long awaited 'St Pauls' Cathedral'
'St Pauls' Cathedral' was truly awe inspiring and well worth all the angst it took getting there.

Unfortunately photographs are not permitted inside or we would happliy share. The inside of the dome was painted in 'gold leaf' design of a very long gone era. A service was being taken as we arrived so we sat for quite a while, gathering our thoughts in prayer and listening to the amazing choir. The sounds from the choir echoed throuhout the whispering gallery. It sounded like the voices of Angels singing out. A few tears found their escape from our eyelids...it was so moving to be in such a place. The boys each lit a candle and said a prayer before we left again to find our way back to Waterloo Station to head home again


We knew there was still a good chance of the same kind of traffic diversion on our trip home but we seemed much calmer as we coped with it and headed home for bed.
We are already planning our 3rd trip now...some time during next mid term break when traffic is less likely so hazardous. Then we will hopefully get to visit Hyde Park properly after seeing the Changing of The Guards...then on to London Bridge, Tower Bridge,London Tower, Regents Park and Portabello Rd at Notting Hill....still plenty of time.