England 2012

September 24 - Oct 6, LaVelle Allen and I traveled to southern England where we enjoyed the large cities and many quaint villages. We saw most of the major city sights with the 

Hop-on-Hop-Off bus in London.

House of Parliament as seen from the London Eye.

The London Eye is the most popular attraction in London and tallest observation wheel in the world. Over 4 million people take the 1/2 hour trip annually.

St. Paul's Cathedral  is one of the most famous and most recognizable sights of London.  Five different churches were built at this site. The Cathedral was the site of a number of important historic events such as the funeral of Admiral Nelson in 1806 and the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married here in 1981.

Westminster Cathedral is the largest Catholic church in England.

 Tower Bridge, constructed in 1889

Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms. These include 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms.

Bath was named for the famous Roman Baths which were constructed  here in 60-70 A.D. This beautifully preserved bathing complex still flows with water from Britain's only hot spring. Long ago, one could have a massage, lift weights as well as enjoy the a cleansing soak in the warm waters. The bath house was a place where people went to socialize and do business as well as getting clean.

The 500 year old Bath Abbey is graced with beautiful fan vaulting and stained glass windows. Climbing the 212 narrow steps of the Abbey affords a beautiful view of the city.

The entire city is build with creamy warm-toned limestone called 'Bath stone'.

Spanning the river Avon, Pulteney Bridge with it's three arches is one of only four in the world that has shops across its structure on both sides.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric, mysterious circle of upright stones in southern England. Construction on the great monument began 5,000 years ago; the famous stones that still stand today were put in place about 4,000 years ago. The great age, massive scale and mysterious purpose of Stonehenge draws over 800,000 visitors per year and several thousand gather on the summer solstice to watch the sunrise at this ancient site.

 This Tetbury home proudly displays a decorative thatched roof. The 15 inch thick roof is made of bundled reeds and covered with screen to ward off birds and mice.

LaVelle Allen and Susan May at a Bed and Breakfast in Moreton-in-Marsh.

This 25 by 90 mile area is 80% farmland and crisscrossed with hedgerows, small villages and sprinkled with sheep. In the middle ages, the Cotswolds were well known throughout Europe as the source of some of the best wool.
We visited: Bilbury, Lacock, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury, Chipping Campden, Stroud, Moreton-in-Marsh, Cirencester and Stafford-on-Avon.