July 18
Up at an early hour, again, in time to grab a little breakfast, pack the last few things and put the bags out in the hall by 7:45 am to be picked up for our 8:15 am pick up for our transportation to the train station. I went up on the sundeck for on last look around and to enjoy being on board, on the river then we joined Pam & Bob and the other ten who were traveling with us to London for the extension. We were also pleased to find Ros & Brian were traveling to the train station and on our same coach to London before we'd part ways with them. We had about an hour and a half before boarding and all went smoothly. The four of us had three of the four seats but quickly swapped out the other seat so we could all sit together. And as an added benefit, Kim and my seats were in reverse so we faced each other over a little table for the nearly two and a half hour trip. We discovered that when we arrived in London our time is an hour earlier so our vacation gained an extra hour :) Arrived in London without incident and disembarked. We filed out of the train arrival area and awaiting us was our Avalon host, Michael. Such a "British accent," there's no mistaking that we're in jolly ole England! He led us all to the main hall, we said our good-byes to Ros and Brian, promising to keep in touch and making tentative plans to visit them in August of 2024 when we are booked on a Viking Oceans "British Isles" trip that starts here in London. The bus ride to the Park Plaza County Hall hotel took about twenty minutes and while on board we received our information packet. Really appreciated that Michael sat with each couple and reviewed the itinerary and times from start to finish. Discovered, unbeknownst to any of us that there was an included sightseeing tour of London tomorrow morning to see all the sites of the city. When we arrived at the hotel our rooms were ready for us and they brought our luggage to our room. Pam, Bob, Kim and I walked about a block to a little diner/bakery for a light bite of lunch (a sausage roll for us) and then back to the room to unpack.
We met Pam & Bob at 5 pm for Happy Hour and then joined the group for a "Taste of London" excursion. We joined two other small groups and about two dozen of us were driven to the Nagshead Pub where we enjoyed a traditional British dinner. I had a thick bowl of tomato soup (the others had a boring salad!), we all had fish & chips, and then we had a sweet treat for dessert, all the while enjoying a pint of English beer (or wine for Pam). Left the pub for a short drive down to the Thames River where we cruised for an hour while our guide narrated the history of London while pointing out the historical landmarks along the way. Was very cool to see the traditional iconic sites at dusk and in the growing darkness.
Tomorrow we are up for an 8:15 am start on a tour of London and then back for a quick bite of lunch before heading out on a "Tower of London & Crown Jewels" excursion which will take us to the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and Buckingham Palace. Another full day ahead!
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