We took a weekend “side” trip to London from Scotland to visit relatives and tour a little. Here are my best shots from that sojourn.
We did the touristy thing and took a Big Bus Tour; I’ve been to London many times, but had never done this before. I have to say it was great to sit up on the second deck in the sunshine, listen to the tour guide’s funny stories and let London glide by without having to mind how to get from A to B. And it was a great way for our kids to get a thorough overview of the city they knew from so many movies and stories.
See what I mean? Traffic jams = the less glorious side
of travel, better to let the bus driver deal with it…
Tower Bridge (London is a crowded city…)

The Tower of London and behind it the sparkling glass Shard.

 Best way to get around London – the Underground (here, not quite so under ground)
My kids and I are fans of the BBC’s Poirot movies so we had to
go see where Poirot “lived” in the series.
Just a great facade at Charterhouse Square
Could be anywhere, but this is Fleet Street. Same random ladies caught hanging out.
We toured the Houses of Parliament (sadly, no photography allowed inside) 
– something neither my husband nor I had ever done before, and
he lived in London for a while.
Not an amazing shot by any means, but a rare one because this is Buckingham Palace. The tents are where us tourists can shop for food and gifts after concluding the palace tour, which is only available for a few weeks in August and September, whenever Her Majesty is on vacation.
View from the Pullman Hotel, where we stayed, with
the Shard and the dome of St. Paul’s in the distance.