LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

with son, Lester, near the
Buckingham Palace

Double-Decker

Not the Hunger Games, mind you, but the Games of the XXX Olympiad, that is! Scheduled to take place in London, England, UK from 27 July to 12 August 2012, what better timing than now to write about London, undoubtedly the most popular city in the world this summer.
No trip to London is ever complete without seeing the Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, our first stop.  Buckingham Palace was built in 1702 by the Duke of Buckingham as his London home.  Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household.  It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today.

Big Ben

Next stop was the EDF Energy London Eye.  High atop London Eye, we saw breathtaking views of London from high above the River Thames, Big Ben towering above the Houses of Parliament and St. James Park as it swept down to Buckingham Palace.  A standard ticket experience on the London Eye lasts for about 30 minutes, the time it takes for the London Eye to revolve completely.  

An exhibit at the
British Museum

River Thames

Son, Lloyd at
the British Museum

The River Thames is famous throughout the world for its history, its culture and its amazing variety of wildlife, archaeology and scenery.  As a culture buff, I wouldn't dare leave London without first checking out The British Museum, considered to be one of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture.  Its permanent collection, numbering some eight million works, is amongst the finest, most comprehensive, and largest in existence and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.

London Eye

The London Underground, colloquially called the Tube, is a rapid transit system in the UK, serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.  Here is where I've seen the most beautiful, exotic-looking people in the world, such an eclectic blend of Anglo, African, Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern races.

A stop at a London Pub

If you were to ask me to go to London again, I'd say "yes" in a New York minute!

We had lunch at a Filipino restaurant

A view of the London Eye, Big Ben and
River Thames
at night

Photos by Lester Del Valle.