Insofar as it’s possible to see London in one day (it isn’t), we did it on Monday.

We rode one of those double-decker buses!

Outside Buckingham Palace…we missed the changing of the guard, though. But judging from the crowds, we wouldn’t have been able to see anything had we been there, anyway.

Taking photos at the Canada Gates to St. James Park beside Buckingham Palace.

The Canada Memorial in St. James Park.

Yes, I found a 10 pound note on the ground (!) in Hyde Park. Woohoo! That paid for our lunch!

Diplodocus skeleton in the Museum of Natural History. Of course, it wouldn’t be a vacation without some dinosaur skeletons!

A little treat at Victoria Embankment (that’s Big Ben in the background). Now they have an ice cream stand as well as a pancake hut and a souvenir stand right in front of the statue of Boadicea!

On the Thames riverboat, with the London Eye and the London Aquarium in the background.

What fun…seing tower bridge from the middle of the river. The cruise was the highlight of the trip, and best of all the Thames river cruise is FREE with your tube pass. Actually, sightseeing in London need not be that expensive at all. We spent only 16 pounds for a travel pass (train into London, unlimited tube and bus rides and Thames river cruises), the museum of Natural History is free, too (as are the other museums & galleries). We estimated we only spent about 40 pounds (actually 30, since I found 10 pounds!) for a full day of fun, a meal, treats and coffee, plus all our transportation. And that is for a family of four. Good value!

The Tower of London and the famous Traitors Gate – from the river, as the traitors would have seen it! Actually, we did the same ride — from Westminster to the Tower via the Thames — as any old convicted traitor would have done back in the reign of Henry VIII.

Lemme in! Lemme in! Oh, wait, this is the safer side, anyway! Looking at the Tower of London from outside the moat. We’ll visit again when we have time to go inside and do the tour.

Don’t lose your head at the Tower of London!

I made the girls fling out their arms…that’s what you were supposed to do when you were ready for the headsman to strike. I don’t think I could have done it, myself!

Time to head home…hop on the tube to…

Waterloo Station. Texting Allyson with the details of our train back to Epsom.

All in all, a busy but WONDERFUL day!