London

London was the Huber's Spanish Coffee night cap of a decadent El Gaucho steak dinner trip.  The regal history, variety and vibrance of the city convinced us that our one and a half day stopover before returning home was inadequate.  I (Brian) was last in London in 1983 and my only remembrances are of backwards-opening-door taxis, Harrods of London and that Big Ben is actually a bell and not a tower nor clock.  This trip taught us that London is much more.  It is obscenely expensive (pre-Brexit) and Madame Tussauds London is a bonafide A-list attraction.  We started our London experience with some atypical attractions:  the Sherlock Holmes museum and Madame Tussauds.  In our defense, we were on the hop-on hop-off bus and we jumped at the first point of interest on the route.  Before we get to that though, below are some pictures of Westminster Abbey and Big Ben... well, not really Big Ben since the pictures only show the tower and clock.

What trip to Great Britain is complete without a picture of an old phone booth, double-decker bus and Westminster Abbey?   Here they are in a single shot!

The double-decker busses have changed since 1983.  Westminster Abbey has not.

Yes, it's an Apple Watch add in Selfridge, but it was quite well done.  There were a dozen or more consecutive windows with a floral-themed display.  Look closely and you can see a watch in the bud of the middle flower.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

The Man himself...

...and his implements.

Tom applying for a job

Mr. Documentary Narrator himself, Morgan Freeman

Jean-Luc, er, Patrick Stewart.  Seriously, wouldn't it be better if he was really named Jean-Luc?

The Royal Family with... Camilla.  Scandalous!

Tom and his good friend, Alfred

Poor Diana, dispatched to the side

Grim name for a pub

Trafalgar Square

The British Museum in Trafalgar Square.  Pity we didn't have the time to experience it.

The London Tower

No photos are permitted inside, but the Crown Jewels are extraordinarily opulent (which, of course, goes without saying)

Everywhere in London are the Queen Elizabeth II royal ciphers.  When she dies then every single one will be replaced by her successor's royal cipher.  Considering the voluminous number of them this is a very expensive endeavor.

We took a river taxi on the Thames and saw London from a nicely unique perspective with views from the Tower Bridge to the Shard (far right below) to London Bridge (extraordinary ordinary) ending at Westminster Abbey.

The Tower Bridge to the building called the Shard (far right)

London Bridge (I told you it was ordinary) and the Shard skyscraper

The London Eye was recently sponsored by Coke, which caused an uproar because Coke represents a sugary drink.  So now it is sponsored by British Airways, which somehow is more palatable.  I don't get it.

The London Eye

Finally, we made it to Buckingham Palace.  Unfortunately, we didn't prearrange a tour but we couldn't go to London and miss it.  We were there just two days before Queen Elizabeth II surpassed Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch in Britain, which was very unlucky timing for us.

Riff-raff in front of Buckingham Palace

Connemara & the Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey

Connemara National Park