The BIG BUS Tours of London

So what are 5 girls in London to do when there is SO MUCH to do and so little time to do it... jump on a double decker of course and enjoy the scenery & the easy ride to EVRY STOP!!!

























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Arriving to the land of GB fun...

The flight there was first for the two youngest in our group which made all the questions about when, where, and WHY fun for ALL! The sleep was less than to be desired and by the time we ended our day of travels, shopping and the first bits of sight seeing, 34 hours of VERY little sleep were making us all a bit silly & delirious!!!


It didn't take long to find fun food in our local neighborhoods!!! The "More Posh Pancakes" were Nutella filled crepes and a BIG HIT by the ENTIRE group!!!









We had to make a stop at the "pub" while waiting on two who went to the Arsenal (post coming SOON)! We ordered a "Shandy"... half beer/half lemon aid. Yet another score for the Brits!!!





How can an American not get a picture of this iconic stop...the RED telephone booth! The funny thing is, there really aren't too many around town anymore... more like cell phone stores selling SIMS chips and "unlocked" phones are the popular stops for your phone usage!

CLT International Airport

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Let the adventure BEGIN!

This is where our story begins... At least where our tiny bags that we so delicately filled and placed in the back of the car begins! Charlotte International Airport, HERE WE COME!!!


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First Stop...

How can you not love the Union Jack? With ALL the hoopla of the Royal wedding and the fact that Prince Harry is still available... What's not to LOVE?!?!?! Here is a list from one of Pierina's friend who has lived in London or been several times or both. Of course we have books, apps & maps, BUT  a list of favorites is a great place to start!!!

"I was trying to think of good places to tell you to go to have a "pint" but my favorite places to go out were just neighborhood bars - and trust me there are lots of them. Oh - my favorite drinks, one is called a snake bite and it's black current juice and hard cider. It's delicious! Also I am a big fan of hard ciders - a new one I discovered this past time I was in London was pear flavored cider. I highly recommend it!! It's light and refreshing and so good!!! 

Also as far as getting around, the tube (subway) is very easy to use and safe. Cabs are also fine, but obviously more expensive.

House of Parliament, West Minister Abby, and Big Ben – all in the same area, definitely a place to see. Near this area is the London Eye. It’s a big farris wheel that gives you great views of the city. If it’s a clear day, it’s something fun to do.

Tower of London – old fortress – interesting to walk through, but takes a few hours. Basically you just walk through the different rooms of the fortress – there is armor, jewelry and other things to look at throughout the rooms.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – I thought it was really neat to see where Shakespeare’s plays were put on, I believe you just walk through the theatre on your own, I can't remember if there were guides or not. I haven't been there since my first trip.

Tower Bridge – very pretty bridge. Everyone thinks London Bridge is the “pretty one” but Tower Bridge actually is the pretty one. There isn’t a tour of Tower Bridge, but if my memory serves me correctly, you can see it from Tower of London if you decide to go there.

Buckingham Palace – this is where the changing of the guards takes place. Your hotel should be able to tell you when this takes place.

Covent Garden – this is a fun place to walk around. It’s a square with some small shops and restaurants. A lot of the restaurants have outdoor seating and there are also often street performers. Its a good place to have diner and just relax and people watch.

Kensington Place – this was Princess Diana’s favorite palace. It has beautiful gardens around it. I’m not sure if you can go inside at all – I don’t believe you can. There is also some good shopping around this area (on and around Kensington Street). I lived in South Kensington when I went to school in London.

Harrods – very famous department store and fun to look through – Harrods is in the same general area of London as Kensington Palace

Oxford Street – SHOPPING!!! This is one of the best shopping areas. There are tons of stores on this street. When we were there last summer there were tons of sales!

Piccadilly Circus – this is the Times Square of London. Interesting to see and walk around, but I didn’t do much else in this area

There are a lot of “Broadway” shows in London also, if you are interested. There are half priced ticket booths (like in NYC) that you can buy tickets. The half price ticket booths are located throughout the city. Someone should be able to point you in the right direction."

Luggage Tags for the Group

Just having a little fun making a few goodies...

Sunday Brunch Bunch...

Us 5 girls had a chance to meet for lunch this weekend. We chatted about how many Pounds and Euros to take, walking tours in London, SHOPPING in London, cafes in Paris, food in Italy, long bus rides (and thankful to have iPads), how best to protect our important docs, best plans for international phones and most importantly... what is EVERYONE packing!!!

Needless to say, there was a plenty of chatter, a bit of panic and a lot of exciting anticipation! We at least have a plan on time leaving to Charlotte to catch a direct flight to London...Sweeeeeeet!

Only 16 days away!!!

It's June...

It's June 1st...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's JUNE, it's this month we leave and it's time to start the 21 days of our packing extravaganza!!! We ALL agree we need packing lessons or at least someone to come in and "pack down" what we plan on taking!!! We need to remember to leave ROOM for stuff to bring back as well, but on the other hand.... Isn't that what the Postal Service is for (he he he)! So much to do and so much to pack, so little time to do it and so little space to do it in!

If you had only ONE outfit to wear for 2 weeks, what would it be? 

And the Journey Begins...

We started this journey after Big Jack (Grandfather, Ex-Grandfather In-Law & Great Grandfather) gave us the trip of ANYWHERE in the world to go... just the four of us. After much debate, lists of pros/cons and decision making... WE CHOSE EUROPE.

Meet Trish: "Want to do it ALL Extrordinar". Mom to 2 of the cutest boys and wife to a guy who is willing to watch the sweet rugrats while on this 13 day excursion. Plans to shop, eat, shop, sightsee, shop, picture take & did we mention...SHOP her way around Europe!

Meet Lea Anne: "Hardest Working Mom Chauffeur". Mom to 2 of the prettiest girls going on the trip. Never traveled out of the country and looking for an adventure of a life-time!

Meet Carson: "Sweetest Rising Senior". Teenage dreamer with plans to make this world a happy place. In Europe, her goals are seeing more sights and artwork which she's learned about in school... and walking on a  REAL soccer field in England.

Meet Hunter: "Social Shopper Icon". Cell phones, shopping and friends are LIFE. She plans to spend her way through Europe and learning a lot about the cute boys abroad.

Half way through the planning stages, Pierina (Trish's son's nurse), found her way and made the perfect fit for our group on tour!!! It is a gift from her parents after graduating nursing school!

Meet Pierina: "Most Loving Computer Geek". She strives to find the most information for her patients care while going above and beyond the ordinary for CARING!!! She has traveled to Italy several times, but plans to relax, help  and enjoy the trip to other countries this go-around... even if she has to pull up a few new apps along the way.