Tuesday June 17, 2008
London

Today was a special day for us all. We started out this morning with a tour of the Royal Albert Hall! As they took us into the auditorium, there was a kind of reverence that overtook us all and this was the quietest I have seen this group. It was absolutely amazing to be there. Our guides took us upstairs to the “Royal Box” and then let us look around in the Royal Reception Room. How thrilling for us Americans to be standing in the very room where the Queen waits when she comes to the Royal Albert Hall!

Here is the group in front of Prince Albert's statue:

After we all recovered from that experience (spending money in the gift shop speeded the recovery process!) we headed our for a free day in the city.
I asked around and found out that collectively, this is what we saw:

The National Gallery
Harrods
Tower of London
The Royal Mews (the Royal horses and carriages)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Evensong at Westminster Abbey
Henley on the Thames
King Tut Exhibit
Queen's Gallery
Ride in a London "black cab"
Picnic in Hyde Park
Kensington Palace
Gardens in Kenisington Palace
Kensington Palace's Debutante Exhibit
Museum of Diana's gowns
Diana's Memorial Fountain
The London Eye
Hardrock London
Andrew Lloyd Webber's office

And the shows some of us saw on the West End were:
Lion King
Les Miserables
Chicago
Spamalot

So, as you can see it was a busy day! We're having a great time. Spending the night again in London tonight and then heading back to Leeds tomorrow morning.