One of my favorite vacations was with my daughter, Ashley, and my husband in London, England. It was June years back, and my husband said let’s go to London in August. I feared it wasn’t enough time to make plans and book hotels and flights, but we had promised Ashley a European vacation instead of a Bat Mitzvah, and I wanted to take her before she graduated college, so I agreed. I yearned to see Paris, but my husband was leery because of the unfriendliness American tourists encountered there. Thinking back, I regret not visiting Paris since it was only a boat ride away.
This is our hotel according to their brochure: “Situated in the heart of London on the bank of the River Thames, Plaza on the River provides 90 generously sized suites with exquisite views of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. A short walk from Vauxhall Station, our South Bank hotel puts guests within easy reach of the famous West End, the financial district, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Tate Britain, and other beloved attractions.”
In reality, to reach Westminster Abbey and the other sites, there is a long walk to a bridge and then more of a walk once you cross it. It would have been much easier if we had stayed on the other side. Since we didn’t book a tour, we spent time on buses and trains.
Ashley was with me, so it was worth the swollen legs and feet. Lymphedema and walking don’t go hand in hand.
To see London’s sights, we walked across this small bridge. We were on the same side as the London Eye but never made it there.
Ashley at Westminster Abbey on our walk. Behind her, there’s a statue of a man riding a horse.
Wherever we went, there were statues. Some elaborate and a few strange ones.
The statues served as great rest stops on our walking tours. The gold one was near Buckingham Palace.
I believe the goat statue stood in the quaint town near Windsor Castle.
We walked passed this statue on our walks across the bridge.
This statue gave me a good laugh since it stuck out like a sore thumb among London’s serious architecture and sculptures. I never learned the purpose of the blue rooster. Was it the year of the blue rooster somewhere?
The following two pictures are of sculptures at the London Tower. I’ll share photos of the London Tower in my next post. I found so many images of statues in my album that I wanted to share them separately.
Does London have a statue fetish? I only visited a few sites but found more statues than anything else. I’ll let you be the judge.
SUSANNE LEIST 
Hi Susanne! Wow, that blue rooster really is colorful! I do kind of like all the animal statues, but your right…that DOES seem like a lot! You and your daughter look so happy. Thanks for sharing! : )
Best wishes,
Donna M Atwood
D M Atwood
https://www.dmatwood.com
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This is the only vacation I spent with Ashley without Stephanie. It was great since we are so much alike. Stephanie was already married, so it’s not as if we left her alone at home.
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Hi, Susanne,
I have visited London and I love it. I think you would have enjoyed Paris too.
The French are a little bit cool to all who don’t speak their language. If you speak one or two sentences in French, then they love you. And I’m talking from experience.
Shalom aleichem
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I’d have to learn a few French phrases. I recently watched Emily in Paris on Netflix, and now I’m eager to see Paris. And Venice. Greece. Italy. I have a list. I’m hoping for Paris.
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You Go, Girl! I don’t know how far Venice is from Paris but Venice is in Italy and maybe you could do a two country visit.
Shalom aleichem
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Hi Suzanne,you are so right.London has many historical statues along with the modern. The city encourages all the ‘arty,farty’ folk to do their bit,such as the blue chicken.The description of your hotel was misleading. I do hope you mentioned to management. Pity you missed Paris. If you get another chance to go there,don’t miss it you will not regret the trip.
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When my daughter visited Paris, I begged her to come along, even in her suitcase. She didn’t go for that, and I’ll have to hitch a ride somewhere else. Or rob a bank.
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Susanne, not sure what all those statues mean! Fun post!
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Thanks. And a blue chicken day to you!
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Hi, Susanne! Love the many statues in London, especially the goat and the blue rooster. The monkeys were cute, too. I spent a week there as a teen. It was quite the adventure! I’m glad you took your daughter. She’ll never forget it.
Blessings!
Patty
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Next stop, Paris. I hope.
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Hi Susanne–This brings back memories of when we went to London in 1979. My father-in-law was a pilot for TWA, and he had to retire at the age of 60 back then. We all joined as a group in London and then he flew us back to New York City on his final flight home. It was bittersweet for him. He loved his job. He always said, “Sure beats working.” He was a lovely man.
I was just talking about the Tower of London a couple of weeks ago with one of the students I read to at one of the elementary schools. He was reading a book by an author, Mac Barnett, about a kid who’s a spy for Queen Elizabeth. I told him about the Tower and how it once had a moat around it. He didn’t know what a moat was, so I pulled out my phone and showed him. I told him the Crown Jewels were kept there and that King Charles III would be wearing the king’s crown when they have his coronation in May. “He’s already the king,” he replied, “why doesn’t he wear the crown now?” “He does,” I explained, but it’s a simple crown. They do this big ceremony called a coronation and it will be in May. You will probably be able to watch it on TV.” He asked me if I would take him to London some day. “If I win the lottery,” I said, “and that’s a big IF.”
When we were there, we went to the Cecil Sharpe House, which is the receptacle for traditional folk music in London. We went to a concert one night, too. A few weeks after we came home, we saw the same duo whom we’d seen in London at a local concert venue. I would love to go back.
I have always wanted to go to Paris. My next novel has someone promising to take a person to Paris. I don’t think I’ll ever make it. I’m getting a little too old…
Thanks for the photos. I love your reminisces.
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I have so many places I want to visit, and Paris is at the top of the list. I’m old and swollen, but I’d go and walk slowly carrying a big stick (for the train passengers).
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I’ve never been to London (yet), but I have been to Paris. Paris is one of the few places where I found kind French people. There were other places in France where they were downright rude. But to be perfectly honest, except for the Louvre Museum, Paris was underwhelming for me. I think it was so hyped up that I was a bit disappointed. Still, I’m sorry you didn’t get to go. I loved the pictures, Susanne!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
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I have more pictures for tomorrow of the palaces. My photos are sorted by number, so it took me hours to match them with the sites. I even watched a few online videos to see if I picked the correct buildings. And I almost forgot Kensington Castle, which I liked better than Buckingham Palace.
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