Susan's ScrapbookMemories of Westminster Abbey and St.Pauls Cathedral Okay, so our first full day in London began by hopping on the bus & heading over to "the London Eye"I had heard about the long lineups to get on...but we were lucky & didn't wait at all!! It was a lovely view over London...hazy but fairly clear... From there we then travelled on to St.Paul's Cathedral..It was around lunch time & I couldn't get over all the Londoners sitting on the steps eating their lunches & laying around in the church side yards!!! It totally took away from the magnificent look of the Cathedral when there were construction workers with no shirts on, laying in front of the main doors of the church!!! I made a point of walking up all the steps..just as Diana did with the train billowing behind me! It was so surreal! You do not enter the church at the great main doors, you go in from a side door...once we got in I was disapointed to see that alot of it was partitioned off, as they were doing maintenace. You couldn't see straight up the aisle, it was blocked off. We also could not stand under the dome, it was blocked off...so that took away from it all. It was hard to imagine the wedding party there.. We walked up to the whispering gallery & looked down at where Charles & Diana took their vows...lots of people up there, too... We went down stairs to the tombs..there is also a gift shop & cafeteria there...I told mom it felt odd to be eating our lunch with the tombs!! They had a Diana book in the shop, which I bought! From there we headed over to the Tower of London..then took a boat cruise (free with your bus ticket) back to the Parliament buildings. We had planned on going into Westminster Abbey from there...but they had already taken their last admission at 3:45 p.m. So I just stood & looked...& went back to that sad day of the funeral..again so hard to believe I was actually there... By this time we were tired out so we headed back to Hyde park & relaxed by the Serpentine..then back to the hotel. I did a bit of shopping near our hotel...was very disapointed at the very few items available on Diana...some stores had nothing... When I was younger it was always my dream to come to London & see all the Diana souveneirs...Now that I was finally there ...nothing. I did find one shop with more things..so I bought them up..thimbles, bookmarks, cache box, mini teapot , keychains, etc. still very surprised at how little Diana there was available.. So that was Thursday..Friday we went to K.P.. first thing in the morning. From K.P. we walked thru the parks , past Buckingham Palace & over to Westminster Abby . We had to wait in line to go in there..the only time we actually had to wait long. again, you enter from a side door, so the first thing I did was head off to find where Diana's body rested & where the families sat, etc. They have parts partitioned off, so it was quite a maze to get there!! Once I did... I sat on one of the chairs there & just stared & thought about it all...The pulpit where the Earl gave his eulogy was right in front of me...Unbelievable for me to think about it all now! I walked around the tomb of the unknown soldier & thought about her body being carried around it...just as I had done in St.Paul's..walking down the aisle & hearing the joyful music around & looking down the steps picturing all the crowds cheering... Now I was visualizing the funeral....coming out the main door & seeing all the flowers on the gates.. We stood where the hearse waited for her body....so hard to believe I was there.... I just kept looking & looking at the book store & that door...a day I will never forget... The book store also sells souveneirs..no Diana though. After the Abby we headed up past horseguards parade & watched the changing of the guard there...then it was back on the bus & over to "Harrods".. Mom didn't think we should go in..I told her I was ..so she followed! I asked where the Diana Memorial was..& went off to find it..on the bottom floor past the Harrods gift area..there was no one else there when I first entered..so I had a good look..then swarms of people turned up!! It is lovely...although I thought the wine glass from their last night was a tad creepy...& the sign with it going on about their love for each other was a bit dramatic..thats Mohammed I guess! I enjoyed seeing the memorial though... We went by Harvey Nichols..but I didn't go in....I knew San Lorenzo was in that area..but didn't know where..& the feet were giving out by this time!! So it was nice to see it in Barb's pix! We headed back thru Kensington Gardens to our hotel after that...It was amazing how the hours flew by...half the time we missed supper completely as we were too busy!! ~~Susan~~