May 7, 1969 London, England

Well, our plans to visit Buckingham Palace got shifted aside yesterday due to the rain, so today we head in that direction again.  We walk through Green Park

By Jordan 1972 [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

and up to Hyde Park.

By Punx [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
I made a note the Hyde Park has a lovely outhouse.  Really?

We spend a bit of time looking for the Marble Arch.

By Kristina Dimitrova [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

And then it was back to the Palace that we had passed earlier so that we may watch the changing of the guard.

By AlanEisen [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Now, part of travel is meeting folks from other places.  So there I am, standing at the fence and I start talking to the guy next to me.  Wouldn't you know it?  He is from Detroit and graduated from the same university.

After the changing of the guard we again walked through Green Park and took a subway to Piccadilly Circus.  I am not sure what I expected at the time, but I wrote it down as being a disappointment and did not say why.  We then walked to St. James Park and on to Trafalgar Square.  My diary says that I took pictures of the Square, National Gallery, the fountains of St. Martin in the Fields... Alas, here is Wikipedia to the rescue.

Thomas Bredøl, [CC BY 2.5 dk], via Wikimedia Commons

We left the area and got back on the subway to visit St. Paul's Cathedral.  (I do not know about you, but I am already tired out and I am just sitting here typing.)  What I do remember is that it was difficult to get a good picture.

By Zeisterre [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons
I realize now that it was because we were trying to take the picture from the side with the dome.

My diary says that the altar was 'just beautiful', all carved oak and dedicated to the overseas soldiers who fought in WW II.  It was dedicated in 1958 and is the American Memorial Chapel.  Lots of pictures here.

My diary actually says we were finally exhausted.  Went back to the hotel and fell asleep.  Then got up for dinner - beans on toast and sausage - 25 cents.  Total spent today: $2.10

May 6, 1969 London, England

First line in the diary for today: "Awoke and had breakfast in the hotel".  Funny how food was on my mind even way back then.  And the next thing on my mind?  The weather.  Seems it was raining.  Oh, right.  It was spring and I was in London.

We started walking from our hotel and got as far as Hyde Park when we decided to get out of the rain and take the subway to the British Museum - where I noted that we saw the Magna Carta.

By Ham [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5 ], from Wikimedia Commons

After all these years I still remember walking up those stairs.  And there is a reason.  Before my friend Sharlene and I left to go on our trip she wanted to visit a psychic.  So we went to this woman who told us that she saw lots of steps in our future.  As you read through this accounting of our trip you will see that she was absolutely right.

Leaving the museum we then went to see the Tower of London.

Thomas Bredel via Wikimedia Commons

We saw the crown jewels and the execution site of Anne Boleyn.  The good and the gory.
From there we went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.  Somehow I have totally forgotten that but the diary says I enjoyed the Chamber of Horrors.  More gory stuff.

Back at our hotel we discovered that our room had sprung a leak in the ceiling.  Management blamed it on those 'Americans and their baths'.

I will mention at this point that I traveled with one large suitcase.  I brought only three dresses to  Europe.  Well, 1969, women were not wearing a lot of slacks were they?  I also brought a raincoat that could double as a robe.  Everything was hand washable.  Also in the suitcase were several rolls of toilet paper.  More about that later, lol.

Total expenses: $6.37

May 5, 1969

I arrive in London's Heathrow Airport at 12:30 PM.  My diary says that I took a bus to the TWA terminal in the city.  What is that all about?  I have no idea.  Anyway, I also commented that we passed the Queen and her escort on the way into the city.  I do remember that being pointed out to us.

From whatever that terminal was we took a cab to the Hansel and Gretel Hotel at 68 Belgrave, London, SW.  I looked it up and it is now part of the Sidney Hotel with a three-star rating.  When we stayed there it was a basic pensione.  I do remember that we had a wonderful English breakfast.  I also remember a picture of the room where the two of us barely fit.

I am not sure how we were able to do anything after the long haul getting there, but my diary says that we visited Westminster Abbey.

By Σπάρτακος [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

We also visited Parliament and saw Big Ben.

By Mайкл Гиммельфарб (Mike Gimelfarb) [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

My diary says that not only were we staying in the Westminster borough, but that we walked all over it.  I spent $5.00.  And so ends day one.