We were fortunate enough to tour Buckingham Palace today with a superb audio guide. After being on several tours during the last three weeks, it is without question that a good audio guide can make a tour much more enjoyable. Several hall and state rooms in the Palace are open to the public for only a few months each year. The grandeur of the Palace is just indescribable, from the paintings and the tapestries, to the furniture and the ceilings. The audio guide also gave additional information about some of the pieces on display. This summer's tour features exhibits from the Royal Wedding of William and Kate. Pictures and video recap the events of the April ceremony at Westminster Abbey. But the real draw of the exhibit is Kate's wedding dress, with comments by the designer. Also on display are her shoes, earrings, and bouquet, as well as a replica of the wedding cake. It was fun to think back about watching the wedding, never realizing that I would see any of these things in person.
Our goodbye lunch was at the Hard Rock Cafe, the original one, which opened in 1971. I read a little history about the restaurant on a drink menu at the table. As the story goes, Eric Clapton was a big fan of the restaurant when it first opened. He asked the owners if he could have a plaque above a certain table to reserve his spot; they said no. However, they said they would hang one of his guitars there instead, and so started the collection of rock memorabilia in Hard Rock Cafe restaurants.
Well, it's been a great trip but I am looking forward to going home tomorrow. Our group certainly packed a lot into our three weeks in London. I think I would like to go back to several of our destinations, just for an extended visit. I'm also looking forward to watching the 2012 Olympics after spending time in London.
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