Last Updated on March 20, 2023 by PowersToTravel
My biggest regret in my London planning is that I didn’t allot enough time for Westminster Abbey. I squeezed it in between arrival on the tube, and our Parliament visit at 10:20. Parliament required a timed visit, and there were very long lines in front of Westminster.
Lesson Learned – before getting into a line, even though it looks like the right line, ask! There’s no excuse not to ask, in England where they speak English. We stood in line for about fifteen minutes while waiting for Westminster to open. In boredom I wandered over to an attendant and learned that the line on the left was for non-London card holders (read that, slower access), and the line to the right was for London Card holders. I quickly grabbed Greg and rushed to the other line, which was now longer than the original. I hoped for speed, however.
Once we got inside, I found the Abbey to be ever so much more spectacular than expected. And not just spectacular, varietous. That’s my word for, “oh my goodness, there’s so much to see.” So many chapels, none of which we wanted to miss, as they were the chapels of kings and queens. Of Scottish heritage that I am, I needed to see all of the Scottish kings or queens who became English kings or queens, and of course the English kings that beat the Scottish, and then there’s King Edward the First and Second, from which my mother’s ancestry descends. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by the richness of the statuary, stone and fabric.
Unfortunately no interior pictures were allowed.
We didn’t take a guided tour, or even the audio tour, because I knew we would be limited in time. Sadly, we had to bolt out, and across the road to Parliament. Parliament was worth the pre-arranged timed-ticket. The guide was tremendous. Now when I see all the shows and movies with the House of Lords, etc, well, I’ve been there! I only wish we had arranged it for an hour or hour and a half later, to allow us to see Westminster Abbey better.
After Parliament, we wandered a bit looking for a restaurant, never finding one. By this time the sky had cleared and the texture of the Westminster exterior emerged.
