Our final two days in London were just as non-stop as the previous days we spent in Ireland and London. You can rest on the plane ride home, right!? Since our London hotel had a gym, Ryan and I figured we should take advantage of the equipment and sneak in an early morning workout – the first of our trip – before heading out into the city for the day.
After more than a week away from the gym, it felt good to lift some weights and sweat, even though neither of us had a particularly butt kickin’ workout.
Once we were done at the gym, we showered and ate a quick hotel breakfast before taking the underground into the city. We had plans to join a group on a Sandeman’s walking tour through London.
Blog reader Becky recommended the free walking tour to me and I want to give her a big hug because it was AWESOME. (The tour is free, but you are supposed to tip your guide at the end with what you think the tour was worth. It seemed like everyone wasn’t shy about generously tipping because it was wonderful.)
Sandeman’s offers free walking tours in tons of different cities including Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona. While we waited for our tour to begin, Ryan and I chatted with a small group of students who were in London studying abroad who told us that the London tour was going to be their third experience with Sandeman’s tours. After our tour finished, Ryan and I agreed that we’ll definitely look into Sandeman’s tours in the future if we’re ever in a city where they’re offered again. Such a great experience!
Our tour guide, John, had so much energy and his enthusiasm for London and knowledge of fun facts kept us entertained for the two and a half hour tour. The stories he told were informative but funny and I loved the fact that we were able to walk around the city without glancing at a map every 2.5 seconds.
One of the first stops of the tour was the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
John told us not to expect to see the queen because she wasn’t at home. He could tell she was away because the Royal Standard flag wasn’t flying. (Fun fact!) I still kept an eye out for William, Catherine and Harry during our time in London, but they were no where to be seen either. What the heck, guys!?
The tour took us all over London, to the Wellington Arch, St. James’s Park, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Nelson’s Column, Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards Parade and more. I cannot recommend it enough!
Since it was just before 2 p.m. when the tour concluded and Ryan and I were feeling quite cold, we decided to walk around in search of afternoon tea to warm us up! We remembered the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel and popped into the tea room at Fortnam & Mason.
We decided to share the savory afternoon tea.
I had a pot of the green tea with elderflower and loved it.
The light bites that came with our afternoon tea were delicious. My favorites included the coronation chicken sandwich (it tasted like curried chicken salad) and the mushroom tart.
Along with our savory selection, we ordered a side of two sweet scones with clotted cream, jam and lemon curd (I am officially in love with clotted cream) and cake.
It was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up!
Since we still had several hours before our next commitment, we spent some time walking around before grabbing a quick bite to eat and a cup of hot cocoa at a local cafe. And then it was time for a show!
The day before, we purchased half-price tickets to see One Man, Two Guvnors and arrived at the theatre 20 minutes before the show.
We were glad we got there early because we loved the live music!
The show was absolutely hilarious and included a lot of crowd involvement and improv comedy. We laughed a lot!
After the show, we headed back to the hotel and had no trouble sleeping soundly that night! It was a fun and full day!
***
World Autism Awareness Day
Before signing off for the evening, I wanted to take a minute to share some facts about autism since today is Autism Awareness Day and April is Autism Awareness Month. 
A few blog readers emailed me about this day and their stories were very moving.
- Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys
- Autism prevalence figures are growing
- Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
- Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average
- Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
- Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have autism
- There is no medical detection or cure for autism
To learn more about autism or ways you can be involved, please visit AutismSpeaks.org.
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hey julie, you and ryan just missed TOM CRUISE in dublin. he was there a day or two ago promoting his new movie and went to the guiness tower like you! they probably shut the whole place down just for him. thought you would find that interesting. also, thanks for reminding me about world autism day. i am an elementary school counselor and see first hand how under diagnosed and over diagnosed some students are with this spectrum disorder. in the short 9 years that i have been working, it seems as though we have had an increase in the number of students who could be labeled as such.
The Sandeman’s free walking tour in Berlin is the most incredible tour I’ve been on–anywhere. When you and Ryan go back to Europe, definitely check it out! The one in Dublin was good too. I love that company!
I’m so glad you loved the Sandeman’s tour! It’s a great mix of history and seeing the city, and the guides are phenomenal. It sounds like you guys had an amazing time 🙂 You’re making me nostalgic for my Europe trip! I hope you and Ryan aren’t experiencing too much jet lag!
That is exactly how I felt in Asia, constantly walking everywhere made me lose more weight then working out these past couple of months! Love your pictures so cool! Love + Shine CourtStar
I have enjoyed reading your trip posts. My parents are over in London and Scotland right now with one of my sons seeing a lot of the same things you and your husband did. It has been 7 years since I was in London and I miss it. Especially the clotted cream and scones!
Thank you for the part about World Autism Awareness Day. Two of my three boys have Austim and it has certainly been an interesting journey.
Two things: may have been my husband you saw (he’s in the Band of the Welsh Guards) and they don’t fly the flag anymore for security reasons. x
I’m planning a trip to Europe next Spring and loved your recommendations. I’ll definitely have to check out The Sandeman’s tour!
My husband and I are going to London in June- we will def be doing that walking tour! I did that one when I was in Paris and had a great experience as well. I’m sooo excited!
Thanks for the walking tour tip! My boyfriend and I thinking of heading to London this summer and it seems like a great way to see the big sights! We were thinking of going to Scotland but we are considering Ireland, too–would you have spent more time in Britain or did you absolutely adore Ireland? I would also love to see a post about what you packed for Ireland and what your thoughts were about your trip–I really enjoyed reading those posts about your previous trip to Europe!!