Visiting London, England

My husband and I had been traveling as mentioned in previous posts.  When we arrived back in London we had just a few days to make the most of our visit.

I was looking forward to taking my camera out and about and trying to capture some of the amazing beauty of London.

The hotel provided a buffet breakfast with everything anyone could wish for their breakfast.  We enjoyed that delicious breakfast and then we were on our way.  In our coming and going from the hotel I had noticed so many perfect picture opportunities and knew we did not have to walk very far to find them.

The Grosvenor House Marriott Hotel in London
across from Hyde Park.

We have enjoyed seeing the beautiful flowers in window-boxes and on balconies.

Just as I was trying to photograph all the pretty flowers and blue bicycles,  along came this quaint English looking taxi-cab helping to make this photo look even more "English.". 

About two blocks from the front of our hotel were these beautiful petunias cascading all down the wrought-iron fence surrounding this building.  They were enough to take your breath away.   I took several photos of these flowers and it is hard to tell which one is my favorite.

This light post just looks so  charmingly "English."

There were many of these entrances to what looked like apartments or they might be private homes.

Each one was very different and very pretty.  

There were many more all around the area and they were all very unique.

Fence posts on a pretty wrought-iron fence as we walked down the street.

A pretty entrance with lots of flowers.

This entrance has a very "English" look with those stately boxwood plants trained in a spiral shape.

Some more pretty flowers and ivy.

More pretty fence posts.

We saw a lot of bicycles.

More pretty entrances.

As we walked around we saw a lot of these red London telephone booths.

The red phone booths are called phone boxes in London and are considered a British icon.

While I was taking a photo of the phone booth a big double-decker bus came down the street.  

Those buses are another landmark for London.

We walked across the street to Hyde Park.  This park is one of London's eight Royal Parks and has 350 acres.  It is known for a number of famous landmarks,  one of which is the Memorial Fountain in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Marble Arch in Hyde Park is one of the famous landmarks in Hyde Park.  Construction on this Arch began in the early 1800s.

Marble Arch

On the side street beside Hyde Park you can purchase tickets to ride the double-decker bus.  It is a hop on, hop off bus.  We hopped on and rode all over the city noting where we wanted to return to visit and take pictures.

Pigeons in Hyde Park.

Interesting buildings in downtown London.

We decided to hop off when we reached the historic Harrods Department Store.  We just wanted to take a walk around and see what it was like.  We had heard it was a "must-see" while in London.

The outside of the building looks very old.

The British flag is a pretty sight.

The store sits on five acres, has seven floors, has over 330 departments, 27 eateries, a bank,  a pharmacy,  a gift shop and includes what they call a Food Hall.

We ended up in the Gift Shop and the Food Hall, which included a Flower Shop.

The Flower Shop had such beautiful flowers as shown in the below photos.

I have never seen such unusually colored roses.  How about those beautiful purple on white roses.

The Gift Shop had all kinds of English souvenirs.

The Food Hall included several restaurants plus a deli.  The decor is very pretty 

with green crystal chandeliers and artwork on the ceiling.

The cakes and pastries also were works of art.

I will have one of each,  please!

Heading on back toward our hotel we saw another Marble Arch in Hyde Park.

A very "English" looking entrance gate along the way.

Back at the hotel someone had pulled in with not one, but two Lamborghinis.

Our grandsons would have loved to see these cars.

We closed the day with a two-block-walk over to Scott's Seafood Restaurant, which was recommended by the hotel concierge.  The food there was very good!

What a nice way to end the day being greeted in such a welcoming way by the doorman at Scott's Restaurant.  He was so friendly and had such a big happy smile.   Now, he really does look like an Englishman doesn't he!

Well! That ends our very interesting day walking around in London, England.  It was so much fun taking my camera trying to capture some of the beauty in this amazingly historic city.  We zipped around London trying to make the most of our visit there.

Next, come along with us as we visit some of the better known landmarks of London. 

I hope you have been doing well and wish you a nice weekend wherever you may be.