{"id":12223,"date":"2014-06-27T05:56:12","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T09:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=12223"},"modified":"2014-06-27T05:56:12","modified_gmt":"2014-06-27T09:56:12","slug":"here-we-go-again-2014-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=12223","title":{"rendered":"Here We Go Again…….2014 Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

After an absolutely luscious night of deep sleep, we awoke to a beautiful view \"DSCN7140\"<\/a>from the Stark Penthouse, deep in the heart of London. \u00a0Though we could not hear the music, we are sure we saw the chimney sweepers scurrying from the rooftops.<\/p>\n

Our host fixed us a bikers breakfast (eggs, back rashers, toast, melon etc., etc.), as if we are refueling from \u00a0a weeks worth of 100 mile rides. \u00a0Still working out the cobwebs from the red-eye flight, as well as the bugs in the camera equipment, so we missed the meal photo.<\/p>\n

Finally made it out of the door by eleven for a leisurely tour of London. \u00a0“Leisure” by most people’s standards\u00a0would be to hop on a double decker bus and watch the sites go by. \u00a0Taking a tour led by Morgan, is much like Jerry leading a tour……on bike, at breakneck pace in heavy traffic coming from every direction (all from\u00a0the wrong side of the road); no problem<\/em>! \u00a0We were looking forward to seeing all the sites that London is famous for, with all her pomp and circumstance; so naturally this was our first stop.\"photo-12\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Silly idea, but it made for good laughs.\"photo-gir.\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We quickly adjusted to the mass hysteria that constitutes traffic in any big city,\"DSCN7012\"<\/a>taking pictures as we rode and enjoying being back on the bikes;<\/p>\n

\"DSCN7015\"<\/a> stopping only as necessary for important<\/em> picture taking.\"DSCN7073\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, we did manage pictures of The Tower Bridge,\"photo-4\"<\/a> taken while standing on The London Bridge, the Shard,\"DSCN7061\"<\/a>St. Paul’s Cathedral\"DSCN7040\"<\/a><\/p>\n

a city street dating from 1293, \"DSCN7056\"<\/a>though we believe this fountain is a bit more contemporary. \u00a0We stopped at the remains of Christchurch Greyfriars, \"DSCN7034\"<\/a>creatively redesigned as a living garden in perfect harmony with architecture of the former Wren Church from the 13th century.\"DSCN7036\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There were sites\u00a0to see everywhere;\"DSCN7029\"<\/a>\u00a0I missed whoever had just walked by, but pretty sure the boys got a good look.\"DSCN7050\"<\/a><\/p>\n

While covering a good bit of the famous sites, British color \"DSCN7063\"<\/a>and character were never far away.\"photo-11\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We wheeled past Sherlock Holmes’\u00a0home\"DSCN7005\"<\/a> and Maxwell Smart’s office.\"DSCN7038\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It was getting late, so we flew by the Eye of London \"DSCN7091\"<\/a>in order to reach Big Ben on today’s tour.\"DSCN7093\"<\/a>But as you can see by the clock, all we had time for was a quick kiss\"photo-5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

and photo of Parliament \"photo-13\"<\/a>before our date with the Queen.<\/p>\n

When\u00a0the boys realized\u00a0that “tea” with the Queen did not include adult beverages, we did a quick circle around Buckingham Palace\"photo-7\"<\/a> and scurried into\u00a0London rush hour\u00a0traffic past Horse Guards Parade \"DSCN7117\"<\/a>and back to the Stark Casa. \u00a0Our\u00a0seven hour, 19 mile tour was a great introduction to this city of nine million people.<\/p>\n\n\t\t