On Saturday morning we took the tube straight to Westminster Station and took some pictures of Big Ben and the London Eye. I can't tell you how disappointed I was that Big Ben was covered up with scaffolding! I'm glad I was able to see the clock tower in all its glory last time, but I felt so bad for Zach that he didn't really get to see it. Oh well.. I guess that means we'll just have to go back! :)
From there we walked over to Westminster Abbey and spent an hour or two walking around the beautiful cathedral. Zach has said that this was one of his favorite parts of the whole trip. He loved seeing all of the burial stones scattered across the floor, particularly Winston Churchill's, who is one of Zach's favorite historical figures. I loved seeing all of the royal tombs for many of the Kings and Queens of England including Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, and Henry V. Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures inside the Abbey, but I did get a few shots of the grounds.
Next we had lunch at a fish and chips place called The Laughing Halibut. Last time I was in London I wasn't super impressed with the fish and chips that I had so I made sure to do a little research this time and find a place with good reviews. This place did not disappoint! Zach and I both got a nice piece of cod and, like most British food, it just needed a little bit of extra salt and it was perfect. I really don't understand why Brits under-season their food so much!
We then took a train from Victoria Station down to Lingfield in Surrey to attend a session at the London Temple. Let me tell you... Lingfield is gorgeous! Probably the most beautiful part of England I've ever visited. I wish we could have spent more time there. I'm glad we took a few little trips outside the city. Next time we go I want to spend all of our time exploring the countryside.
The London Temple was a bit simpler inside than some of the newer temples we've visited since it was built back in the 1950's. It was very nice to take a break from all of the touristy stuff and just relax and enjoy the quiet spirit of the temple. It felt a little bit like an American bubble because about half of the people there were American. We even shared a taxi with a man from Utah from the train station and back.
When we got back to London later that evening we had dinner at Market Hall Victoria. It basically was like a trendy, hipster food court. It was super loud and completely the opposite of the temple haha. But it was nice because we were both able to get the kind of food we wanted. Zach got some vegan pad thai and I got a kebab with chicken. So good.
We headed back to the hotel and tried to gear up for our last full day in London, which was a doozy!
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