As mentioned previously, Seapine Software has an office in Kew, near Kew Gardens:
Given our office’s location, and Claudine’s desire to see the Cotswolds’ (aka Merry Old England) our sight seeing would be focused on this the highlighted area.
Our flight to the UK was mostly uneventful. We left Dayton Ohio around 2pm headed for Washington DC. In DC we had a short layover and boarded the flight to London on time, then were held on the runway for about an hour due to weather.
We got into London, picked up our Rental car, and headed to the office. The first few miles driving on the wrong side of the road, after 10 hours of flying and little sleep is always tricky.
I talked with the guys in the office, and prepped the hardware that I was going to replace that evening, while Claudine visited Kew Gardens.
She returned to Kew and we had a late lunch at Pizza Express next to the office:
Then she went out shopping and touring Richmond area while I worked that evening. We ate a late dinner at the hotel/restaurant. Dinner was good.
On Thursday I returned to the Office, for the first half of the day. Claudine returned to Kew Gardens, apparently it’s an amazing place.
That afternoon we took the tube to Covent Gardens for a little shopping, and entertainment. It was about the only time it rained on us and it didn’t rain much.
The street performers were out:
The market was nice, very busy, and if you know me you know just how much I love a good crowd of people.
We had dinner with Ashley and his family at a pub in Richmond that evening. The obligatory food shot:
On Friday our first real FREE tourist day we got up early and headed downtown London to the Tower. We were told to get there early, get tickets, get in and head straight for the crown jewels so that’s exactly what we did. It was raining when we got off the train so we bought tickets and umbrellas.
They are in the midst of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the start of World War 1 and have planted 888,246 ceramic poppies, one for each casualty in the war on the grounds of The Tower.
It was quite amazing.
Sorry, no photos of the crown jewels but you can read about them at the link. They are rather impressive. That 500+ carat diamond, well I didn’t think it was real, but it is.
Inside the main tower armory they have a really impressive display of armor.
After the Tower tour we walked across the Tower Bridge to another market.
That’s right, another CROWDED market, full of goodness but the lines were incredible, unless you wanted bread 
We had planned to eat there and I decided to grab a burger at one of the stands. Claudine headed off to another vendor. I stood there for 30+ minutes and never moved in the queue and I was only like 5th in line. When the guy in front of me ordered basically what I was going to order and it was 20 quid, I lost it. No way, no how am I going to spend essentially $35US on a burger and fries, it just can’t be that good. After being ignored for about 35 minutes and bumped into about 45 times cause this particular vendor was on the main drag, that was it. I was out. No more crowded markets for me, just don’t see the attraction.
We walked back across the river to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
Then up through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace
Then back on the train back to Kew to grab the car and go to one of my favorite places over there. Pincho. It’s like tradition for me to eat there when I visit.
This would be our last day in London, tomorrow we head out for the Cotswolds’ and Bath.