more London & Wicked fun

Back for a full day of sightseeing in London. We started our day at the gates of Buckingham Palace. The flag was up which signifies that the Queen is in residence. Why she didn't make an appearance could only mean one thing... she didn't know we were there.


We had the most lovely walk along St. James Park through the most glorious gardens. Beautiful bulbs in bloom everywhere!


Westminster Abbey was everything and more than I ever could have imagined. Simply in awe of such grandeur and history. Our friend Amy visited Miranda just days before we arrived and she recently posted about her Westminster Abbey experience. Check it out HERE. So amazing! Remember, she's a professional photographer... need I say more.


Parliament and Big Ben


Trafalgar Square


And finally... St. Paul's Cathedral


~ Oh my gosh, loved St. Paul's Cathedral! Climbed the 376 steps to the Stone Gallery and had a birds-eye view of London. Breathtaking.


~ St. Paul's Cathedral, which took nearly 35 years to build, is Christopher Wren's masterpiece.

~ At 360 feet, it is the second largest dome in the world after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.


~ Christopher Wren's design would later be the model for our Nation's Capitol building.

~ Princess Diana was married here. Who can forget her walking down that long aisle. I have now walked that aisle. The ceilings are works of art.


Needless to say, we had worked up an appetite. So across the street from St. Paul's is this darling French Pizzeria. It is there that we had the best pizza ever. By far, our favorite meal. I asked the waiter if the chef made a white pizza and he got so excited. Because even though it was not on the menu, the chef loves to make it if people ask. It was the best white pizza...


... followed by the best dessert I have ever had! Banoffee pie w/ ice cream. Get this! I just googled Banoffee pie and if you click on my link, it takes you to Paula Deen Cooking. She recently posted her favorite recipes from her London trip! And Banoffee pie is one of those recipes! So now you can make your own!


Back to the steps of St. Paul's, for one last photo op of Miranda and her beloved St. Paul.


And then it's back on the tube to WICKED!! Talk about a dream come true! WICKED in London! And the best seats ever!


OK, so when they got to the song Defying Gravity, I was like sobbing! I leaned over and told Miranda that she had defied gravity. She was doing the impossible. She was living out her dreams. By then we were both crying. It was the sweetest moment of our whole trip.
Listen to the song HERE... especially the last verse.
So proud of you Miranda.



Miranda snapped this pic of the three of us just before they raised the curtain. It was without a doubt the most entertaining musical... and our most memorable night.