Touring the Royal Britannia, Edinburgh

One day we had a jaunt out to Leith on the bus. The main attraction was to see the Royal Yacht Britannia – aka The Queen’s Boat, until it was decommissioned in 1997. There are now self-guided tours so you get to look round the whole thing, from living room to engine room!

It was fascinating to see how the Queen and the Royal Family lived on the boat – what decor they chose. It was also really interesting to see “below deck” – how the crew lived. It was an enormous operation to keep the Royal household running smoothly.

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He who is tired of London is tired of Life

… So said my Dad, although I don’t think he was the first one to say it – I think it was Samuel Johnson. Anyhoo, it is a fair comment. There’s a lot to do and see!

One of my favourite places in London is Southbank, by the Tate Modern. The Millennium bridge (which was a laughing stock when it was built as it was wobbly and they had to close it) is fabulous. The view of St Pauls and the towers of the City, against a brooding sky is stunning. The Tate Modern is cool (and free) but you do get searched on the way in which is a faff, especially if you’ve traveled a long way and you have a suitcase with you, which they insist on looking inside!

Also along the River Thames is the London Eye. In my view this is really overpriced at £19.50 for an adult. But if you can afford it, it’s a fantastic thing to do once-in-a-lifetime.