Hi Bell Parents and Friends,

This is a report for Day 4, Monday June 27, 2005.

We woke up to a beautiful day in London. Our hotel served us a continental breakfast of rolls, croissants, orange juice, tea, and coffee (cereal, eggs, and bacon were extra). ;-( We boarded our bus with a new driver, Alan, for our trip to St. Paul's Cathedral. Volunteer, Maurice, give us a quick, but inspiring tour of the Cathedral and its crypt. Thank you, Maurice! Afterward, the ringers set up in front of the main Cathedral doors for their concert. The ringers played an inspired and dynamic concert which was greatly appreciated by a large audience. Judy's daughter, Bonnie, and granddaughter joined us for this concert. We also had some of Sharon's family at the concert.

After putting the bells back on the bus, we changed into our casual attire and enjoyed lunch in the Cathedral's Crypt Cafe. (Be rest assured that the lunch meat was fresh and not crypt-preserved ;-).

After lunch, we were able to climb 259 steps to the Whispering Gallery at the base of the Cathedral dome. Some climbed another 268 steps to the Golden Gallery at the top of the dome. We then boarded the bus for a short trip to the Tower of London. The tower is an ancient fortress that attracts crowds with its macabre associations with legendary figures imprisoned and/or executed there. We were able to tour many parts including the Bloody Tower, the Crown Jewels, the White Tower, and others. It was after 5:30 PM when we finished, and we decided to call it a day and go back to our hotel.

All are doing well and enjoying our trip.

George