London, the Last Port

 May 5, 2025

Greenwich, England

Time to say goodbye. --

I'll go with you to countries I never saw and shared with you, now, yes, I shall experience them.

I'll go with you on ships across seas which, I know, no, no, exist no longer;

it's time to say goodbye. -- with you I shall experience them.

~Andrea Bocelli

Our last port day started with a leisurely cruise up the muddy Thames. Our berth was the most unusual tie-up we've ever experienced. The Sky was snugged up next to a cement wharf in the middle of river. We debarked onto this solid base, then boarded a smaller vessel that took us for the four minute, straight shot trip to the disembarkation spot on the bank of the river. (I fretted a bit about how this arrangement would work when we actually had to leave the Sky on the next day with all our carry-ons and medical equipment in tow but I worried for nothing. It ran like clockwork. However, we were ever so glad we'd paid to have our big suitcases shipped home via Luggage Forward. We're enough to deal with just on our own!)

Our excursion today was a visit to the Tower of London. When the kids were 8 & 6, we took our first trip to the UK and the Tower was a highlight. Our girls were fascinated and they surprised the Beefeater who was giving us a tour. Upon finding out we were from North Carolina at that time, he asked the girls if they knew the connection between the Tower and NC. 

"Sure," #1 Daughter said. "Sir Walter Raleigh was in prison here, but we named our capital after him." (Those were our homeschooling years. I was so proud!)

I have to confess however, that this visit without the girls was filled with memories instead of actually focusing on what I was seeing. Of course, it may have been that my homing beacon was pinging pretty loudly by then. That said, we did enjoy seeing the crown jewels, and the suits of armor on display. Something new was a series of wire animals--monkeys and lions mostly--cavorting on the tops of some walls, a nod to the ghosts of Royal Menageries past. 

People have asked me about our experience on Viking overall since this was our second world cruise with the carrier. I suspect that is a subject for another post because our 2022 voyage was so unusual. Traveling in the Time of Covid meant we were cossetted and protected and pampered at every turn. The ship was half full as opposed to at capacity in 2022.

 It's hard to give a definite thumb's up or thumb's down. I will discuss this conundrum in a later post. 

But for now, please enjoy the DH's London montage!