hampton court palace
hampton court palace was a last minute add on to the trip. it is a ways out of the city, tube --> express train although i ended up having to do tube --> express train --> bus. i went with one of my coworkers who works in london. he'd never been either, but it's decently close to where he lives. it is quite the estate. manicured lawns, wild fields, beautiful buildings. a friend had recommended the maze warning that it was quite tricky. yes, my friend has a PhD. we definitely took a solid half hour in the maze, but getting to the end is great! we did a couple of the laid out tours. you tour through king henry viii bedroom and suites. you also can see queen mary ii and her husband's, william iii. they have a collection of about 10 tapestries, a mirror and maybe a painting that are second in value to the crown jewels. the one thing, we didn't get any type of audio guide, which might be helpful if they have it. most items weren't really marke...