The Trip: London Part 2

Ok so it has been a little while since my last post about the trip, life got in the way. Where did I leave off, oh yes I remember we toured The HMS Belfast which was fascinating with a long history which started in 1939 and continued until 1963. We wandered all around the ship and were able to see the different aspects of ship life. Next we went across to the Tower of London and spent several hours exploring the different buildings including a visit to the Crown Jewels. We stopped for Fish and Chips at a stand outside the Tower where we met a young lady from Italy who was visiting London to watch her father run in the London Marathon. After some pleasant conversation and a decent lunch we decided to jump on the tube and head for Big Ben.

Upon arriving at Parliament we discovered due to the marathon a good portion of the streets downtown were closed to vehicles. When else can you walk down the middle of Westminster Bridge and take pictures of the Parliament Buildings. We decided to walk and see the sights. We headed across the river and headed down Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square. along the way we stopped at Downing Street and Horse Guards Parade where the Trooping of the Color is held each year. Next we walked down The Mall and through Admiralty Arch and into Trafalgar Square.

After spending sometime looking around and taking pictures of the statues and buildings we continued to walk towards Piccadilly Circus and along the way we discovered a piece of Canadiana

so of course we stopped in for a donut. Next we reached Piccadilly Circus and after some wandering came upon a crowd which was gathered outside the theater hosting the World Premiere of the movie Flashbacks of a Fool starring Daniel Craig. We decided to hang out and see if we could see someone famous. After about 45 minutes the man himself , Daniel Craig made a quick exit and waved to the crowd before jumping into his car. After a very long day we decided to make our way back to our hotel. This was our first full day in London, up next Monday.

Our plans for Monday consisted of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, a visit to the Churchill War Rooms, the Guards Museum, The London Eye and Harrods. So we started the day by heading for The Tube (Mind the Gap) and Buckingham Palace. As we crossed Green Park we discovered a monument commemorating the contribution of Canada in the two World Wars. I did not even know it was there and was surprised when we found it. Next we headed for the Palace to get a good viewing place. After meeting some other tourists and waiting for about an hour and a bit a policeman informed the crowd that the Changing of the Guard was not taking place that day. Oh well best laid plans, we were off to the Guards Museum and Guards Chapel which honours the history of the five regiments of Guards. From here we headed to the Churchill War Rooms which were the underground rooms setup in World War II to house Winston Churchill and his Cabinet while they governed the country.

From the Cabinet Offices we headed over to the London Eye for a spin which lasts for about 30 minutes which in our case consisted of a torrential downpour making the observation a little difficult. From the London Eye we decided to head for the decadence of Harrods. After wandering around Harrods we found the food area and indulged in an ice cream from Morelli’s Gelato. While the treats were decadent they were not best Ice Cream treats I have ever had, far from it. After more wandering we headed back to hotel exhausted but satisfied.

Tuesday morning before we flew out to Tangier we headed back to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. After a long wait we were finally able to witness the pageantry of this grand ceremony. The ceremony while difficult to see due to the fence around the palace to say we saw the Changing of the Guard meant something special for me as I have always wanted to see it. Another thing to mark off the list. Next up is Tangier.