London, Day 2 - The City

DAY 2

Day 2 in London was my only full day in the city, so I knew I had to make the most of it.  After getting back to the hotel at 3am that morning, I was out on the streets by 8am (which actually became the norm), ready to see more of the sights.  It was another overcast and rainy day, but I like the rain, so I was good.  I hit up Trafalgar Square, then was making my way over towards Westminster then up to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards when I found the street was closed-off and scores of people were just standing on the edges of the road.  I asked the first group what they were doing and they didn't know, they just saw the crowds and stood there.  A few more people were the same, so I kept walking and tried to cross the street (to get to the other side, right?) but the bobbies wouldn't let me.  I asked the man, who replied that the queen was due any minute.  Nice!  I got to a good viewpoint and watched the horses and carriages come by as they took the queen and her court to Parliament to start the session.

The look towards Buckingham Palace (I got in trouble for being in the street, but they let me keep the photo :))

Your majesty, the Queen

I went straightway to Buckingham Palace, but the female bobby informed me that they weren't going to do the Changing of the Guards today since the queen wasn't there.  I was pretty sad, but they did fire off the cannons in the adjacent park about 100 times, so, being the guy I am, thought that was even better.  From there I went to Wellington Arch.  The only noteworthy thing I saw at the arch (there was no view whatsoever) was a pair of pigeons making out.  Wow, I've never gone to, or heck, even seen, that level of full-mouthed kissing, go pigeons!

Up next was the Duke's home, then on to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

After a nice lunch on the Serpentine (recreation water area), I wound my way down to Westminster Abbey.  I have to admit, I was pretty clueless to the significance of the Abbey - I just thought it was a church that they did weddings and coronations in and such.  I didn't know they buried (or commemorated) all those famous people there, such as: practically all the kings (and queens) for 600 years; Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Browning, Tennyson, Kipling, and many more.

I stayed for the evening prayer service, then took the long way to the London Eye to get above the city.

The sun popped out for the first time all day as I was on the Eye, which obscured my views of Parliament and the Abbey, but it was still cool to be so high above London.

I thought the view the other direction was pretty cool, too.

I ran up to Piccadilly Circus for dinner, then off to Les Mis, my second musical in two nights.  I love Les Mis, I've seen it on both coasts of the US, and really wanted to see it in London, and it didn't disappoint - it was a marvelous show (although a former student nailed the Gavroche part better than this kid).

One thing I love about big cities are the street performers, and London has its fair share.  I spent a couple hours at Piccadilly Square enjoying the sounds and sights and random people before heading back to the waterfront for the night.

Oh, and did I mention I did this?

Day 2 in the books!  Day 3, of course, is where the Hogwarts Express took me :)