Day 35 London

Another slow start as we are off to the Changing of the Guard at Buckinhuge Palace at 11.30AM and we have been told to get there an hour early to get a good view!

So we head off at about 9.00AM, along Regent Street then turn off and end in Savile Row, famous for something or other, I just can’t tailor my thoughts to it at the moment.

Then through the very prestigious Burlington Arcade, where if you need to ask the price of something, then you can’t afford it!

We swing past the Royal Academy of Arts, on Piccadilly, then back on Regent Street to cross The Mall and get the first glimpse of the Palace.

Up the Mall to B Palace

We then detour via Horse Guards Parade and turn into St James Park to wander up to the Palace arriving to find that nearly all the tourists in London had the same idea.

Nevertheless, we secure a position one back from the fence and wait and wait and wait.

Eventually, some action occurs with the sound of martial music and the Scots Guards band and a company of men march on.

What happens next and why, is a complete mystery, as soldiers seem to march off the parade ground, then reappear for no useful purpose, with lots of saluting and much shouting.

Then another band and company from the Coldstream Guard appears and more marching off and on occurs and it also appears that the bands are in some sort of competition and play alternatively, in between much poncing around of the guards.

Finally, after inspecting the sentry boxes for mice or something, the guard changes, the Scots leave and the Coldstream hang on.

After about 40 minutes we move on, as clearly the Guard are not, and saunter down through St James Park, across Horse Guards Parade, then along Whitehall past the heavily guarded entrance to Downing Street.

There is a new memorial to the Women of WW 2, which I think is very thoughtful and thought provoking. What do you think?

Then onto the Thames, the fine Battle of Britain Memorial is also a must, it is so well done and for some reason chokes me up!

We cross at Westminster Bridge and head for the London Eye, where Fast Track tickets actually do fast track us on.

It’s hazy but the view is a must for any traveller to London.

Over the Waterloo Bridge, along the Embankment once more, past Cleopatra’s Needle and back to the YHA briefly via Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Square and a pub.

Jo wants to do some shopping at Primark and I make the mistake of accompanying her. All the men with wives and partners looked like they had lost the will to live, traipsing around after them. I just found a seat and sulked, then became comatose and then lost the will to live.

Dinner tonight was at a local Italian Place. Quite nice pizza and pasta. Good for a quick meal.

Tomorrow “To the Tower and off with his head”.