Buckingham Palace

We spent over an hour waiting to see The Changing of The Guards at Buckingham Palace on our third day in London. Once again, it was a beautiful and sunny day..... and the crowds were overwhelming in front of the Palace. The British flag was flying high atop Buckingham, and I was wondering if the Queen looks out of her windows every morning to look at all the people watching the Palace.

The Changing of The Guards.... impressive, to say the least..... the best place to watch is at either end, not in the center of the gates.... much too crowded in the center parts.... and don't be standing right in front of the gates because the police will ask you kindly (but firmly) to move because the gates will have to be opened during the ceremony.

We rode the double-decker bus to see Big Ben (which chimed the hour for us) and the Parliament building..... and had lunch at The Albert Pub.  Another bus to Trafalgar Square.... and we went to The National Gallery to look at the paintings.

A visit to London isn't complete without walking along Charing Cross Road, which is a bit of heaven for book-lovers.  84 Charing Cross Road (made famous in the book of the same name by Helene Hanff) is a must-see..... but it's no longer a bookstore.... it's a Belgium cafe.

We walked so much that day (as well as every other day)..... comfy shoes are a must..... I was fine in the Pikolinos shoes that I had ordered on-line, but still, with all the cobblestone streets, and miles and miles of walking (both outside and then inside museums), by the end of the day your feet will tell you if you have walked too much.  I saw a lot of women in high heels and wondered how much practice they needed to be able to navigate around the cobblestones without turning an ankle. As much as I love to wear heels, cobblestone streets just don't make sense with heels.

Every night when we went back to the B&B, we would miss our big bed and our separate bathrooms.... it's a luxury to not have to share a bathroom with your husband, and I'm sure my husband enjoys having his own bathroom as well..... and that bathroom at the B&B was probably smaller than any hotel bathroom we've ever had to share.  We didn't see the B&B owner very much..... we left before she got up for the day, and we returned to our room just before dark and that's usually when she was out to dinner. They eat much later in London than we're used to, so it was never difficult getting a table at the restaurants we chose for dinner each night.

Riding the underground trains...... very crowded, very noisy..... I liked riding the buses much better. I never did like riding the NYC subways, and the London underground is much like the subway, but without the litter and the graffiti. The trains were very clean, with nicely upholstered seats, and the stations were very tidy as well. The buses, most of which are double-decker, give you such a different perspective of the city..... you can see everything, and every little thing is so worth seeing.