Across The Pond, Part 2

Day 2 and we hit the ground running! First up on the agenda was a Royal Walking Tour with London Walks. Our tour guide, Claire, was funny and engaging and an absolute drill sergeant about keeping us moving and getting us to where we needed to be! The pageantry and pomp were fun and fascinating to see.

Buckingham Palace

I know, this Jag isn't especially interesting, but I put this picture in to illustrate something that happened that sent our tour guide into giddy paroxysms of joy ... As we stood outside Clarence House, a police escort and cars sped into the gates and out of the car stepped Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall! Just a few moments later, this Jaguar and more escorts whizzed through the gates, taking Prince Charles off to do something enormously important, I'm sure.

This is Prince Charles's standard, flown to show that he and his wife are in residence.

This is the oldest castle in the city, and it's from this balcony that all royal announcements are made.

Horse Guards Parade

10 Downing Street

This is one classic London icon we were looking forward to seeing, but alas, it was not to be. Elizabeth Tower, the clock tower in which resides the bell known as Big Ben, is undergoing extensive renovations. It will take years to finish!

So, our royal walk ended ... or did it?? As we passed by Westminster Abbey on our way to lunch and our next tour, we noticed a small crowd had gathered. A fellow tourist told us that she had heard the queen was inside and would be leaving soon. Sure enough, she was and she did! Just as the bells tolled, Queen Elizabeth II rode by in her car, wearing her signature hat and waving.

Not the queen, but her police escort.

Resting before heading off on our next walking tour!

Also, as you can see from the pictures, the weather the whole week we were there was absolutely divine! Lots of sunshine and blue skies: Perfection. No London fog for us!

Next tour: Harry Potter! This was a lot of fun, with a charming tour guide who really knew his stuff.

St. Paul's Cathedral! I got lots of pictures of this one, and couldn't wait to show the little girls. We were in the middle of the Bird Woman chapter in our read-aloud of Mary Poppins when we left for England. We brought them each back a tuppence, too, so they could "feed the birds"!

The Tower Bridge in the distance as we walked across the Thames on Millenium Bridge.

We made an extra Tube stop to see Platform 9-3/4 at King's Cross Station, of course!

The entrance to Kaity's future workplace ... The British Library. We didn't make it here before it closed on this day, but were determined to find a way to get there later in the trip.

Can't go to London without a visit to a proper chippy to get some fish and chips with mushy peas!

On the Underground! Dumbledore's scar above his left knee would have come in handy here ...

Kaity, always with a book handy! Personally, I never go anywhere without my Kindle: At one point, Kaity finished her book and complained that she didn't have another one to start. I looked up from my Kindle and said, "Gee, that sounds terrible." Then laughed.