London - Friday

Well, it IS London and it IS summer tourist time, but I wasn’t really prepared for the masses of people that were there!  Talk about culture shock in a big city!  I took the train into London proper for a day’s ”look around” and ended up walking until 5pm when I boarded the train for home! I started out by walking to the nearby station (about 20 minutes), and boarded the train in about 10 minutes (after 9:30 am it’s “supposed” to be cheaper but the ticket was £14.50 return… which is equal to about $28!)  It turned out the final stop in London was the Waterloo Station… and there were LOTS of people and interestingly, a lot of them were REALLY dressed up!  Ladies in fancy dresses, high heels and unusual hats and men in full long morning coats and top hats… it turned out that they were all off to the Royal Ascot Races at 10am in the morning!  I was so amazed and soaking it all in I didn’t even think to take out my camera!  But no worries, as the day progressed I ended up getting in picture taking mode! 

Still a bit dazed by it all I just followed the crowd figuring they knew where the exit was and wandered out the station thinking I was heading towards “the river” which is actually …  the Thames!  I did finally find it after walking up a few alleyways.  I stopped to gorge myself on the first place that would sell me a sausage roll as I was starved, wandering along the river walk as I just soaked in the skyline.  Since I could see St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance I figured I’d start there and do a big loop so I could end up back at the Waterloo station in time for the 5 o’clock train.  

So I crossed the Thames using the Blackfriars Bridge and chatted up a lovely couple from Denmark as we all tried to make sure we were heading in our respective directions.  They were heading over the Millennium Bridge.  I will say the signage was really good most of the time, so you couldn’t get too lost.  St. Paul’s  “appeared” in front of me down this small street… such an amazing piece of architecture just “right there”!  

I walked around the outside until I found the entrance and decided to only enter the “free” chapel as the main part had a £ 16.50 fee and I could still see a lot from there.  No photos allowed inside.  I remember reading how the Germans didn’t bomb St. Paul’s in WWII, because they were using it as a landmark but my friend K. also told me she had heard that people were very brave to stay inside it during the bombings (they didn’t know it wouldn’t be bombed) and helped to put out the embers from other bombings so the building would survive.   There were heaps of school children in groups everywhere I went.  The schools here are still in session for another 2-3 weeks I heard.

After walking around it outside and taking a short look down some side streets, I followed my nose down Fleet Street …  saw an amazing amount of men in good looking business suits walking around!   Couldn’t remember when I last saw them in numbers like that!  Hadn’t realized just how “out of that world” I had been! 

Found out I was passing by the Royal Courts of Justice and that I was allowed in…  so in I went!   An old stone edifice with rooms and corridors one could easily get lost in!  Even sat in on a court case but got out quickly!

My original intention was to head for Covent Gardens area and then Piccadilly circle but when I reached Covent Gardens (not really gardens, lots of small booths, shops and eating places) I was getting tired and it was so crowded and I was so totally unimpressed I gave up on seeing Piccadilly and just followed on to find Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square.  Did manage to get some culture in by stopping to look through the 3 floors of the National Portrait Gallery (FREE entrance fee! – to all national museums apparently) where they even had a portrait of George Washington!  Then walked down Whitehall and saw the Horse Guards Parade Grounds and even passed 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister’s residence – which sits far back as it’s all blocked off - but if I squinted I could see the door!  (Current Prime Minister David Cameron was appointed on 11 May 2010)).

Just kept walking down the street as I could see a big tower in the distance so figured I was heading towards Big Ben.  I arrived just as it struck 4pm. 

Then crossed the Westminster Bridge and got a good look at the Houses of Parliament from the river.   Don’t’ think I had realised just how many bridges London has that cross the Thames. 

The masses of people that were around and crossing amazed me too but hey, summer tourist season!    I saw the “London Eye”, that big Ferris wheel but didn’t fancy a ride.  Very expensive from what I hear.  

From there I just asked directions back to the Waterloo Train Station and since I already had my return ticket I just stood in front of the listings to wait to see what Platform the train would be on.  Another 40-minute train ride home and then a 20-minute walk back to the house and I was knackered!!!   Done in!  Kaput!  7 hours of almost constant walking!

I will have to return to see Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, and the British Museum.  Loads to see yet but… found out yesterday when I tried to use my credit card, that if I don’t have chip in it (which I do) AND have a Pin # I may not be able to use it!  EEK.!

FYI… I walked with an empty plastic water bottle for over an hour looking for a bin to toss it into and it took ages until I found one.  Later heard that due to potential bombing threats there are not a lot of trash bins around in London.

Thought this car park was a super idea...