Among the Tourist Hordes in Royal London

As much as yesterday did not feel like a “touristy” day, today we went to the heart of London tourism, and we really liked it. Setting out amid a partly sunny sky, we took the #11 bus from Chelsea toward Westminster. I enjoyed taking the bus instead of the subway because even though it took a bit longer, we were able to see many interesting sights, only some of which were outside the bus. The people on the bus were a mixture of suited commuters, including the ladies sitting behind us, who sounded like they may have been characters out of recent British fiction aimed at the female crowd. (Has anyone read anything from the Shopaholic series by Kinsella?) Their conversation about the dissatisfaction that comes after finally getting older and “settling down” was amusing if not original. The boys dressed in their snappy school uniforms just in front of us were also interesting, though I could not hear their conversation. I could see, however, that one of them, who couldn’t have been more then twelve or thirteen, stole his friend’s newspaper in a very schoolboy way before sitting down to seriously read it. I was impressed by this reading behavior in one so young. By the way, from our upper-level seats, we also saw other exciting places outside the bus, but I better get on with this, or I’ll be up all night.

Since Westminster Abbey did not open until 9:30, we began at Westminster Cathedral, which is farther west on Victoria Street (a very busy business district). This cathedral is much newer than the Abbey (I guess most buildings are.), and it was designed in a neo-Byzantine style with the same green marble that was used at St. Sophia’s in Istanbul. In fact, we were told that some angry Turks chased the folks with the marble because they wanted it back for themselves. As many of the side chapels still do not have mosaic tile adorning their ceilings, small boxes for donations seem omnipresent (though admission was free, unlike the other churches in London). I enjoyed the dark interior, and though quite different from the Abbey, it was a nice warm-up.

There were two highlights of the morning. The first, of course, was the Abbey. The most beautiful part, I think, was both the inside and outside of the Lady Chapel, or the Chapel of Henry II. That is, of course, where we saw his resting place. Other famous monarchs buried there are too many to name, but Michael and I wondered how Protestant Elizabeth would feel about resting next to her Catholic sister, Mary. And Michael commented on the irony of the fact that they must share a side chapel while Queen Mary of Scots (Elizabeth ordered her death.) gets her very own chapel. We spent quite a bit of time at Poet’s Corner, seeing the plaques dedicated to England’s finest authors. The Great Cloisters and the Little Cloisters were the only peaceful spots to get away from the tourist masses, and these were also the only locations where Michael could use the camera. It is an amazing place, and equally amazing was the fact that the sun was shining when we emerged.

With only forty-five minutes until the changing-of-the-guard, we raced towards Buckingham Palace to get a good spot for the show. We were successful, and set up in a good photo location. It was a good show, and we are glad we took the time to wait on the display. The palace itself is not all that attractive, but it was fun to see the regalia and the officers on horseback, and we also saw the British flag atop the palace, meaning that the queen was at home. Here's a picture of Michael and me before the changing:

After a walk up to the corner of Hyde Park, a quick look at the Wellington Arch, and a jaunt through Green Park, we headed back towards Buckingham Palace, walking the Mall leading to the palace gates in order to see what there is to be seen of St. James’s Palace, the former home of Queen Elizabeth I and the current office space for Prince Charles. We had delicious wood-oven pizza during a longer-than-usual lunch break before walking to Trafalgar Square to see Nelson’s Column and the Admiralty Arch. We passed the Old Whitehall Palace and the Cabinet War Rooms as we made our way to the tube station to head home for a break before our evening Westminster by Gaslight tour.

The rain let up completely for the tour, which was a good thing because it was chilly enough with just the breeze. We were with a large group, but Angela, our guide, did a great job. Though very politically liberal and not afraid to show it, she was knowledgeable and entertaining. Some of the highlights of the two-hour tour were seeing the actual gaslights on the streets of the city of Westminster, the stories about the old neighborhoods behind Westminster Abbey, including the signs marking the air-raid shelters from World War II, and the the view of Parliament from the south side of the river.

Michael also enjoyed his ale that he got a our pub stop along the way. It was a great end to an action-packed day, and now we are having a late dinner at our apartment before going to bed and getting ready for another early start as we explore the City Center tomorrow.