On the way I got soaked. With the weather, London gave a little and took a little back. The British Museum was pretty awesome. I didn't get to see the whole thing before I became hungry enough to seek out some pub food and a pint, but I managed to see the ancient Egyptian, Assyrian and Greek exhibits. I'm sure there's a ton of ancient items that the British have stolen from around the world left for me to see.
After a good, hearty meat pie, the rain has stopped and I walked. And walked. And walked. I started from the pub, near the British Museum, to Leicester Square, then to Trafalgar Square, then to Westminster, and finally I ended my jaunt at the Abbey. I just looked that up and it's only 1.7 miles, not really that impressive. Dammit!
That walk highlights how beautiful London is. It's basically, "oh Trafalgar Square. Hey there's Big Ben! There's Westminster Abbey! And you keep on walking and walking, knowing there's always something cool on the next block. This city is one of the most beautiful I've ever been to, I love it. Every street and alleyway has so much charm and character!
This morning I fared much better with sleep. I woke up at 8:30, ate breakfast and used Caroline's washing machine to do some laundry. She's been a great host, more than I could have possibly asked for. I owe her big time when she comes to visit Canada again.
I tried to make it to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard ceremony at 11:30. I did make it on time, but had no clue where to be to get the best view, partially due to the thousands of tourists latched against every available barrier.
I did happen to find an open space and stick myself in it hard. I wasn't sure if I was in the right place to get a good view, but my theory is if you be patient and hold that spot, it might pay off. I think running around chasing the crowds puts you at risk of being in the totally wrong spot and losing out on a good picture space you had before.
It turns out I didn't get to see the foot soldiers with the furry hats march by me, but the armored horse did. And true to my theory, a banzai charge of hundreds of elderly Japanese tourists came rushing toward the barrier I was at, in a fanatical bid to get a picture. I'm sure most of them ended up with pictures full of the heads of tourists, including mine.
After the ceremony was done I opted to dodge the ridiculous amounts of tourists and head for the Tower of London, where I discovered the same thing.
The castle is pretty cool, much of it doesn't feel restored, and would seem very authentic if not for the hoards of tourists. I did have a good time there, wandering through the walls and viewing the Crown Jewels. Now I understand why bling rhymes with king.
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