LONDON MY WAY

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

On my way back home, I stopped for the day in London. I got rid of my suitcase for the "modest" amount of 9 £, bought a daily travel card and took the bus n° 10, which meanwhile I know very well. It should take me to Hydepark where I wanted to visit the Diana's memorial fountain. When I arrived there I changed my mind, thought it was so early and I should better go to the Buckhingham Palace before. The best way to see a maximum of London is to take the double decker buses which gives you a perfect sightseeing on the city.

And here my adventure started, thanks to my sense of directions, I got it all wrong ! I thought I should take the bus to Victoria Station and got out of n° 10 and let my vintage bones hop into the next bus indicating "Victoria".

Instead of arriving at the station I found myself suddenly on the way to Buckingham Palace. Very good I thought and "hopped" off.

The first thing I saw was this Buckhingham Palace shop !



I went in not to buy anything but just have a look on the products they sell. Of course it was all about the royal baby and the shop was full ! I thought the whole world gathered here because I heard all possible languages. Most of the tourists were Japonese, Germans and Italians. But also quiet a lot of Spanish tourists despite the catastrophic situation in Spain. Apparently there is still money to spend. From mugs to T-shirts you could find everything in honor of the royal baby. Without name of course, as it was published after the production of all these souvenirs.




When I saw a long line of people wanting to visit the Buckhingham palace. I decided to wait until the Queen would invite me for a tea another day when she is not in Scotland on holidays, and refrained from lining up !



Of course I had seen the palace before, but it was quiet a long time ago. When I compared the size of the guards with the balcony, I thought if the royal family is waving to the crowd they must look like colorful fleas, if you don't have binoculars.



The policemen who watched that people didn't smuggle in joked with the tourists and let them have pictures taken with them. It was really funny.



A girl took this picture of me in front of the Palace to prove that I had been really there.



After a last glance on the Queen Victoria who overlooked the tourists, I decided to walk down the mall.



All along the mall and not even in St. James park I could find a bench to rest, there wasn't a single one ! Finally I sat down on the feet of a statue and wondered why the city is so stingy with benches. After all there are other vintage people who want to walk along this way.

Suddenly I found myself on Trafalgar Square



It hadn't been my intention to visit Trafalgar Square, but as I was there I thought of the nice Pub I had been with Marie who lives in London, because my stomac cried out for a baked potato ! Of course I didn't find the Pub. But from far I saw the London Eye and thought I should go in this direction.



I "hopped" again on a bus and found myself in front of the Parliament ! How nice ! it was at least 20 years ago I hadn't been there. The old Big Ben was lurking over the buildings and I decided to say hello.



Which I did. He hadn't changed at all and I could listen to the 2 pm hour bells ringing.

My stomac was "ringing" too and I desperately looked for a place where I could eat a baked potato ! It became an obsession !



I arrived at the Thames where all sightseeing ships start their tour, and found a stall which sold not baked potatos, but Hamburgers and Hot Dogs ! Finally I gave up to look for a baked potato and choose a Hot Dog instead, which I had not eaten for ages. When you are hungry everything tastes good.

I sat there for a while and watched the tourists and looked over the Thames, before I decided to go back to Oxford Circus where I could catch my bus n° 10 back to Hyde Park and the Diana Memorial.



The bus I choose, drove and drove and no Oxford Circus in view. Instead I suddenly saw the modern building of the "Gherkin" from far and knew that I was totally wrong and in the opposite direction !
I quickly got out, and took another bus to Oxfor Circus, instead I mixed up Oxford Circus with Piccadilly circus, but in one way that was nice because I saw the St. Paul's Cathedral and also the blue trees of London.

At Piccadilly circus I changed the bus to Oxford Circus and had another nice sightseeing. Finally I found my bus stop back to St. Pancras Station where I had to catch my Eurostar train and of course it was far too late to stop at Hyde Park and see the Diana memorial !

I arrived in time at the Station, had a well earned coffee, and then checked in and sat in the train. Just before Brussels we got stuck for an hour, because an other train had technical problems.

Mr. G. waited for me in Brussels, and happy with my London tour, although a little different as planned I returned home.