Thursday - a day playing tourist in London

 I haven't had a day out in London for probably 2 years, with all the lockdowns and restrictions last year, and I really wanted to get back again - I love walking around London.  I had decided to book a time slot at the Tower of London for today so headed off

when I got to London, I wasn't sure where to head first - was going to jump on the Tube but in the end decided to walk down to Buckingham Palace - it's only about 5 minutes walk

I noticed pink to my right down a gap between some shops 

can't beat reflections in windows

took this to remind me where I'd seen them

there was a bar/cafe with some painted images on the wall

walking further down Buckingham Palace Road, on the other side 

Normally the area around the Palace is busy - even early(ish) in the morning - well not Kew early - but today there weren't that many people about

Gates

firmly locked 

Victoria Memorial - usually this is packed with tourists but today I had plenty of room to look around 

the flag flying is the Union Jack not the Royal Standard which only flies when the Queen is "home"  - in summer she spends most of the time at Balmoral in Scotland

the Victoria Memorial was looking good - the sun was yo-yo'ing in and out

the famous balcony

looking across to Green Park from outside the Palace

(blogger has reversed loaded this set of pictures!)

all kinds of statues around the edge of the monument

Victoria herself

they re-did the gold at the top a few years ago, it's looking good

you get a good view of the Palace from the memorial

it's on an island in the middle of the traffic - and is where all the press get to stand for Royal events 

looking up the Mall - even the traffic was lighter than usual - still not back to pre-pandemic levels

(not complaining about that at all!)

I crossed the road -this is Green Park - but headed down the Mall towards Trafalgar Square and Horseguards Parade.

walked past two statues - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother - looking down on the Mall

and a frieze of some images of the Queen Mother to the side 

walking on down the Mall,  St James Park on our right...

there are so many green spaces in London, it's lovely

because of my time slot at the Tower I didn't walk through the park today

but I did detour to Horseguards Parade - this is where they normally hold Trooping the Colour for the Queen's official birthday, but for the last 2 years it's been at Windsor due to Covid.

there are some beautiful buildings round the parade ground

war memorial on this side with the park behind

I walked through the arch onto Whitehall and took the obligatory photo of the guardsman on his horse.

but then I heard horses hooves..   it was approaching 11 am 

it was time for the Changing the Queen's Lifeguard

a smaller ceremony than the famous one at Buckingham Palace (which isn't happening at present due to Covid)

so I went back into Horseguards Parade

the Life Guards in their red tunics were assembling 

and coming back into the Parade Ground are the Blues and Royals 

the departing Blues and Royals headed off back to barracks.

the whole show takes about 30 minutes apparently, but I didn't have time to stay, I had to be on my way to the Tower!

I was juggling with my phone too  

so a couple from the phone

in Whitehall,  I walked up to the top

Admiralty Arch   - trying to keep the traffic out of shot

Waiting to cross the road to cross Traflagar Square I got Nelson's Column - blue sky now

 the National Gallery on the opposite side of Trafalgar Square 

love the fountains when the sun bounces off the water

the "fourth plinth" in Trafalgar Square doesn't have military statues but varies from time to time...

it currently looks like an ice cream cone!

luckily a plaque tells you what it's about

cherry on top?!  

time to head underground again...

I took this because the tiles look really old - not sure if the Bakerloo like I was using is one of the older tube lines or not... 

I pride myself on being quite good on the tube but managed to go north instead of south so had to get off at the next stop and go back the other way!

coming out at Tower Hill with no  more mishaps!

headed for the entrance

again, a sign of the times - no throngs of tourists today

and the sky is no longer blue!

entering,  I joined the waiting group for the fabulous Yeoman Warder guided tour talk... they are so good

Took the view of Tower Bridge whilst I waited

the Shard in the other direction

grey clouds now, not just fluffy white ones!

our Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) was Scott Kelly.

he was fantastic - they all learn a script but to add their own embellishments to the tales they tell - and he was the best I've heard.

with the Covid safety measures still partly in place, the number of "stops" on the tour are slightly reduced to normal, but that means you get a good long story at each one.

there is lots of audience participation too,  they are great fun and if you visit the Tower I absolutely recommend you take a tour.

moving on to Traitor's Gate.  

they always take pain to tell the crowd - especially if there are any visitors from the US - that it used to be known as Water Gate as they used it at high tide to unload goods from the river - so that we had a Watergate before the States did.

next stop is the White Tower - the original Tower of London (there are 13 towers now in total )

the heads are those of the group I was in following the tour - quite a big group,  but everyone was loving the bloodthirsty tales  being told

after the tour ended I wandered off on my own

home of the Crown Jewels 

the White Tower - I did go inside here, but didn't taken any photos inside this time  

I was naughty though, I took a photo (on my phone) in the chapel 

it is such a peaceful place - until a party of school kids came in

I love the ceiling, seemingly hewn out of the rock

don't tell anyone!! 

although I think the no photography signs had been removed, so maybe I won't be recalled to the Tower!  

sat outside for a few minutes 

before leaving  - I was going to head on somewhere else 

Tower Bridge

the river in the other direction,  cloudy that way!

put the other lens on for a bit

Traitors Gate from the other side - another tour in progress,

at the end of the road I sat at a cafe and had a cup of tea and a cake

another tour just starting - from the sound of it it was our guy again 

it really was tea today - and a slice of millionaire's shortbread.   doubling as lunch!  

(it was getting on for 2.30)

I headed up Tower Hill towards the tube station

crossing the road to the little garden where there is  a plaque on the site of the public execution scaffold stood

when I got off the tube at St Paul's, I first stopped at the ruin of Christchurch Greyfriar's garden

before crossing back over the road through Paternoster square 

to St Paul's  Cathedral

Temple Bar - site of one of the original entrance gates to the City of London

Paternoster Square itself

before walking round St Paul's (outside only, one time I will go in!) 

I was pleased to see the stainless steel sculpture still there for some reflections!  

I couldn't fail to miss this rainbow on the other side of the road 

I crossed to investigate - I thought it was something LGBT inspired to start with 

but the sign by the side put me straight (oops!) 

I always like to walk down the path towards the Millenium Bridge as you get such good views of St Paul's 

and reflections in the steel balls on the way

as I walked towards the bridge, I could see some big yellow letters....

they needed investigating

they spelled out "what"

and on going closer 

"what" is around the corner -  a map of local places of interest

I headed further along towards the bridge

this weird looking metal structure is one of a pair, labelled HSBC gate - sponsored by them presumably...

you can walk through it, and frame your photos through it.... 

I do remember this from last time 

onto the bridge - no longer wobbling -  views of some of the modern office blocks

and some interesting looking clouds

some blue sky appearing over the cathedral

whilst I love "old" London, I really like the modern stuff too.

headed back towards st Paul's and a last few pics

then walked down Ludgate Hill

towards the station 

however, I was distracted again by more multicoloured buildings

looking down towards Fleet Street (mum used to work for Nursery World magazine here many moons ago as a secretary I think, nothing glamourous!)

Then it was into the station and onto a train and home.

Another tiring day - not got anything planned for tomorrow, but Saturday will be Kew for sure, the last 8am early start of the season.

Thanks for looking