Tuesday – We were up a bit later than expected. We had Oyster cards, which make travel really easy. Much like the Snapper cards in Wellington, you just top them up with an amount of money, then swipe into the subway system, or swipe on to the buses.
Took the tube to Green Park, where we walked through, past the deck chairs waiting to be sat on, to our first view of Buckingham Palace.
We planned to view the changing of the guard, and had read that we needed to be there early. We arrived 45 minutes before it was supposed to start… Yet, People! People everywhere. Everyone else was also there early. We positioned ourselves at what we thought was a good spot, and hung around. Eventually they came, with their music and their horsies and their very straight marching. They yelled a lot, and marched around, and swapped places. The prim and proper guard band played some music for us, including Dancing Queen, and various songs by Abba.
Wandered up along Constitution Hill, grassy, cool, and pretty. The mounted police went past occasionally. They have horse crossings, complete with horse height buttons to press, to cross the road. We visited the Nz war memorial, the Air corps memorial, and the Wellington Arch. Briefly stepped foot into Hyde Park. Literally inside then out, just to say we’d been. I’m sure we will go back there!
Back to subway, over to Brick lane, where we wandered for ages, trying to find somewhere to eat. We walked past a lot of Indian restaurant people trying to convince you to come eat at their restaurant. Apparently we are supposed to bargin. But the thought of sitting in the restaurant while they all stare at you and rush around to serve you just didn’t really do it for me We ended up having a very late lunch + cider at a yummy burger place.
Then took the Toob to Greenwich. Large boat, cutty sark, lots of lines! Walked through the info centre, then up to the observatory, to stand on the gmt line. It was such a lovely day. Like everything else awsome that you want to get your picture in front of, there was a line to get a picture with the line. Instead of waiting, I took a picture of it by itself, then we went down the path to the side, where there also was a line, but it was by itself, so we got our picture there. Much better than waiting.
A lovely walk back across the green, then the subway back to town, to Oxford Circus. Ridiculous amount of people. A seething mass of humanity. We were meeting Jerome and Amy for dinner at a place called ping pong. We waited for them at Oxford Circus, so I got to just stand back and watch the hordes. There was a constant stream of people descending into the depths of the earth to ride the tube. Constant and never ending. Or so it seemed.
Ping Pong is my new favourite restaurant. they serve Dim sum, and amazingly, a whole vegetarian option! Mmm steamed bun, mmm dumplings. Deilishuz vegetarian, so good. Home for raspberries and icecream dessert, and chatting with our hosts.
Dale and Becca 