Day 1 in London - 1st July

The first of two days in London. Amy and Jerome live about 10km or so out of London central near Finsbury Park. the sun rises somewhat earlier here, like about 4.30am so we were bouncing off the walls by 6am and wanting to do something!

A power cut shortly after we got up slowed breakfast and showers down somewhat but we all headed off about 9am on the bus/train and got off at Oxford Circus. Being early there were few people about and we wandered down to a (NZ) coffee shop for a good long black. "Sacred" is a haunt of Kiwis in London, and is where the production of good coffee is well known.

Then a stroll down Regent Street and on to see my tailor on Saville Row, but darn it - he was closed on Sunday! Continued over to see where Amy works in Mayfair and down to Green Park which we crossed on our way for a late morning tea with the Queen at Buck House. She was home but somehow there had been a mix up with the dates. Oh well, we waited for a while and saw the changing of the guard with 15,000 others, including the pushy Chinese who all seemed to want the front row place where I was standing.

Then we strolled back along the Mall which looks like its being got ready to have the volleyball the Olympics held on it, with fencing being placed all along the sides. On to Trafalgar Square which was in full swing celebrating Canada Day. By now the crowds are really out and the whole city is humming. Jerome took us into the National Gallery to see the Constables. What can you really see in a short visit? We spent 1/2 an hour or so in the gallery and then bought some filled rolls for lunch and sat on the foot of a statue in the street to rest our feet, dine and recuperate for 20 minutes.

Then on to do a spot of shopping for clothes which Amy needs. Liz had carefully taken Amy's sun glasses to London when what she had asked for was her pair of traveling shorts.......

We caught up with Liz's sister Michelle who is in the UK for a few days and had another coffee and sat chatting for an hour. By now it was 4.30pm so we headed to the Prince Edward Hall and saw the show Jersey Boys, a story about Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. Good fun and the singing was excellent. Then on to dinner at a Moroccan restaurant right next door at which we had booked a table before we went to the show.

Finally it's nearly 10 pm and we've been on the go for 13 hours so it's back home by bus.

Impressions? The city was much cleaner than I was expecting. Lots more people around then I had expected, most tourists like us. Also the city is obviously getting ready for the Olympics in 3 weeks time, so lots of flags and banners up all over the CBD. Only two extremely brief showers of rain, so almost fine all day.