London
England
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England 〰️
We woke up early, all set for the day with a solid plan ahead. Our flight to Lisbon, Portugal, was scheduled to depart at 5:15 pm so we packed our day with tourist sightseeing from 8 am to 3 pm, leaving just enough time to catch the train to the airport. Blair enjoyed some porridge and granola for breakfast at the hotel, while I opted for sausage, espresso, and yogurt. Before hitting the road, we grabbed a few more baby bell cheeses to snack on.
Initially, we thought of exploring the city on bikes, but renting them proved tricky due to our American credit cards. Instead, we opted for Lime scooters, but because it was our first time using them, they had a safety feature limiting their speed. Consequently, it took us quite a while to reach the city center but gave us a reason to really take in our surroundings. Eventually, we made it to The London Eye, strolled across the Golden Jubilee Bridge, and arrived at Trafalgar Square.
At this point in time, Blair and I had seen so many red double-decker buses… we both previously assumed they were tourist trap tours and not just their form of public transportation - the more you know! We also couldn't resist taking some touristy pictures beside the iconic telephone booths.
As we continued our walk through the city, we stumbled upon a large crowd on a blocked-off street, surrounded by police officers with funny hats and news reporters setting up their gear. After inquiring with a kind officer, we learned that Joe Biden was also in London that day having a meeting with the Prime Minister and the King to discuss Ukraine over tea. However, our tight schedule didn't permit us to wait and catch a glimpse of the convoy, so we proceeded to Parliament Square Garden.
The sight of Big Ben, or Elizabeth Tower, against the backdrop of a beautiful day in London was truly breathtaking. Parliament Square Garden delighted us with its impressive architecture and statues, including the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, as well as statues of Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela.
Feeling content with our sightseeing, we made our way to Buckingham Palace to witness the changing of the guards. We arrived just in time to witness the guards and horses marching down the street, and the ceremony surpassed our expectations. The KingsGuard Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, accompanied by the Band of Coldstream Guards (Scots Guards), even treated us to some tunes from Mamma Mia. The experience of people from diverse countries coming together, waving their flags, and enjoying the music while watching the guards march in ceremony was truly special.
Afterward, we decided to explore further, this time using bikes. For about an hour and a half, we rode through the beautiful Hyde Park all the way to Kensington Palace and back. My long denim skirt made biking a bit challenging, but it was entirely worth it. We returned the bikes near London Bridge and the Shard, then returned to the hotel to collect our bags. On our way to the train station, we stopped at another pub for a classic lunch of fish and chips with smashed peas. While watching the Wimbledon tennis tournament on TV, we savored our lunch before continuing with our original plan to travel to Portugal.
