London

Wow!! How amazing to visit a city which has so much history and so much to see and do. I wanted to start with the most famous of all places, Buckingham Palace. I took a bus from Watford to Watford Junction, then the overground train to Euston and then the underground train to Green Park. It took a little over an hour from where I am staying, including walking time to the bus stop. The bus cost £4.80 ($AUD9.60) for a day pass. Then a day pass for London was £20.10 ($AUD40). Quite expensive although London is huge. I did not hesitate to take several trains to various places and still managed to do a phenomenal amount of walking. I am annoyed at myself for not taking my fitbit as I was going to use Strava to map my walking but did not think about how quickly my phone battery would deplete. Even with a backup battery it would not cover a day of adventure. I left Watford at 8:30am and got back to my airbnb at 10:30pm. Enjoy my day.

Buckingham Palace is a 7 minute walk from Green Park station.

The Queens’ Life Guard Dismount Parade also known as the “Four O’Clock Parade” and “Punishment Parade” was an unexpected surprise. In 1894 Queen Victoria found the entrie guard drinking and gambling while on duty so she ordered that they be inspected every day at 4pm by an officer for the next 100 years. That ended in 1994 but the parade continues as a tradition. I don’t think there is any fear of these guards drinking, they look like they are 12 years old.

Covent Garden was another unexpected surprise where you will find top class “buskers”. I loved the classical buskers in the Covent Garden Market area. A snippet of the talent and this fabulous group and this from above.

And more exploring Chinatown, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. There is so much to see.

The fashion for a “bucks” night in London is very different to Sydney.

I ended my first night in London at a West End show, Choir of Man. What a wonderful way to end the evening. Must go and see these talented men. And you get free beer.

Tomorrow will be a rest day. What a great introduction to London. I have to thank a Tinder date, Howard, who offered to show me around London. I did not realise I would be doing so much in one day.