Walking in Westminster

The sleep in a bed at a TraveLodge was a good start to the day, and we walked around to Jared's flat for breakfast. Today was the first day of our real touristing in London. Needless to say, Lambie was very excited! It rained very heavily but was not too cool, so we took ourselves to Westminster Station. It seemed to be raining even harder in the city and we emerged to find St Stephens Tavern, a beautiful Victorian building (great loo!) the spot for lunch. Our guide, Karen from London Walks, was outside Westminster Station for our tour. Although it was (still) raining we walked around to St Margaret's Church (where Winston Churchill was married) just across from Parliament. This was a unsual sight, but seeing the statue of Oliver Cromwell under the roof where his head was pilloried after his death had a certain symbolism. We saw some amazing streetscapes and buildings on this walk - Georgian houses in rows; the Westminster School (fees at £16 000 per term - but you should see the inside of their classrooms!); the Jewel Tower - a medieval building with wonderful stone carvings; Dean's Yard and Westminster Abbey (£15 entry fee) and the War Cabinet Rooms where Winston did his thing.

We walked back up the hill with Big Ben in front of us and the statue of Winston Churchill glowering impressively on the edge of Parliament Square. Walking down Parliament Street (not much happening in Downing Street) after we left the tour, we came to the Life Guards being changed at Whitehall, so we crossed the road to see - it was free after all! JOhn was rather taken with the fornt of the Department of Health building, a rather striking interpretation of gothic architecture. We walked through the Horse Guards to come back down the Mall to Trafalgar Square and a coffee.

Perhaps it was the weather, but today I was more conscious than I have ever been on previous visits of the sheer weight of numbers in London: the mass of people rushing around the place at all hours - they seem to move faster now; the Keep to the Left or Stand on the Right signs on the underground;the machine guns on police manning security stops around mysterious unnamed but obviously important places; the police helicopter overhead most days; sirens screaming and lights flashing on Police or ambulances. It made me very aware of the 7 and a half million people that make up this city. But from another perspective - the population is much more diverse than I have noticed before - just as NZ hears more languages and sees more differences in people, the colour and sounds of people create a vibe that adds energy here. As the man said: The man who is tired of London is tired of life!