We started off our tour of London with the changing of guards ceremony at Buckingham Palace that took place at 10.45am every morning. From our accommodation, it was only a few stations away. We took a short walk across Green Park after alighting at the Green Park station and joined the large crowd who were there way earlier than us. I liked being part of such parades, especially when I’m overseas. So, hubby accompanied me to squeeze nearer to the palace gates to try get a better view while my in laws waited for us at the park. Guards come and go along The Mall street so you could consider standing along that stretch of road or on the steps of the Victoria Memorial to catch a glimpse of them. Me being in the crowd near the gate was looking at the procession through the screens of other tourists’ cameras most of the time.
From the palace, we took a 10mins walk towards Victoria station for the Shake Shack. Before I came, I knew there were some food that I had to try in London. Lobster & Burger was one, Shake Shack was the other. Most of the items were beef. Luckily, there was a chicken sausage which I could try and I have to say I love the fried onions on top of the sausage. Too bad, the Shake Shack in Singapore did not serve any non-beef item!
Following that, we took a train to Westminster to visit the Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Sadly, the Big Ben was still under renovation which I understood had been ongoing for months. As it was a Sunday, the Westminster Abbey was also not open to visitors. We could only take a tour to admire its exterior and take photos with the red letter boxes and telephone booths around (haha!).
We took a walk across the Westminster Bridge and headed for the London Eye. I was pleased to know that the Singapore Flyer was taller than the London Eye (proud Singaporean moment! haha). Using the Rail Card, there were discounts at various attractions. So, we decided to give it a go since we had plenty of time to spare. From the cabin, we had a good view of the surroundings and spotted our accommodation at Leicester Square!
We then decided head to Oxford Street for shopping. Glad to see that the shops open till late on weekends. Hubby and I had a fun time exploring Selfridges although the items there were not cheap. That’s why we only explored, not shop. haha.
Dinner was at Bayswater Gold Mine restaurant. Of all the ducks we tried at Manchester and London, this was the best! The chilli alone was already good enough to go with rice! Do expect a long queue though!
Perrine Travels 