Today so far has been fabulous, which actually surprises me given our night last night. We got woken up at 12:30 by the alarm company, the pet sitter had accidentally set off the alarm. All is well, but it took us a while to get back to sleep - our bodies thought it was waking up from an afternoon nap so Jack and I were both extremely grumpy this morning. But it slowly ebbed away and we had a really good time.
First we went to try the cafe next door for breakfast, but they also don't serve until 9 AM. I don't know how they get enough business to do that - do Europeans not have to be at work? Anyway... we decided to head to the subway and get something near the Castle. However, upon walking to the metro we saw a place called Garfunkle's with a big sign, OPEN. So we went in - you could tell they cater to American Tourist and it was a chain, but it was the best breakfast we have had so far. The coffee was drinkable, not good, but drinkable. The food was filling and had good taste. It was a much needed boost after a sleepless night.
We then got on the metro and went down to Buckingham Palace to make our 9:45 tour time. We got there in time to sit a moment and then went into the State Rooms. No pictures were allowed, but the tour was amazing. You went through security, which was all kind - no guards getting annoyed at you going slow. They were respectful of the fact you were a guest - not a number. We then were given audio guides and were allowed to meander through the rooms at our own pace. People stood by to watch but also to assist and you felt welcomed. Not like the US White House where it is my understanding you are herded through like cattle that they are tolerating.
The State Rooms themselves were ornate and very much what you would expect in a Palace. Gold, Red, White, Crystal Chandeliers, Thick Carpet, More Gold. They had the gifts from various countries to view, or at least a few of them. Guess what Kennedy gave?? A signed autograph... yep! I had great respect for him as a President, and still do, but that shows the arrogance of Americans - including him. We think a good gift is a picture of ourselves... WOW - no wonder the world hates us. Anyway, I was disappointed to see that, but some of the other gifts were neat to see. Some gifts from the various countries were amazingly gorgeous and unique.
Upon completing the tour we sat for a moment to have a water and rest. Then we took a few exterior pictures of the lawn/building before meandering out through the Garden Path. We didn't see much of the gardens, but what we did see were beautiful.
Once outside the garden, Jack and I got in a spat about the time. We were both tired and well... married. Married people spat. Once our spat was over we headed down and saw the Royal Mews. This is where the horses/cars/carriages are. We went through this fairly quickly, but I did enjoy seeing the Golden Jubilee Carriage and some of the others.
We then walked to the front of the palace, took some pictures of the palace and the fountain in the front before heading to St. James Park. St. James Park is amazing. It is a park with a large lake that is full of all types of birds - ducks, geese, swans, pelicans, and of course pigeons. We enjoyed walking a ways before sitting on a bench just to enjoy for a bit.
And now the time had come for Jack to go to work so we said our goodbyes before Mama and I went to grab a bite to eat. We went to a restaurant .2 miles away that Jack said had high ratings, but upon getting there I realized it is a $20 per plate restaurant which seemed way to high for lunch. So we decided to head to the Churchhill War Rooms and eat on our way. The walk took us back through the park and there was a pavilion there selling sandwiches. We stopped and ate in the park,, which was amazing. We also feed the pigeons. I swear they communicate - we feed one and suddenly were surrounded by 30 or 40 who came out of no where.. We loved it -- Very Fun.
We then walked through the park, stopping along the way to see the birds, and arrived at the amazing building that the war rooms are in. We then went down into the war rooms... The people basically lived down there and I was amazed at how cramped it was - I'm sure it had to be miserable... I was a little claustrophobic down there with the few other visitors they had. We skipped the Churchhill museum due to being tired and wanting to rest before the theater tonight, but I think it would have been interesting. From what I've studied I find Churchhill to be a very interesting man.
We then headed back to the hotel and are resting. We will leave in about an hour to go to the theater to see Lion King. Mama has never been to a "Broadway" type theater so this is a treat for both of us. I'll do a quick update this evening to let you know how it went, in the meantime have a great night.
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