London is a great city to explore. I got to spend a weekend as a tourist. Always good. Surprising how I never make time to do this when it is just me. Other things seem to take priority [laundry, grocery shopping, walking the dogs ... and on some rare occasions, vacuuming!]. 
First, we had to look for Derby hats. I am going to the Kentucky Derby [yay!] and I also volunteered myself to get a "fascinator" for my friend, Mary Therese. One of the great things about the UK is that you wear a head piece to weddings, and as we are now into wedding season, the stores have accessories galore.
**I am only posting photos of the hats we are NOT wearing to Derby. You can see those in next week's posting!By the way, Derby in the UK is pronounced, dar' bee. Very funny to try and explain to folks.
One of my favourite quotes from the movie Steel Magnolias, "our ability to accessorise is what separates us from the animals"!
What is a "fascinator" you might be thinking? Well, only a photo could truly present it.
After the adventure in the department store, we had lunch in a pub. Met some friends, and then Rebecca went down for a nap. I went home to rescue the dogs before going to dinner w
ith Rebecca and friends. We had dinner in Mayfair [where my office is] at Scott's [fish house]. It was really nice. 
ith Rebecca and friends. We had dinner in Mayfair [where my office is] at Scott's [fish house]. It was really nice. 
Saturday morning we went on the double bus tour of London. It's the best way to see the city. We met at Hamley's Toy Store and got on the bus. We got off near the Clock Tower [Big Ben] and Parliament to take some photos. We also got some good shots of the London Eye [Ferris wheel] from the other side of the River Thames.
And because there was some road works [construction], we got to see the horse guard from the bus, twice; and then from the ground twice.
We headed towards Westminster Abbey and as I was relaying the story about trying 3 times [unsuccessfully] to visit the Abbey before I actually got in, we rounded the corner to see that the Abbey was closed due to an official function. The annual service of commemoration and thanksgiving to mark ANZAC Day [Australian & New Zealand Annual Commemoration] which remembers the Gallipoli landings of 25 April 1915 and all Australians and New Zealanders who have given their lives in the service of their countries.
We also saw #10 Downing Street where the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, lives.
We got on the bus and got off in the city of London near St. Paul's Cathedral, the Catholic Church. The unfortunate thing about being at St. Paul's on a Saturday is that it's in the financi
al district of London, where apparently, there are no residential dwellings, which meant after we waited for the next bus, no one was getting off, so no one could get on.
al district of London, where apparently, there are no residential dwellings, which meant after we waited for the next bus, no one was getting off, so no one could get on.We took a taxi towards London Tower.
We had lunch at the Hung, Drawn, and Quartered pub. The food was good and this is the area of London outside of the London Tower where most of public hangings took place [how nice]. My cod fish unfortunately met the same fate ... though I didn't hang it.
After lunch, we 
took a tour of the Tower of London and saw the crown jewels. I told Rebecca that this was my favourite London tour place, and it did not disappoint. When I was last there in June with my folks, the Beefeaters were all wearing their red coats, which I did not realise was only for special occasions. And the special occasion in June was celebrating the 55th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. There was a 55 cannon salute on the River Thames that day.
took a tour of the Tower of London and saw the crown jewels. I told Rebecca that this was my favourite London tour place, and it did not disappoint. When I was last there in June with my folks, the Beefeaters were all wearing their red coats, which I did not realise was only for special occasions. And the special occasion in June was celebrating the 55th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. There was a 55 cannon salute on the River Thames that day.After this, we made our way back to Regent's Street [big shopping district] where I learned that the crown owns not only the street, but also the building on the street, so the shop keepers pay rent to the Royals. All except Prince Charles, however. He is paid by from a land holding, Duchy of Cornwall.
The Duchy owns 51,885 hectares, mostly in the south of England (half the estate is on Dartmoor in Devon), which is run on a commercial basis, tenanted out to some 200 farms, p
lus 2400 acres of woodland, a few castles and mineral rights over the whole county. The income from the Duchy amounts to tens of millions of pounds every year. William the Conqueror allocated Cornwall to one of his relatives, and by 1337 Edward III created the Duchy as an estate for the eldest sons of the monarch. This has remained the case down the ages, through 24 Dukes of Cornwall, to Prince Charles today. Not a lot more is known about it, to be honest.
lus 2400 acres of woodland, a few castles and mineral rights over the whole county. The income from the Duchy amounts to tens of millions of pounds every year. William the Conqueror allocated Cornwall to one of his relatives, and by 1337 Edward III created the Duchy as an estate for the eldest sons of the monarch. This has remained the case down the ages, through 24 Dukes of Cornwall, to Prince Charles today. Not a lot more is known about it, to be honest.Once here, Rebecca was off to shop in Hamley's and I was headed home to rescue the dogs ... and my dogs [my feet!] as I had been walking for 13 hours. Sheesh!
