Day Seven from Miriam

Today Melissa, Anna and I took a walk around the Westminster area.  Lovely!

This pub made me happy.  SHERLOCK!!!!

I love window shopping at bakery window displays!  Mmmmmm!

Notice the cake in the bottom center.  We called it the "fondant dump cake."  It looks like they piled all their leftover fondant scraps onto it.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE.  With the one-armed Lord Nelson atop the tall, central plinth.  Enough said.

We found a red telephone booth and had to make a stab at being cute.  A nearby tour bus driver told me this pose would look great in a bikini.  Awkward...

I was just trying to have fun, but here's a more conservative pose.

CAKES CAKES CAKES!

We saw the horse guards.  We also got to see them trying out a brand new horse who got skittish and had to be replaced.

Here is the Cenotaph, still adorned with poppies recently placed there by the queen.

We had fun comparing the statuary on the side of this building to see what Europe thought of the other major world powers back when these were created (sorry I didn't get a very clear picture of America—I thought I had, but apparently not).

They were filming on one of the streets we passed, apparently for a film called "Genius."  We heard it was supposed to take place in New York, and were baffled to note that the old cars in the scene had the steering wheels on the left side, and the scene was indeed supposed to be occurring in the USA.

This adorable cottage stands at the edge of St. James' Park.  I want it to be my house.  But really, look at how cute it is!

Also, this arena apparently used to be a jousting field.  Oh, the imagination this conjures!

Tall wall.  Much tall.  Very ivy.  Wow green.

Captain Cook.  Not to be confused with Captain Hook.  If anybody were to be Captain Hook, that would be Lord Nelson with his missing arm.  But then he would be Lord Hook, which does not sound quite so fine.

Admiralty Arch.  Below this runs the red road on which the monarch used to have exclusive driving privileges, but on which anyone may now walk or drive.

The Union Jack flies at intervals along the red road.

Oh, the noble Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men,
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And marched them down again.

Me on the royal road!

A lot of royalty lived in this simple red brick building, which stands unostentatiously tucked between other buildings.  Bloody Mary died here, and King Charles I was taken from here to be beheaded.

We noticed a building along the way that is under construction.  Notice how they have gutted the space but are carefully preserving the old façade.  I love how the British value their history and treasure it, but they keep living in their history and adding to it.  There is a unique British charm to the way they savor and live in their past.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE.  WHAT.

From Buckingham Palace, we found out it was only a short hop and a skip to Hyde Park (side note: my definition of how far apart things are has changed dramatically on this trip).  We hurried over to the park and got to watch the cannon salute performed for the new baby princess, who is now officially Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge.

Afterward, they simply toted the cannons away behind their horses.

We got to watch their band parade through the park after the gun salute!

They just happily carted the cannons away through the park.

On our way to the National Gallery, we found something suuuuuper fun to try...

...we rode in a rickshaw!

It was so much fun!!!!  His name was Elvis.  Or Otis.  Or Albus.  It was hard to hear, ok??

We rode from Hyde Park to Piccadilly Circus, and loved every minute!

A few more things from our walk:

Athena looking down from beneath a blue, Parthenon-esque frieze.

Scott, an arctic explorer who tragically died with his heroic crew but left a noble legacy.

I found Bert from Mary Poppins!!  Or if he isn't, he should be.

Oh hey, George.  What'cha doin' here?

Then we went to the National Portrait Gallery.

Guess who's just hanging out by himself.  Just chilling.

Yup.  That's Shakespeare.

Also, as the last bit of exciting news for today, guess who I saw????

Why yes, that is Jane Austen.  Why do you ask?

Just one of the best authors of all time.

She understands how women's hearts work, which is more than I do.