Yes Cliche But You Shouldn't Miss It!
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
We woke up ready to tackle one of the must-sees of London, the Changing of the Guard. Yes, I know it’s looked down upon as another cliché tourist event, but you really shouldn’t miss it.
Since I had been to London before, I already knew that you MUST get to the gates of Buckingham Palace at least 45 minutes early if want to be close enough to the gate to see the actual exchange of guards. The Changing of the Guard is held only every other day in London, so you should be sure to check the schedule online or ask at your hotel desk before you go. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will be standing for a long, long, longggggggggg time! Older people or those with back problems should bring one of those fold-up canvas stools. No kidding.
To get to Buckingham Palace, we took the underground to the St. James station and walked through St. James Park. The park was filled with squirrels, ducks and birds just waiting for the treats they knew we humans would toss to them. The swirling autumn leaves, darting animals and joggers loping down the paths, made the park a pretty busy place.
A long peaceful lake rests right in the center of the park so as you walk across the connecting bridge toward the Mall, you can take in majestic views of the Horse Guards Palace at one end of the park and Buckingham Palace at the other as they bookend the long narrow expanse of the lake. Once we had crossed to the other side of the park, a walk down the Mall (yes the same one that the multitudes flooded during the Queen’s Jubilee) led right to Buckingham Palace, so we joined the other early birds flocking that direction.
The military pomp and display was performed at a stately pace as the stiffly marching guards performed their official hand-off, but we were rewarded with a musical finale. We had been wondering why there were music stands sitting in a clump by our part of the fence, but all of a sudden, some of the red coated guards broke out toward us. Each guard grabbed a stand and they soon set up an impromptu concert area.
Since I had been to London before, I already knew that you MUST get to the gates of Buckingham Palace at least 45 minutes early if want to be close enough to the gate to see the actual exchange of guards. The Changing of the Guard is held only every other day in London, so you should be sure to check the schedule online or ask at your hotel desk before you go. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will be standing for a long, long, longggggggggg time! Older people or those with back problems should bring one of those fold-up canvas stools. No kidding.
To get to Buckingham Palace, we took the underground to the St. James station and walked through St. James Park. The park was filled with squirrels, ducks and birds just waiting for the treats they knew we humans would toss to them. The swirling autumn leaves, darting animals and joggers loping down the paths, made the park a pretty busy place.
A long peaceful lake rests right in the center of the park so as you walk across the connecting bridge toward the Mall, you can take in majestic views of the Horse Guards Palace at one end of the park and Buckingham Palace at the other as they bookend the long narrow expanse of the lake. Once we had crossed to the other side of the park, a walk down the Mall (yes the same one that the multitudes flooded during the Queen’s Jubilee) led right to Buckingham Palace, so we joined the other early birds flocking that direction.
The military pomp and display was performed at a stately pace as the stiffly marching guards performed their official hand-off, but we were rewarded with a musical finale. We had been wondering why there were music stands sitting in a clump by our part of the fence, but all of a sudden, some of the red coated guards broke out toward us. Each guard grabbed a stand and they soon set up an impromptu concert area.
Enjoy the Photo Montage!
Before the music ended we pushed our way out of the thick crowd behind us so that we could try to beat the masses back to Westminster with its tall spiky Houses of Parliament. The Neo-Gothic style government buildings were built in 1844 after a fire destroyed the original Westminster Palace in 1834. The iconic Clock Tower houses the clock bell, Big Ben (….no the TOWER is not Big Ben). The bell would have been heard by Queen Victoria as it rang for the first time in 1859.
Westminster Abbey had always been a place I had dreamed of entering. The ancient Abbey has been witness to so many weighty historical events since Edward the Confessor built the first abbey on the site and has been the sumptuous setting for all royal coronations since 1066. For this reason, the Abbey escaped the destruction Henry VIII wrecked upon most of the monasteries and religious orders during his reign. The actual coronation chair was being restored when we were there, so it was interesting to see it in an observation cubicle behind glass where the conservators were working on it.
Walking through the abbey immerses you in ecclesiastical architectural beauty and thoughts of ancient English history and distinguished literary greats. Some of the most impressive monuments are in the Poets Corner, populated with memorials for icons like Shakespeare and Dickens. In my usual macabre way I loved wandering among the tombs of Edward the Confessor and other medieval monarchs where each stone effigy resting toes up in their suit of chain-mail armor or robes of state.
You can’t miss the Lady Chapel, built by King Henry the VII from 1503 – 1512 as a burial place for the Tudor dynasty. It is a marvelous space, fan vaulted with lacy carvings and delicate hanging pendants and it glows with a buttery light. The walls are lined with tall thin sculptures of 95 saints. The tombs of Queen Elizabeth I and her sister “Bloody Mary” are at the north side of the chapel. King Henry VII and his queen Elizabeth of York are located behind the altar. Mary Queen of Scots has her burial monument on the south side of the chapel and her son James I is also buried in the chapel.
After soaking up so much serious history and culture, we were dying to do something more lively, so we headed out to Covent Garden. Covent Garden during Christmas is a cheerful collection of antique and craft stalls, cozy pubs and modern upscale boutiques and shops all decorated with fir trees, red bows and twinkle lights. The chilly air didn’t stop people from wandering through the kiosks of the Apple Market and people were in a festive mood; their arms full of shopping bags. Musicians played Christmas music in the courtyard of the East Colonnade Market while people sat at small tables enjoying nice hot coffee and tea.
Our trusty bartender at the Courtfield had given us directions to an Aussie pub called the Walkabout. Jim and I have a long running quest to find, at least one, Victoria Bitter everywhere we travel. We originally encountered the beer in Sydney Australia and loved it so much that we were dismayed to find that it is extremely hard to find anywhere else in the world so we were ecstatic to find it in London. Of course we hoisted a couple as required after a successful quest.
With our pilgrimage completed, we headed on around the corner to the second pub recommended by our bartender called The Porterhouse, for a late lunch. The Porterhouse is a welcoming Irish Pub and several of their featured beers are brewed in Dublin, Ireland. You would never guess that the Porterhouse has 12 levels because when you walk into the pub it feels intimate and friendly and the building doesn’t look that big. The food is amazing. I had Beef and Porterhouse Stout Pie and Jim ordered the Fish and Chips as usual (he rarely ordered anything but fish and chips the whole time we were in London!)
At the edge of Covent Garden we ran into the theater district on the Strand. The last time I was in London, my son and I had donned our evening clothes and attended a performance of Chicago. We had stopped in for martinis at the Savoy Hotel, which has an elegant upscale bar. I wanted Jim to experience the Savoy also, so we walked into the grand palace. We had a feeling we were sorely under-dressed in our jeans and jackets, and unfortunately our fears were confirmed when the host gave us a discouraged look and sadly said he couldn’t let us in. I felt bad for him and embarrassed for us as he continued to apologize profusely! So be sure to dress up if you want to sip cocktails at the Savoy!
Westminster Abbey had always been a place I had dreamed of entering. The ancient Abbey has been witness to so many weighty historical events since Edward the Confessor built the first abbey on the site and has been the sumptuous setting for all royal coronations since 1066. For this reason, the Abbey escaped the destruction Henry VIII wrecked upon most of the monasteries and religious orders during his reign. The actual coronation chair was being restored when we were there, so it was interesting to see it in an observation cubicle behind glass where the conservators were working on it.
Walking through the abbey immerses you in ecclesiastical architectural beauty and thoughts of ancient English history and distinguished literary greats. Some of the most impressive monuments are in the Poets Corner, populated with memorials for icons like Shakespeare and Dickens. In my usual macabre way I loved wandering among the tombs of Edward the Confessor and other medieval monarchs where each stone effigy resting toes up in their suit of chain-mail armor or robes of state.
You can’t miss the Lady Chapel, built by King Henry the VII from 1503 – 1512 as a burial place for the Tudor dynasty. It is a marvelous space, fan vaulted with lacy carvings and delicate hanging pendants and it glows with a buttery light. The walls are lined with tall thin sculptures of 95 saints. The tombs of Queen Elizabeth I and her sister “Bloody Mary” are at the north side of the chapel. King Henry VII and his queen Elizabeth of York are located behind the altar. Mary Queen of Scots has her burial monument on the south side of the chapel and her son James I is also buried in the chapel.
After soaking up so much serious history and culture, we were dying to do something more lively, so we headed out to Covent Garden. Covent Garden during Christmas is a cheerful collection of antique and craft stalls, cozy pubs and modern upscale boutiques and shops all decorated with fir trees, red bows and twinkle lights. The chilly air didn’t stop people from wandering through the kiosks of the Apple Market and people were in a festive mood; their arms full of shopping bags. Musicians played Christmas music in the courtyard of the East Colonnade Market while people sat at small tables enjoying nice hot coffee and tea.
Our trusty bartender at the Courtfield had given us directions to an Aussie pub called the Walkabout. Jim and I have a long running quest to find, at least one, Victoria Bitter everywhere we travel. We originally encountered the beer in Sydney Australia and loved it so much that we were dismayed to find that it is extremely hard to find anywhere else in the world so we were ecstatic to find it in London. Of course we hoisted a couple as required after a successful quest.
With our pilgrimage completed, we headed on around the corner to the second pub recommended by our bartender called The Porterhouse, for a late lunch. The Porterhouse is a welcoming Irish Pub and several of their featured beers are brewed in Dublin, Ireland. You would never guess that the Porterhouse has 12 levels because when you walk into the pub it feels intimate and friendly and the building doesn’t look that big. The food is amazing. I had Beef and Porterhouse Stout Pie and Jim ordered the Fish and Chips as usual (he rarely ordered anything but fish and chips the whole time we were in London!)
At the edge of Covent Garden we ran into the theater district on the Strand. The last time I was in London, my son and I had donned our evening clothes and attended a performance of Chicago. We had stopped in for martinis at the Savoy Hotel, which has an elegant upscale bar. I wanted Jim to experience the Savoy also, so we walked into the grand palace. We had a feeling we were sorely under-dressed in our jeans and jackets, and unfortunately our fears were confirmed when the host gave us a discouraged look and sadly said he couldn’t let us in. I felt bad for him and embarrassed for us as he continued to apologize profusely! So be sure to dress up if you want to sip cocktails at the Savoy!