Last Day in London - Lunch with Cousins, Tate Britain & St Paul

This morning it was back to St Paul's for one last try & I finally got under the High Dome to see the wonderful masterpieces painted there and the beautiful mosaics on other ceilings. Overlooking the Quire where smaller domes, each contributing to the story of the Creation of the Universe, depicting birds, fish and trees in a frenzy of sparkling squares.

Clockwise from left - Orange Polenta Cake, Banoffee Pie & Lah Di Dah Cake

The Tower of London - Day Seven

Ok, I'm seriously behind. This is getting real now. I've been in Poland for a little over three weeks now, which means this this blog is behind by about a month. I'm still going to do posts for each day of London (this is the penultimate one, after all) and after that, well let's say I should catch up quite quickly.

Royal & Wonderful - Day Five

'A gift from New Zealand' in the foreground

Sunlight streaming across Buck House

Tuesday morning I set off for Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. There were waay more people then than I had expected, I don't know, for some reason I thought there wouldn't be many people there at all. The procession into the front courtyard of the Palace consisted of guards on foot (with those iconic fluffy hats) playing brass music, as well as Royal Horse Guards with funny fountain hats and red coats, some marching, some on horseback.

Columbia Rd & Shoreditch, the Ponsonby/K' Rd of London - Day Three

The morning consisted of a dawdle through the Columbia Road flower market and the neighbouring shops, where we picked up some tulips and daffodils. We dropped in to a little local cafe & bakery, Lilli Vanilli and had morning tea. Chocolate & poppyseed cake for me, red velvet for Laurie. The place was small but gorgeously decorated, and the food was just as good, if not better.

London is Calling Me - Day One

On the Thames

After spending a night just outside London with relatives, I caught the train to Waterloo where I met my second cousin to stay with her and her partner for a little while. That first day, after dropping my bag at her flat, we walked along the Thames, past the Tower of London, and through the streets to St Paul's Cathedral.

the old telephone box - you've just got to, haven't you...

Greetings from Windsor

Next stop was London. I stayed with some family near Windsor on the first night and we drove around the village and went to nearby Eton. It was amazing! The castle was quite over the top. How could one family live in such a large place?! At the same time, I loved it - I can't help being partial to the royals.

Windsor Village