Westminster Walk

My first day traveling as a local, by myself. Beccs needed a day to rest and so I left her cozy little home armed with instructions to the bus stop, where to catch the tube and where to get off to begin my walking tour.

The plan was quite simple really, Rick Steves travel book for Europe has several walking tours to take in major cities and was the inspiration for this one.

The weather was sort of cooperating, cloudy with sunny breaks mixed with a hella windstorm- this is an island, I suppose its bound to

happen. Beccs loaned me an umbrella as that was the one thing I didn't pack. (smart, I know). The bus stop was one block down at the end of the street by St. Andrews Church. The Oyster pass I got for all public transportation is quite a novelty- it has a 'tap' method instead of the bar codes like we would use. So you get on, tap your card to the yellow circle plate and when the light goes green you proceed. The tube is much the same and very well laid out. But you must remember to keep your pass with you as you need it to get in and out of the terminals- so much for the honor system.

My stop was Leicester (les-ster) Square. From there I followed Charing Cross Rd to the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. The Square was massive and filled with tourists and school kids on day field trips.
Keep heading straight through the crazy round-a-bout with the locals j-walking and the tourists nervously looking for the small green walking man (ours are white and a little bigger) which signals its safe (more safe than before anyway) to walk down Whitehall.

Keep walking and pass the Horse Guards. This tourist attraction houses 2 horse mounted guards at the gate and one police officer holding a small machine gun. I felt bad for these poor horses, they were being gawked at, petted, and made to stand still for the stupid tourists taking pictures with them - these same tourists who didn't seem to see the huge sign the read BEWARE: horse may kick and bite! Yeah, I'd also be concerned about the officer with the oozy.

Keep walking and on your left you'll see the Ministry of Defence- cleverly hidden, no signs, didn't even realize that's what it was. Go Defence!
Walk a little further and BAM! BIG BEN! And attached to it, the Houses of Parliament. I reached it at noon and so got the hear the bells ring, very cool.
Hang a left at Big Ben and cross to the middle of Westminster Bridge. From here you can see the canal, the London Eye and pieces of the skyline of London.

From here I walked back along Victoria Embankment to find lunch. The Whitehall Gardens offered a pretty place to eat and get covered in the fine airborne fibers blowing off the trees and into my face.
And then I snapped and walked by way back to the underground. Another successful day. :)