After the usual traffic in Greater London, we made it to Southwark and the major sights.
But before we started off to all that we checked into our hotel and admired the room and the great bathtub that had a window into the bedroom.
To start our quick tour we went to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
A walk through Green Park and by many people feeding very cheeky grey squirrels and different kinds of birds, we reached Buckingham Palace. Apparently the Royal family wasn't in residence.
The underground got us quickly to the Tower of London. Unfortunately every famous building seems to be partly covered in building tarp. Nevertheless we walked to the middle of Tower Bridge and held up foot traffic by standing in the way to take pictures like any self-respecting toursit would.
This sign on the ground explains:
"This site formed part of Tower Liberty, an area originally kept open for the defence of the Tower of London. In 1687 a charter was granted, giving priviliged status to those living within its confines, amongt them the freedom of the jurisdiction of London. Although the last vestiges of these priviliges were finally dissolved in 1894, the tradition of the Beating of the Bounds takes place every third year on ascencion day.
William Penn, founder of Pennsylania, was born in Liberty in1644 and baptizes in the nearby Church of all Hallows, Barking."
After an afternoon brunch (we just hadn't managed to get any breakfast or lunch) of sushi and detox soup, we moved our photosession on to St. Paul's Cathedral at dusk.
Just a short walk away was the Millenium Bridge that resisted any depiction on film or electronic material from the angle but gave us a good look over London and all it's lighted buildings and bridges.
The rides on the double decker bus were very bumpy at times but we had a good view at others, better and much cheaper than many city tours and overheard locals giving their guests private tours of the city this way and learnt a lot more than we would have otherwise, both about the city and about the firends, relatives and aquaintances of said persons. (I am still wondering whether this one guy was really introduced with info about the size of his house and checkbook by his friend in Brazil, or if maybe that was a bit of "subtle" bragging to the blonde he was giving the tour to.We'll never know...)