I was a tourist today, which was great. I had a few errands to run, too, but I spent the majority of my time today acclimating myself to all the great things London has to offer. So here’s the rundown:

I left the hotel this morning around 9:00am and walked across the Hungerford Bridge to Trafalgar Square, which is the most famous square in England, which is named to commemorate Nelson’s victory over the French and Spanish at Cape Trafalgar in 1805. It has a 170 foot high statue, called Nelson’s Column, with 4 giant lions around the base.

Trafalgar Square borders The National Gallery, home to over 2000 paintings, and one of the greatest galleries in the world. I didn’t go in today, because I want to spend a lot of time there.

I walked toward Whitehall road, where I came across the Horse Guard, the home of the Queen’s Horses. The mounted Guards were sitting in formation in front of an arch, but I couldn’t really gauge exactly what they were guarding… the other horses?

From there, I walked down The Mall, which cuts past Downing Street, the home to the Prime Minister of England. I couldn’t see the actual home because of some construction, but I got to see the sign! I kept walking toward Parliament, which was amazing and intricate. The most striking thing was the size of the building, and just how many windows and nooks and crannies there were. Just next to Parliament is Big Ben, the famous clock. And just opposite is Westminster Abbey, also very intricate and beautiful. Westminster Abbey has hosted every coronation since 1066 through Elizabeth in 1953, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII… the coronation room was booked for the Elk’s Lodge bingo night those nights, so…. There’s also a lot of dead British Monarchs there. I plan on going back for a more detailed visit inside.

After the Abbey I walked over to St Jame’s Park, the Queen’s Park, and took a leisurely stroll through the green, green gardens. It was great to be in such a lush environment. There were a lot of birds, including Swans, Geese, pigeons, and a bunch of birds I have never seen. There were also a lot of attack squirrels! These guys are so hungry that they literally come up to your feet and beg for food. I was standing at a waist high fence when one threw itself up the fence, and nearly launched itself into my arms. Luckily I stepped back and avoided the squirrel missile by mere inches. I walked the park from end to end and saw Buckingham Palace, some kind of parade of Malaysian soldiers, and a bunch of the fuzzy headed Guards marching in formation. Buckingham Palace was big, but not especially beautiful… nothing compared to the Abbey. As I was walking back toward the hotel, I started to get tired so I hired a deck chair (hired means rented in British) and took a nap for about an hour

Then I came back to the hotel and changed clothes so I could run my errands, such as opening a bank account, and arranging Michael’s visa. After I finished that, I went to the Tower of London, the fortress of the Thames. It is huge!!! It has been a royal residence, a state prison, and is now a main tourist attraction. Lots of British traitors were held here during their trials, and many were then beheaded! The Tower dates back to 1078, and was constructed over several different periods.

There were a lot of places I just wanted to see, and I will definitely go back and visit them with more attention and time in the future.