October 21

We changed hotels today but not before a weird night's sleep.  I woke up at 4am and was wide awake.  Of course, I tried to sleep but wasted a lot of time doing that until of course about 15 mins. before I wanted to initially get up.  haha  The cab ride to Piccadilly cost 30 pounds (42 Cdn).  That is almost the same price from the airport.  It's only a few miles away but traffic here is absolutely horrendous.  I will never complain about the traffic back home again.  We had a really nice taxi driver that kept apologizing because the traffic was especially bad today,  He kept turning off his meter.

Anyhow, we arrived at the hotel but couldn't go to our room until 2pm (it was around 12:30).  We walked next door and had Italian food that wasn't worth writing home about (get it?).  Mom kept insisting that they take Euros (don't know why she had any Euros) but the waitress wouldn't take them so she asked another mother and daughter sitting next to us and they said the same thing,  Guess who already told her that.  haha

After lunch we went on another bus tour.  By the way, we are smack dab right in the middle of the Theater District next to Chinatown.  Great location near Piccadilly Circus.  It rained again off and on today.  I took a lot of pictures of the architecture today.  Later in the afternoon, I took Mom back to the hotel so we could go to our room.  It's a very nice room.  This hotel is older but just as nice.  Old English design.  The room had complimentary fresh fruit and bottled water.  It also has robes and slippers.......oooooh!.

I headed out again, this time on my own.  I decided I better go see Buckingham Palace since I haven't seen it on any bus routes yet.  I walked down Piccadilly and cut through Green Park and got to the Palace.  There was a car coming out of the Palace gates but it wasn't anyone interesting.  Too bad.  After taking a zillion pics I walked down Constitution Hill between the side of the Palace & Green Park.

I eventually took a bus at Hyde Park and saw another route (one that I hadn't seen yet).  It was 5:30 and when the bus pulled up, he asked me where I was going.  I said wherever he was going.  He informed me that he was only going as far as Piccadilly Circus so I said.....perfect.  I virtually had the bus all to myself and boy did he drive like he couldn't wait to get off shift.  Even in the heavy traffic, they drive very aggressive here.  I noticed that he was approaching my hotel but there wasn't an 'official' stop there so I quickly came down the stairs (I'm always on the top floor) and asked him if he could drop me off at the stop light.  He paused before answering and then said Ok, but go NOW!

I got back to the room and talked mom into going for Indian food before we go see Les Miserables (which is playing a block away).  We got 2nd row seats.  Anyhow, back to the Indian food......let's just say....we're not in Surrey anymore.  My mom wasn't too thrilled with it but she was a good sport.  We then went to the show and let me just say......IT WAS JUST FANTASTIC!!!!!  Great theater, great set, great cast.  Worth every penny.  I'm really glad we went to it.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to take a walk over to Kensington area and maybe see Kensington Palace.  We get picked up at 3:30pm and head to Heathrow to catch our flight to Cape Town, South Africa (12 hours UGH!).  You probably won't hear from me for a couple of days, so don't worry.  Here's today's pics.

Cute teapots & cups

Just an old building,  That's a reflection from the bus window.  Most of  my bus pics are through a window.

Townhouses near Hyde Park

Not through a window (haha)

I wonder if anyone uses these anymore or they just for show?

Our hotel is the one with the flags

Piccadilly Circus.  That's the Eros statue on the right.

The gates near the Palace

Those pillars say Canada

Queen Victoria Memorial (in front of the Palace)

Someone's leaving the Palace

This barrier goes does to let cars in & out

A selfie

Walking down the side of the Palace

Green Park

Security around the Palace

Up close

My long walk to Hyde Park

Near Hyde Park

Hyde Park....that's part of the fence up close in the foreground

An elephant doing a trunk stand on a clown's hand.  That would be hard  ;)

My way back to the hotel.  I don't know what that tall thing is in the background

Traffic

Good idea considering they drive on the wrong side of the road.  haha

Our hotel

The ceiling inside the Queen's Theater where we saw Les Mis

The stage

House right

Chinatown

Outside the Theater