Day 30 - Sunday 13 May - London

Busy day in London today, but on paper it doesn't look like all that much.

Breakfast was super late today - 8:00!! I woke up at 5:23, so got up and spent some time organising what I'll be doing for the next three days.

After breakfast I headed into town and out to Elephant and Castle to walk down to Old Kent Road to add to my Monopoly street signs collection. I walked a good way down the street before I gave up and headed back (it seems this place suffers from the same problem as other places - they don't label the main road, only side streets). But then on the side of the overpass was a sign! Yay!

Subway entrance at Elephant and Castle

Headed for Tower Bridge, getting there around 10am. And there was sun! And the Tower of London wasn't behind white sheeting.

The Shard

Tower Bridge

View west along the Thames from Tower Bridge - City Hall, The Shard, HMS Belfast

The Tower of London from the south side of the Thames

Hay's Galleria

Southwark Cathedral

Thought I'd go rephotograph The Leaky Cauldron mark II before heading for Monument. But on the way I walked past the London Bridge Experience. It was on the todo list for another day, but it was just there and there was no queue out the door, so decided to just go in then. I had no idea what to expect. I guess I was expecting more of a museum. So the "experience" was all a little ridiculous. And the "tombs" was kind of like Inifinity on the Gold Coast, except with "scary" stuff, and guys running around yelling boo essentially, but with far too many sudden loud noises for my ears. You have to put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front and trundle through in a little conga line. Silly silly silly. I'm glad it was "free" on my London Pass otherwise I'd have been pretty disappointed. And it wasted an hour of perfectly good sunlight :/

Went and got my photos of the Leaky Cauldron, then walked across the Southwark bridge, and went and found Monument. It was getting a bit cloudy at this point :( But climbed the 311 steps anyway. Took some photos and continued.

Chez Michele - shop under a railway overpass in Borough Market where the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron on Prisoner of Azkaban was filmed

Monument

View southeast along the Thames from Monument

The Shard from Monument

Dome of St Paul's Cathedral from Monument

View west-southwest towards the London Eye and Tate Modern

City Hall and HMS Belfast from Monument

Tower Bridge from Monument

The Gherkin from Monument

Walked up to Leadenhall markets to get a photo I missed last time of the area of the first Leaky Cauldron.

Road in Leadenhall Markets that Harry and Hagrid walk down in Philosopher's Stone

Entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in Philosopher's Stone

Leadenhall Markets

Headed for Bank station, but it seemed like all the lines through it were shut down for the day. Decided it would be easier to walk back to Monument station. Except then I waited and waited for a train to High Street Kensington. So gave up on that idea and decided to go to Gloucester Road instead.

Royal Exchange

From there walked up to Kensington Palace. Got to walk through the big front gates this time (last time they were working on the gardens and the entrance was closed and you had to go around the other side behind the garden). Going in was a little confusing about where you had to actually go to get in. But got in, and the things you see are all off one central room. So went and saw the Diana exhibition (just a few of her dresses not seen on display before), then the "King's State Rooms" which were the most impressive, the "Queen's State Rooms" for Queen Mary II, and an exhibition called Victoria Revealed which had a whole lot of memorabilia from her life. There was a lot of stuff there and you could have spent ages looking at it if interested. And the best thing: you can take photos of it all!!

Kensington Palace

Black evening dress (Emanuel) - Worn at Goldsmith's Hall in London for first official engagement, 1981

Artwork on the ceiling in Kensington Palace

Cupola room in Kensington Palace

Roof of the Cupola room in Kensington Palace

A king's coronation outfit

View of the gardens outside Kensington Palace from the palace

Fancy dress in Kensington Palace

Lady of the Court dress in Kensington Palace

Long room in Kensington Palace

Gallery in Kensington Palace

Queen Victoria dress in Kensington Palace

Victoria Revealed display in Kensington Palace

HRH Victoria Duchess of Kent with Princess Victoria, by Sir William Beechey

Royal bathroom signs in Kensington Palace

Decided I'd walk through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park rather than taking the tube so that I could go up Wellington Arch, which closes at 5pm. I got there at 16:32. Guess what time the place *actually* closes? 16:30. So the buttplugs wouldn't let me in :(:(:( And the place isn't open the next two days, so I missed out completely :(:(:(