Breakfast - same
So there was a tube strike planned for today. While there were some services still running, we decided we'd have a day of "local" to the hotel things. ie, things we could walk to from the hotel.
So we headed in the general direction of what we thought was the Natural History Museum, but the road curled around to the north instead of staying going north east, so we decided to have a look at Kensington Palace first up. Just the exterior, didn't go in. Went down to the pond where The Birds were gathered. Got some way cool photos of some starlings on a dude's hand.
Then we meandered through Kensington Gardens, and had a look at the Albert Memorial, and the Royal Albert Hall.
And then down to the Natural History Museum. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Maybe it was trying to cover too much. I was expecting it to be choc-full of stuff, but it was a little bit spartan, representing whole swathes of things (eg all of mammals or all of fish) with just a few cabinets. Actually one of the best displays in terms of sheer volume was the mineral displays. It took up a whole big room! Stu also liked the contents of the cocoon (some detail on the scientific and museum process), but by that time we were exhausted on our feet and didn't really have the energy to look at it on more depth.
So at this point Stu headed back to the hotel and I decided to go to Harrods (just to say I'd been). Oh. Fricken. Dear. First of all you need a map to find your way around (and even then you still got turned around and upside down). I was constantly trying to figure out how to get out of where I was. The whole bottom floor of course is the super exclusive perfumes and handbags. With an Egyptian theme (!). Went up to the fourth floor to look at toys. Had to walk through the childrenswear section. £300 for an outfit?? hrmm. They did have RC which I'd not seen in stores (only online) for £79. Lego was comparable to our pricing (perhaps more with the dollar the way it is). Went downstairs to have a look at electronics stuff, but if they had memory sticks I didn't find them. TinTin books were £7. The coolest part of the whole store (that I saw) was the fossil and mineral gallery. Having literally just seen some of this stuff at the museum, to see it for sale was super cool. Horrendously expensive, but super cool :) I didn't find the statue my parents found last year, or the Dodi and Diana one (I didn't even know it existed til just then), but did find a gold Egyptian thing. At this point I figured any exit was a good exit, so bolted for the door before I got lost again!
Twenty five minute walk back to the hotel, then went out again to get dinner (KFC - I know, lame) and back to *sit*. Another ten kilometre walking day today, not including walking around the museum or Harrods or the walk to KFC and back. Feet. Very. Sore.
So there was a tube strike planned for today. While there were some services still running, we decided we'd have a day of "local" to the hotel things. ie, things we could walk to from the hotel.
So we headed in the general direction of what we thought was the Natural History Museum, but the road curled around to the north instead of staying going north east, so we decided to have a look at Kensington Palace first up. Just the exterior, didn't go in. Went down to the pond where The Birds were gathered. Got some way cool photos of some starlings on a dude's hand.
Doggy poop bins in Kensington Gardens
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace gardens
Geese in Kensington Gardens
Swan in Kensington Gardens
Starlings in Kensington Gardens
Starlings in Kensington Gardens
Starlings in Kensington Gardens
Swan in Kensington Gardens
Feeding the geese
Kensington Palace gates
Then we meandered through Kensington Gardens, and had a look at the Albert Memorial, and the Royal Albert Hall.
South Flower Walk
Albert Memorial
Royal Albert Hall
Albert Memorial
And then down to the Natural History Museum. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Maybe it was trying to cover too much. I was expecting it to be choc-full of stuff, but it was a little bit spartan, representing whole swathes of things (eg all of mammals or all of fish) with just a few cabinets. Actually one of the best displays in terms of sheer volume was the mineral displays. It took up a whole big room! Stu also liked the contents of the cocoon (some detail on the scientific and museum process), but by that time we were exhausted on our feet and didn't really have the energy to look at it on more depth.
Natural History Museum
Amazing stone carvings were all over the building - inside and out!
Central Hall
Moose I think
Whales
Whale
Sensory and Motor models of the body
Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Charles Darwin
Central Hall
Giant Sequoia cross section
Giant Sequoia cross section
Mineral hall
Iridescent Stalactites
Mocha Stone
Fluorescent diamonds
Agate
This looks like a cityscape or something
Side of the cacoon
Genes V! I had this book in uni!
Petrified wood
So at this point Stu headed back to the hotel and I decided to go to Harrods (just to say I'd been). Oh. Fricken. Dear. First of all you need a map to find your way around (and even then you still got turned around and upside down). I was constantly trying to figure out how to get out of where I was. The whole bottom floor of course is the super exclusive perfumes and handbags. With an Egyptian theme (!). Went up to the fourth floor to look at toys. Had to walk through the childrenswear section. £300 for an outfit?? hrmm. They did have RC which I'd not seen in stores (only online) for £79. Lego was comparable to our pricing (perhaps more with the dollar the way it is). Went downstairs to have a look at electronics stuff, but if they had memory sticks I didn't find them. TinTin books were £7. The coolest part of the whole store (that I saw) was the fossil and mineral gallery. Having literally just seen some of this stuff at the museum, to see it for sale was super cool. Horrendously expensive, but super cool :) I didn't find the statue my parents found last year, or the Dodi and Diana one (I didn't even know it existed til just then), but did find a gold Egyptian thing. At this point I figured any exit was a good exit, so bolted for the door before I got lost again!
Harrods
Rhodocrosite
Petrified wood
Shells
Gold Egyptian thing
Harrods
Twenty five minute walk back to the hotel, then went out again to get dinner (KFC - I know, lame) and back to *sit*. Another ten kilometre walking day today, not including walking around the museum or Harrods or the walk to KFC and back. Feet. Very. Sore.
Geotagging - Day 11
Photos on the Canon: 320
Videos on the Canon: 5
Photos on the Sony: 88
Photos on the Blackberry: 2
Videos on the Video: 13
Steps walked: 18836
Pounds Spent: 28.53
Comments