London: Walking Around London

Let's take a walk around London!  Starting at the end of The Mall farthest from Buckingham Palace.

We arrived right about 6 PM which explains the traffic.  Buckingham Palace is juuuust out of sight at the back of the line of cars.

Trafalger Square, a couple of blocks from our hotel.

Jackrabbit sculptures I found intriguing.

Makes me want to sing the theme from "Married with Children".

Along Whitehall.

Putting my camera through the fence rails...

Just a bit farther down, we came across 10 Downing Street, the seat of the British Government.  There were all sorts of nervous bobbies hurrying people along, but I held my camera up and snapped this photo blindly, in the split second there was a clearing between people.  I think this is David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, and his wife.  They appear to be the two people the farthest to the right.

Here is an official photo taken at that same location in June.  That is David Cameron on the right, his wife in white, with the Queen and Duke on June 21 celebrating the Duke's birthday.  So am I right?  Is it the Camerons in the photo above?

Along Whitehall again.

Big Ben on a sunny London morning.

In front of Westminster Abbey.

In front of Big Ben.

Later in the same day, it had become quite overcast.

Heading from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace, we came across these barriers.  Not sure if they are always there, or if they were placed there because Obama was due to arrive in 3 days.  They actually moved his trip up to 2 days so he could beat the ash in Ireland from the volcano eruption.  He and his family toured Westminster Abbey two days after we did.

Buckingham Palace and the The Queen's digs.  And where the Obamas slept.

Thinking it was the arrival of the Queen who had been in Northern Ireland, my wife asked a bobby what the people were doing.  "Waiting for you!" he smiled.  After letting her puzzle over that for a few seconds, he whispered "changing of the guard".

An interesting hotel across the street from Buckingham Palace.

An old Bentley outside of Westminster Abbey.

What exactly is a statue of Abe Lincoln doing in downtown London?

One of the few pedicabs we saw.  Obviously the reason there were few - no business.

I needed a larger card for my camera so we ventured into a nearby Apple store.  Quite elegant.

My wife going down the stairs.

The sales floor.  I don't know why, but seeing hoards of Apple-ites freaked me out a little.  And the Apple store did not have a memory card for my camera.

A beautiful display on Haymarket Street.

Near Piccadilly Circus...

Piccadilly Circus.  The Sanyo sign is about to be switched out for a Hyundai sign.  Quite fitting, don't you think, seeing how the Koreans are wiggling in to traditional Japanese product areas.  At the present time, the Sanyo sign is the old sign up there - having been added in 1987.

A freak we saw at the edge of Piccadilly Circus.

And his brother apparently.

We had lunch at this pub.  When we were done, I looked up and noticed the top shelf was lined with Sierra Nevada beers, from Chico, California!  Sorry it is a blurry photo, I must've been excited.

The underground tube, with my wife waiting for the next train.

Their exit signs say "Way out".   Far out, man.

My wife pointed out this advertisement for California.  Something we never see in San Diego!

We didn't exit at this street, because neither of us is an old broad.

Kettners is a restaurant in the Soho district where we ate one Sunday evening.  The restaurant is very beautifully done in a French style, but the food was just so-so.