The 6th Day in London

May 04, 2015

April 9th, my daughter is to take me Buckingham Palace to see the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard today. We are going to get together at Victoria Station at 10:40. I have enough time until then. I decided to walk around Chelsea.

I headed for Chelsea along the Thames. Many people go to work by bicycle in London. I passed on Chelsea Bridge, Albert Bridge. When I came near Battersea Bridge, I found an old and small church at the north side of the road. This is the Chelsea Old Church that dates from the 12th century. In front of the church, Thomas More's statue stands. I went a little further and crossed Battersea Bridge and walked along the south shore of the Thames for a while. It was a little early, but I got on the 170 line bus to Victoria Station because I had no reason to return my hotel then. My android tablet was very useful to check London bus lines.

Battersea Park

Chelsea Bridge

Cadogan Pier


Battersea Bridge

Chelsea Old Church

Thomas More's statue

Cheyne Walk

I waited for my daughter in Starbucks at Victoria Station. I asked a waitress where a toilet was. She told me that there was no toilet in the shop and I had to go in the station. My daughter came and she took me to a pub across from the station to use a toilet. It seems to be the way of using toilets for London people.

We headed for Buckingham Palace on foot. Many visitors had already come in front of the palace, and it became very crowded by the time the ceremony began. A police officer who guarded in front of us was very friendly and talkative, so he was very popular with the spectators. A lot of tourists come to see the ceremony all over the world, so I would say that the Royal Family contributes to the nation gain through sightseeing in a considerable way.

at Buckingham Palace

The Mall

We walked through the Mall to Tragalfer Square. And then we went to Piccadilly Circus and had light lunch at a small yakisoba shop. The yakisoba had an ethnic flavor, not Japanese taste.

a yakisoba shop

We went to St Paul's Cathedral. We said good-bye there, and I headed for Tate Modern through Millennium Bridge. I enjoyed watching the exhibits there until the evening. I knew later that Shakespeare's Globe, reconstructed the Globe Theatre, stands next to Tate Modern.