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Day 3: March 25, 2024
What an action-packed day! Our excellent driver, Ray, and local tour guide, Tom, ensured we visited some of the most famous tourist sites in London, before heading out to Windsor Castle.
After a photo stop at Buckingham Palace, where we saw some soldiers marching past, ahead of the Changing of the Guard, we walked through the beautiful and tranquil St James’s Park - it’s hard to believe that such a peaceful place sits in the heart of the bustling capital! Everyone stopped to enjoy the wildlife which included pelicans, black and white swans, Canada Geese, other geese and ducks, and a grey squirrel. There were passing mounted police officers and, when we reached Parliament Square, four helicopters flew over us, in formation. We saw statues of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi; heard Big Ben (that’s the bell!) chime, in the Elizabeth Tower; and took photos of the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. We then wended our way past upmarket department stores Harrods and Fortnum and Mason, and stopped for lunch beside St Paul’s Cathedral. Walking onto the Millennium Footbridge, we had an amazing view along the River Thames, spotting Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Tower Bridge. We drove along the river, past the London Eye, and passed too many other interesting buildings, parks and monuments to mention!
Once in Windsor, we spent some time inside Windsor Castle, the home of William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, before buying some mementos and gifts in the quaint town of Windsor.
Back to London, to Bruno’s Café, where most of us ate ‘bangers (=sausages!) and mash’, with onions and gravy, followed by ice cream, before catching the Tube back to our hotel in Wembley, ready to pack for our Eurostar journey to Paris, early tomorrow morning!
Bon voyage!