Cal and VA | Adventures | Ireland and Enland 2011

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uk2011 — Another day of wandering through London without Virginia Ann. On the way to the local subway station the Swiss Re Building was framed well in the stormy clouds. It would not rain - actually it did not rain on us for the entire trip - except a short downpour in Dublin.

uk2011 — Also in the neighborhood - the Heron Tower, which is the tallest building in London City (the financial district is in the City) the third tallest in all of London.

uk2011 — A cenotaph standing in Whitehall in the middle of Parliament Street. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, and erected in 1919 for the Allied Victory Parade. Hard to see but the only words on the monument are "The Glorious Dead".

uk2011 — I would spend several hours at the Horse Guards building and parade ground.

A dismounted Horse Guard stands near the entrance to the Royal Stables.

uk2011 — The changing of the guards - or Guard Changing of the Queen's Lifeguard. Begins with the old guards coming out to the Horse Guard parade ground. The old guards are from the cavalry regiment called Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (RHG/D).

uk2011 — The Blues and Royals has served in Northern Ireland, Germany, and Cyprus. During the Falklands War of 1982, the regiment provided the two armored reconnaissance troops. The regiment also had a squadron on operational duty with the United Nations in Bosnia in 1994/1995. In 2003 the regiment deployed to Iraq.

uk2011 — The new guard was The Life Guards. The Life Guards are the oldest regiment in the Army being formed in 1658 by King Charles II.

uk2011 — Interestingly membership of these was originally restricted to gentleman, and accordingly they had no non-commissioned officers; their corporals were commissioned, and ranked as lieutenants in the rest of the army. This state of affairs persisted until 1756. They still have an odd rank structure - no sergeants.

uk2011 — The two units of guards face off during the guard changing ceremony.

After the changing of the guard I went into the Household Cavalry Museum. Which offered a view into the stables - the new Life Guards were busy putting up their mounts.

Then a short subway ride to the National Army Museum which had a nice layout - you walked through the museum from 1642 through the present conflicts in Afghanistan. The museum was highly interactive and fun for kids. It was here that I noticed that the American Revolution did not get a lot of space, if any, in all the military museums.

uk2011 — The Saint Pancras Renaissance London Hotel opened March 2011 occupying parts of the former Midland Grand Hotel (1873-1935).

uk2011 — The Saint Pancras Renaissance London Hotel is brand new and a brief exploration inside was awe-inspiring. Wonderful old world feeling but all brand new.

uk2011 — A building with some interesting architecture and graffiti

I took this while wandering around the neighborhood surrounding the British Library. I was kicked out of the library due to a bomb scare and all my photography backpack was inside in a locker - so I had an hour to kill.

The British Library would not be a long stop normally but is full of history. From original Beetle lyrics to Gutenberg Bible and the Magna Carta.

uk2011 — Just to the South of London Bridge is this lion marking the boundary of the city of London.

uk2011 — Monument to the Great Fire of London is a 202 foot tall stone Roman Doric column near the northern end of London Bridge. It stands 202 feet from where the Great Fire of London started in 1666.

uk2011 — The bas-relief at the bottom of the Monument to the Great Fire of London. The sculpture, by Caius Gabriel Cibber, in alto and bas-relief, of the destruction of the City; with King Charles II, and his brother, James, the Duke of York (later James II) surrounded by Liberty, Architecture, and Science, giving directions for its restoration.

uk2011 — I then wandered in the general direction of the hotel - and took a few wrong turns - but stumbled on this scene. This is Leadenhall Market which is a covered market dating back to the 14th century.

The spillage into the street was from the pub The New Moon.

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