London Day 6 - West End and City Walks

A Sunday and we had a slower start to the day! The West End walk began at Covent Garden tube station and first stop was the Covent Garden market - stalls and shops and buzzing with people. We picked up a few gifts here (can't show you!) and watched a couple of excellent buskers. We walked down Lisle St to Chinatown and then Shaftesbury Ave with all the big name West End theatres.  At Piccadilly Circus we booked tickets for "Jersey Boys" on Tuesday night, figuring we wouldn't fall asleep as we had nearly overcome our premature evening tiredness due to jet lag. The streets were very busy with people and cars, tourists and locals alike out enjoying a sunny Sunday. Amongst the glamorous designer shops we found a small pub (the Clarence Hotel) down a side street for lunch. G again opted for a steak and ale pie and I managed to negotiate a piece of fish with mixed vegetables rather than "mushy peas" which had been the side dish to nearly all pub meals we had previously seen (and I don't LIKE peas!).

Isn't this the biggest Easter egg you have ever seen?

Next we headed past the Ritz Hotel to Green Park, with its magnificent oak trees and daffodils coming out in the lawns, to Buckingham Palace.

The Queen was apparently "at home" as we saw her leaving by helicopter on the nightly news. Tours weren't operating until next month so we just peeked though the iron railings like good "subjects" (blah!).

St James' Park was looking very pretty in the sunshine and teaming with people. We got so warm walking that we had an ice cream ...

Next we headed through the Queen's Horse Guards' Parade ground to Victoria Embankment on the Thames, seeing the London Eye from the opposite bank. We noticed thousands of people who had just taken part in a charity fun run - "Sport Relief London Mile" (or 3 or 6 miles). We were aiming for St Paul's Cathedral but it was a bit further than we thought and we were glad to sit down when we got there. Sight seeing isn't allowed on Sundays but we were in luck as a 3.15 pm pre-Easter service was in progress and we listened to the choir sing four hymns beautifully while we took in the building.

Back to the apartment on the tube and a Chinese takeaway for dinner!