Piccadilly Circus
Breakfast was included at our hotel so we went down there first thing in the morning to have something to eat. There was a good selection of eggs and ham and sausage, cereals and fruits. Alex was missing pancakes and waffles, but for a free hotel breakfast, it wasn't bad. Our first agenda item for this morning was to find a visitor's information center where would could purchase "the London Pass" which would allow us access to a variety of attractions throughout London. We decided to head up to Piccadilly Circus to the main tourist bureau since this was near Buckingham Palace, which was next on our list of 'to-do's' for the day.
Walking to Buckingham Palace
We picked up some brochures at the Tourist Office and bought our passes and then began strolling towards St. James' Park and Buckingham Palace. Our walk took us down Regent Street, past the Crimean War Memorial and the Duke of York Column at Waterloo Place.
St. James' Park
Our stroll took us next to St. James' Park, a 56-acre park that is the oldest Royal Park in London. It was originally marshland when it was purchased by the King, but was drained and landscaped under the reign of James I. Charles II had the park developed to mimic the royal gardens of France.
Horse Guards Park
On our walk through the park area, we stopped along Horse Guards Road to watch the guards practicing on the parade grounds prior to the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
Outside Buckingham Palace
We walked along Birdcage Walk to the Australia Gate and Buckingham Palace itself. A crowd was forming for the Changing of the Guard. While we wanted to stay and wait, it was nearly an hour away and the crowd was already pretty thick, so we decided to walk on and visit the Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews.
Queen's Gallery and Royal Mews
The Queen's Gallery was around the corner from the Palace. We were not permitted to take any photos inside the Gallery. The first section we walked through contained original artwork from Leonardo da Vinci, which was quite fascinating to see. Following that were collections from Rembrandt, Canaletto and Winterhalter, jewels furniture, sculpture and arms and armor dating back several centuries. After that, we visited the Royal Mews and saw some of the Queen's horses and her carriages.
