Heading back to the hostel across the notorious Tower Bridge. 

The rebuilt Shakespeare's Globe Theatre sits on the south side of the Thames, same as the original Globe Theatre of Shakespeare's time. When all theatres were forbidden in the good city of London, the actors moved across the river to continue their work of corrupting the good people of London. During a performance of Henry VIII in 1613, a cannon shot sparked a blaze that burned down the original Globe. It was rebuilt soon thereafter before it was finally burned for good by the Puritans. It's always the Puritans. 

St. Paul's Cathedral looms on the far side of the Thames. I wasn't able to get there before they closed. On the right is London's newest Bridge, the Millenium Bridge, a work of art entirely for pedestrian traffic. 

One last night-time shot of London. Beautiful city, by day or night. Of all the cities I visited, I'd like living in London most. 

Day 2: May 19 (London)

My second day in London, my first full day in the city, I went back to the district of Westminster to see the things I'd missed the day before. Due to the similarity in my travels on both Day 1 and Day 2, as well the fact that Picasa reshuffled the order of my photos and my memories are getting fuzzier by the day, many of the pictures that appeared on Day 1 on the blog actually date to Day 2.

Real men never stop to ask for directions. I'm sure I'll recongnize where I am in just a moment.... 

Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm late for my audience with the Queen. Toodles!

Honest, officers! The Queen said to come on in. 

Bloody taxi, blocking my view of the Queen. She was right there behind the taxi. Honest! 

Why you should never take pictures after having a pint at the pub.... 

Behold John Bull, Archangel of London 

I was kind of disappointed with Buckingham Palace. It's not all that impressive looking, really, only dating from the 1830s and the time of Queen Victoria, which is yesterday for a city that's been here more than 2000 years. Nice angel, though. 

Finally, I've made it to the very center of London, Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square! Pretty impressive, isn't it? 

Don't do it, Nelson! Don't jump! 

On each of the four sides of Nelson's Column is a bas-relief of one of Nelson's epic victories. This commemorates one of them whose name escapes me. 

This is one of four lions that lounge at the feet of Nelson's Column. 

Heh. A statue of Haig, perhaps England's most inept general, graces Whitehall, the corridor of power. 

Day 1: May 18 (London)

The following are pics from my first day in London. I arrived at Heathrow Airport at 6:20 in the morning Greenwich Meridian Time or local time, 1:20 am EST. I was ready to go to bed, but the day was just starting. I was able to persuade myself for a while that I had slept on the plane and it really was the next morning, but my body refused to believe such a pleasant fiction for long.

I was dismayed when I gave $92 dollars to the exchange person at the airport and got back only 42 pounds! The pound is even stronger than the Euro. I was further dismayed when it took 16 pounds to get from the airport to my youth hostel on the south side of London in the Lambeth district. When I got to the Journey's Waterloo hostel about 9:20, I found out I couldn't check in until 2:00. Hmm... What to do in the meantime?

Ah, I can see the welcoming comittee is already here. 

Water, water everywhere, but, come let's face it, you wouldn't really want a drop of this witches-brew to drink. Actually, the Thames is one of Europe's cleanest rivers. 

On the far northern side of the Thames, central London and Westminster beckon. 

Look how bright and sunny the skies are. How quickly that can change 

Bloody tourists, knocking into me and messing up my shot! Watch where you're going! 

Who needs a watch in London, anyway? 

In the shadow of Winston Churchill, these blokes were protesting for a regional parliament for England, like Scotland and Wales have. English nationalism has been on the rise in response to Scottish and Welsh nationalism.

It's kind of hard to respect a man in such a gaudy yellow get-up. 

The House of Commons (from the outside, of course; no pictures allowed inside)