It is Sunday 23/8 and we decide to go to the palace to see our queen. Of course she does not live in Buck Palace, as the locals call it. It is more her office. She lives at Windsor Palace and anywhere else she likes really. She is the queen, not ours but just the.
After breakfast at Garfunkels cafe, we head to the palace. Garfunkels sounds like a great name and kind of funky, yes I said that, but turns out to be another chain of cafes. $&@&$ coffee and no atmosphere.
The changing of the guard is at 1130am so we leave the hotel about 9 as we do and get there by about 10ish after breakfast.
Our hotel, Z, is in a great spot, close to everything and within walking distance pretty much if you like walking for hours, or seems like hours. Paul tells me it is not hours, in fact a brisker walk would get us there sooner, blah, blah,blah.
When we arrive at the palace, no fanfare whatsoever which is a bit surprising, there are not that many people but you can see them all streaming in. The guard changing thing only happens every second day and is not on when it rains. So it is Sunday, not raining and there are thousands here.
We wait and feel lucky to find a spot to sit on the steps of a nearby statue. Finally stairs are a good thing.
It is really hard to take photos as after 2 hours and nearing 1130, there are thousands of tourists, subjects, fans, police, horses etc trying to take photos. Many people have special selfie sticks that can be put high above the crowd for good photos. We don't have one.
Another good idea is to have a small child on your shoulders but old enough to take a good photo. We don't have one.
So my photos are not good. Paul's are better as he is taller.
The palace when
Me at the front
A photo taken inside the gate
After breakfast at Garfunkels cafe, we head to the palace. Garfunkels sounds like a great name and kind of funky, yes I said that, but turns out to be another chain of cafes. $&@&$ coffee and no atmosphere.
The changing of the guard is at 1130am so we leave the hotel about 9 as we do and get there by about 10ish after breakfast.
Our hotel, Z, is in a great spot, close to everything and within walking distance pretty much if you like walking for hours, or seems like hours. Paul tells me it is not hours, in fact a brisker walk would get us there sooner, blah, blah,blah.
When we arrive at the palace, no fanfare whatsoever which is a bit surprising, there are not that many people but you can see them all streaming in. The guard changing thing only happens every second day and is not on when it rains. So it is Sunday, not raining and there are thousands here.
We wait and feel lucky to find a spot to sit on the steps of a nearby statue. Finally stairs are a good thing.
It is really hard to take photos as after 2 hours and nearing 1130, there are thousands of tourists, subjects, fans, police, horses etc trying to take photos. Many people have special selfie sticks that can be put high above the crowd for good photos. We don't have one.
Another good idea is to have a small child on your shoulders but old enough to take a good photo. We don't have one.
So my photos are not good. Paul's are better as he is taller.
The palace when
we first arrive.
Me at the front
of the statue thing.
A photo taken inside the gate 
They came and went which reminds me of that quote from Menzies . Something like, I did but see her passing by and yet I will love her till I die. I feel a bit like that about the guards.
That night we found Chinatown again within really easy walking distance and had Chinese. I think it was in soho so now we have been there too.
And of course we had the free wine and cheese before dinner and in fact it was still on when we got back. We love this hotel.
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