My "Royal Day Out"

Above is what is called Admiralty Arch. It marks one end of the Mall (rhymes with "pal") which is the long ceremonial street that leads to Buckingham Palace at the other end. This was the time of the year that the queen goes off to Balmoral Castle in Scotland for two months. So they open the state apartments in the palace to us lesser beings who are willing to pay for the privilege. Turns out, it was worth it. The palace is almost literally beyond description. I also went to the Queen's Gallery--currently on display there-- a lot of china, art, and jewelry--including a two-diamond pin. First diamond was 60+ carats, the second 90+. Hard to actually believe that what you're looking at could be real diamonds. Too bad you can't take pictures there or in the palace, but I did buy the guidebook.

On the way up the Mall is Clarence House, Prince Charles' official residence. Couldn't see the building, but could see these nice fellows.

The front yard of the palace isn't much to look at--just a spot of color with the two redcoats.

Nice gate ornament. I wonder if they sell them in the gift shop?

Gee, more flowers. And are these beds well tended!

They were cutting off the wilted flower heads--I kid you not. Jamie, are you doing that with my flower beds at home?

Big statue of Victoria outside the palace. She actual spent most of her time at Windsor and Balmoral.

Look! It's me on my way to the palace.

As luck would have it for once, there was some activity nearby at the home of the Grenadier Guards. Band and everything.

There was a lot of that British tramping around and foot stamping going on.

Part of the deal was a visit to the Royal Mews--the place where they keep the horses, the coaches, and the cars.

The Irish State Coach, used by the queen to go to the opening of parliament.

Now, this is a set of wheels. This is the one that is used for coronations and other super sized occasions. Yep, it's covered with real gold and weighs four and a half tons.

We left the palace after the tour and exited into the garden where they do those big summer garden parties. They had the terrace set up with a place to eat under tents. I couldn't pass it up. I can truthfull say that I ate at Buckingham Palace.

On the way to the Tube station, I went past the Wellington Arch.

There was a very ritzy hotel nearby, complete with a doorman or two and a couple of Arab rich guys.

And there was a Bentley or two.

And just for Nick--a Lamborghini.

Harrod's

OK, OK, so it's Harrod's--where the chauffeurs in the Rolls Royces line up to await their masters. It is allegedly the place hwere once a rich customer called up and ordered an elephant as a gift, and was only asked, "Sir, will that be an African or an Indian elephant?"

Aside from the £5,000 Tom Ford alligator shoes that I picked up and gasped, they have a ton of handbags for under £1,000 and other tons for way over £1,000. (I just love using the little symbol for £ that's on this keyboard.) But my favorite part of this department store is the Food Court, where you not only can find any expensive food you could imagine, but it is a spectacle to see.

Hey, gotta love the chandeliers.

This would, of course, be the caviar section. One of those little labels that you can't read says, "Harrod's Beluga Caviar, 125 grams, £950.

The fish counter looks like an old masters still life painting.

Around Town

How many guesses on the above? The West front of Westminster Abbey--the main entrance to any cathedral, the cathedral always being laid out in the shape of a cross, oriented west to east. Every king and queen of England has been crowned her for the last 900 years. It is chocked full of the famous dead: Dawin, Newton, Chaucer, Dickens, Handel, Queen Elizabeth I. And just for the British perspective on the American Revolution--remember John Andre, the guy who conspired with Benedict Arnold to sell secrets about the defenses at West Point? We hanged him as a spy. The British brought him home, buried him in Westminster, and put up a big monument. There you go.

I have to admit, it's very cool being down around Parliament and hearing Big Ben boom out the hours.

The streets definitely don't look like back home.

Kew Gardens, Maker of Sore Feet

The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew started out as part of royal estates and eventually became open to the public like the big parks in London. It's around 300 acres and has thousands of species of trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. They do conservation and experimental work as well. I think I expected more of the massive beds of flowers than I saw, but that is more of park stuff than a botanical garden. Not that they din't have plenty though.

Also there is Kew Palace, the summer home of George III (the one we threw out of America.) It was the start of the eventual gardens. Georgie bought the country estate and turned it from a comfortable estate for a country gentleman into a very small palace for a king with 15 children. Many were grown, so he only had some of the girls here. Below are some pictures of the really nice gardens behind the palace.

King George eventually went mad and blind, and the Prince of Wales took over as Prince Regent. Mad George was packed off to finish his days at Windsor Castle, and Queen Charlotte stayed at Kew until she died here in her bedroom in the black chair. They didn't tell George and spread straw around St. George's Chapel at Windsor so George couldn't hear the queen's funeral procession.

The vest the poor old guy wore in his last crazy days.

The garden fromthe upstairs. The blue stuff is Russian sage.

The dining room, not all that big. The girls sat in strict order, spoke only when spoken to, and ate fast because George didn't like to waste time on eating. They were musical, however, and did play the organ. Probably very short tunes.

In the 1700s landscapes often featured what were called "follies," all kinds of little buildings, etc. that were little (or big) surprises in the landscape. There were originally dozens here. Only a few still remain. They loved Chinese things--hence the pagoda.

Some of the big attractions are the big "glass houses" with their different climates and kinds of plants. Some are old, some new. This one has 16,000 pieces of curved, fitted glass.
Some artists were doing sculptures in wicker of seeds and seed pods. This one is about 12 feet tall.

This plant is called Titan Arum. I swear--it's a real plant. It blooms only once every 7 to 8 years. It bloomed just for my visit. Bizarre doesn't cover it. Oh, it's about five feet tall, not counting the pot.

In case you want to get up among the tree tops in this glass house, you can climb this staircase.

This one is from the Victorian period. I love the look; I want one.

Now, this is what I call a shrub.

And just so you know I was here, here I am surrounded by lavender--what a heavenly smell!