Getting ready to leave back to our own country is always a mix (1) sad to leave this new nation that we have made great memories at & (2) almost a touch of relief to get back to normalcy and catch up on sleep. Winding down our time in England we had a few last spots to highlight.
Changing of the Guard was recommended to us by some family and very highly rated on TripAdvisor. We had originally planned to go earlier in our stay, but instead we had to be flexible and change up our schedule somewhat. We accidentally underestimated the amount of time it would take to get there, so upon arrival it was already 6 people deep to the gates! Ugh, so we did lots of shuffling, standing on tip-toes and raising our cameras into the air to watch the proceedings. We even saw a guard pass out from the heat (so we assume). The pomp and circumstance was showboating the regal guard, complete with large stallions and a boisterous band.
After the main show dwindled, so did the crowds. Since we couldn't see too much of it beforehand, we decided to really get into poking around Buckingham Palace. It was more intricate than I remember the White House being, but still the outside didn't scream 'palace' to me. There was tons of lavishly decorated crests and EIIR (sign for Queen Elizabeth the Second). The neighborhood itself was so pretty! Large parks were on the left and right, in the direct center was a pavillion including a grandiose statue of Queen Victoria. It would make a beautiful view to peek out of each morning!
We spend out last afternoon lying in St. John Wood's Park, where we picnic'ed, laid in the grass and listened to the final chapter of our Audiobook. It was so nice to find these vast areas with little ice cream vendors and shaded spots, they just seemed to be everywhere! We enjoyed London and all that it had to offer, but we did skip to the plane with dreams of macaroni dancing in our head.
As a last overview: the food was okay (not like Paris, that's for sure), the plays were *INCREDIBLE*, the people were far less friendly than I expected, the city was very modern and clean, the transportation system was doable (though not superbly convenient, once you add in the multiple metro switches), the outlying land was gorgeous, the shopping was for the rich. That's it about England, over and out!
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