Europe 2007 – Day Forty-Four

September 20th, 2007 - 11:38pm

Day Forty-Four
London
20 September 2007 23:38

Even though the number of beds far exceeded our needs, we only used one. Breakfast was a low quality English Breakfast, but at least we got one. We checked out — the place was fine, not at all like the previous one — but we already had bookings for a higher-class place.

We took the tube one stop and walked to our new hotel: it has a concierge! It’s hardly five star but after the last few months of low-class places it feels like the Ritz.

Our first destination today was the Chelsea Antiques Fair; we headed the opposite direction after learning the entrance fee was 15.00 each.

Lunch was a quick pasty while walking back to the tube. Using our Oyster card — it’s a proximity card you swipe over a reader at the start and end of your tripe; they’re used a bit in the UK and Europe — we took the tube to Westminster Abbey. Being the first church to demand entry took us back; the Notre Dame and even St Peter’s in Vatican City allowed people to come in and look around; we decided not to spend the 10.00 each to see another church, no matter how good.

Across the road at the Houses of Parliament, we saw a large group of people so headed over to investigate. It turns out that the Houses of Parliament open for summer in the same way Buckingham Palace does. We decided to take a tour of the Houses.

After waiting from 14:50 to 15:20 in a line for security, we both put our valuables through the scanner and were patted down very closely by security. Not comfortable at all.

I was surprised to learn how recently the Houses were built (around 140 years ago) given their Gothic designs. The tour took us through the “robing room”, where the Queen puts on her formal wear for the yearly opening of parliament, as well as the incredibly elaborate House of Lords, which has what seems to be an entire wall of gold leaf, where the Queen sits, naturally.

The guided tour took us through the Common House as well. This area had been bombed during the second World War but has since been rebuilt. During the tour, we were forbidden from photography, straying, sitting on anything or touching anything. We were surprised they allowed us to wear our own shoes and breathe!

The tour concluded in Westminster Hall which has an original wooden roof which is around 600 or 700 years old and uses a technique — Hammer Beam — no longer used but is quite impressive, given the size and age.

As we left the premises we were on Whitehall so decided to do some more of our Monopoly Tour. After adding Whitehall and Old Kent Road (thanks to our new more detailed map) Justine wanted to go to Harrod’s, so we did.

We purchased very little and still managed to spend a large amount of money (it is Harrod’s, after all) and left.

A restaurant we both like in Melbourne, “Wagamama”, is also nearby so we ate there. The meals we usually got in Australia taste quite different here despite having the same name and description.

Another tube and short walk later and we checked into our hotel… and had a twin room. Easily sorted. It feels very nice to be in a reasonable place. Many of the ones we’ve stayed in have been fine but lacking in the comfort department.

Tags: england, europe 2007, houses of parliament, london, pasty, westminster hall