We landed in London rather late in the evening, by design so that we could go straight to bed! It was exciting getting into a shiny black taxi and we were glad not to have to try and figure out how to get to our hotel on our own – rocking up right at the door in the square was ideal.
I never really considered where we would stay beyond the MUST HAVE that we needed to be within walking distance of Hyde Park – and we were just 700m from one of the entrances – so when I woke up in the morning and saw the beautiful, quiet Norfolk Square from the window, it was just perfection. I couldn’t have accidently found a better place.
THAT being said, the whole getting to the room was a story of hilarity in and of itself. We were initially given the key to a 4th storey room, and after hauling up the increasingly narrow and steep stairs we entered to find the beds unmade, clothing strewn about the room and the very horrifying thought that we were in one of THOSE places…
But we weren’t – we were merely given the wrong room key and were relieved to find that we were only on the 3rd floor. Which was a great workout anyway. We got to enjoy the sight of an over-tired Ally sliding down the stairs on her butt with a suitcase rolling down in front of her. I found myself imagining what the poor servants of the 18th and 19th centuries must have gone through slugging up and down those stairs every day – the novelty would likely have worn off quickly!
We arrived on Tuesday evening – the day after the Queen’s funeral – and sadly our tours of Windsor and Buckingham were cancelled. But at 9am on Thursday we did get to walk to Kensington Palace and enjoy that tour! Then we walked through Hyde Park, down Rotten Row, to the Wellington Arch, down to Buckingham Palace and back up the Mall. We made it to the Horse Guards just in time to watch the morning parade as they came out of the stables at 11am and petted the horses.
We eventually made our way out to the Tower of London and enjoyed the tour there. It was a fascinating place: the Crown Jewels, just wow. Imagining Anne Boleyn arriving at the Traitors Gate so soon after her marriage to Henry VIII. The buildings that we know existed but aren’t there anymore. The thousands year old sections of wall that have stood against time itself.
Then we finished off the day with Mamma Mia! on the West End.
On Thursday we went horse riding in Windsor Great Park and then walked down to the castle through the park and the Long Walk. The stags were all grouped together and being very civil to each other at that point – but two days later when we went back for another ride they were NOT being polite to one another anymore…!
We wandered round and round London, the tube is great for that! We saw Diagon Alley, and Platform 9 and 3/4. There were endless bookshops, cafes, shopping nooks – Spencer got some lovely woollen jackets! By Sunday, though, after our final ride in Windsor, it was time to head off to our next destination.
Cornwall.
Victoria Clarke 