We took a nice stroll through St. James's Park to get there. We walked along the lake, admiring the beautiful scenery and observing the ducks, geese, and various other birds as they went about their business.
After taking our time passing through St. James's Park we arrived at Buckingham Palace at the other end. In case you were wondering, no, we did not catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II. In fact, the palace isn't the Queen's official residence and she's often not there. So for the most part, it's safe to say that unless it's been announced or otherwise indicated, the people who stand outside the gates expecting to see her or someone else who's really important are wasting their time.
Next we walked around the adjoining square to pay respects to the Nelson Mandela statue before crossing the next street over to get an up-close look at Westminster Abbey. For those of you not familiar, this is the church where Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate) got married. It's also over 1,000 years old (founded in 960) and is the coronation and burial site of numerous English and British monarchs. It was closed when we got there, so we just stood in front of it for a few minutes taking pictures and standing in awe of its magnificence.
Then we walked back the way we came and crossed Westminster Bridge, taking in spectacular views of the River Thames, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, and the London Aquarium all at the same time. We took a break to sit and enjoy all that was going on around us as the sun was setting.
45 Hours in LONDON photos
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