Biking Around to the Sights

I love biking around a new city. Of course they have bike share: Santander. The station nearest had two bikes but both were broken. This was how it was going to be with me transportation-wise for the day. Got on at another station and pedaled through Hyde Park. It was beautiful. As I rode into the park, lo and behold, there were about 50 nattily uniformed men on horseback - the Queen’s horses, to be exact. They were out for a spin for the birthday celebration (even though it was yesterday). She’s the Queen! She can declare any day she wants to celebrate.

My plan was to ride by Buckingham Palace. There were huge crowds waiting for the changing of the guard, I guess. I got a great view of the palace from my bicycle seat right in the middle of the street.

From here I needed to get over to Westminster Abbey. Nothing here is a grid. I made a zillion wrong turns and streets might just decide to call themselves something entirely different in the next block or just not go through. I made it in time to stand in a long but quick line to get in.

What a beautiful church. It was busy but with a ticket, I went up to the gallery which gave me a view of things from above away from the crowds.

I usually feel a little weird in a church. It isn’t my place, and I can’t imagine how I would feel if thousands of people who aren’t Jewish stomped through my synagogue. I enjoyed it anyway - all the tombs and palace intrigue.

I had my lunch (and Victoria sponge cake with strawberries and cream filling) in a dungeon of a spot under the Abbey.

Out in the warm and sunny day (again) I picked up another bike and rode along the bike superhighway (that’s what the call it) to the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels.

Again, so much history dating back to the dark ages and times when Oliver Cromwell destroyed the monarchy and all its trapping. Eleven years later, the royal family was back in business.

As it is the very beginning of or really before tourism season, it felt like the staff most places still had their cheerful spirit and patience. I was thankful that I got to ask my stupid questions without getting “the face”.

At 5:30pm I decided I might take the boat part of the way back before hopping on the train. The boat was a bit of a wait so I said I would take the Underground. I was told the city uses “bank holidays” to fix things so my train option was out. I decided to get in one more bike ride.

What a great idea. The streets were mostly deserted of cars and there were so many families and friends out along the water and in the parks. The flowers and the ponds and birds. What a great way to end the day and a whirlwind four days of London.Read more