Police, Parliament and Palaces

I rode a hire bike through Hyde Park to the Palace area -- St. James's. First I had to ride through some arches:

Marble Arch

The Hyde Park Ionic Screen

Wellington Arch

I rode up to Buckingham Palace and had to find a place to dock my bike. One of the police officers on the palace grounds gave me directions. 

I noticed that a bit of a crowd was gathering, but it was only 9:30 and the Changing of the Guard takes place at 11:30, so after I docked the bike, I figured I had time to walk around, taking the scenic route back to the palace.

The bike docking station happened to be very close to New Scotland Yard. Sadly, there is no visitors' centre, not even for big-time fans of BBC detective shows.

So, I had to make do with photos of the sign and the handsome police officer standing guard at the entrance.

Not far from Scotland Yard is Westminster Chapel -- where Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was minister. The church was started in 1840, so by Canadian standards, it is quite old.

Westminster Abbey (left and below)

However, compared to 10th century Westminster Abbey, it is quite new and unremarkable.

 And then there's Westminster Cathedral:

These buildings are absolutely breath-taking and -- as you can see by the people waiting for admission -- very popular. I didn't want to spend my morning standing in line, so I just looked from the outside.

The Palace of Westminster

Walking a little further, I came upon the Palace of Westminster, the Houses of Parliament, along with Big Ben. I was in time to hear him strike the hour.

 These school children in their uniforms, complete with hats, were in line waiting to tour the Houses of Parliament.

I was making a loop back to Buckingham Palace, but on the way, I got suckered in to the Horse Guards, where there is ostensibly also a Changing of the Guard.

When I saw the guards in their splendid uniforms and the beautiful buildings surrounding the courtyard, I expected great things. But after waiting patiently for about 20 minutes, I saw the guards move around a bit and then ride off. That was it; it was over.

It was not yet 11:30, so I raced over to Buckingham Palace, hoping I wouldn't be too late for the Changing of the Guard there.

Technically I wasn't too late. The only problem was that there were so many people I couldn't really see much. I did hear a few blasts of a trumpet and a few notes of music, and I did manage to see five or six of the guards, but that was about it. Apparently when I saw the crowd gathering at 9:30, they were people who know that the early bird gets the worm. I didn't really mind -- it was still nice to be there and see the palace, the gardens, etc.  

  

And here is St. James's Palace -- the former home of the monarch. It was built in the 1500s, and is still an impressive structure.