London's Calling (31st July)

It's calling but not too strongly. As we are shattered we don't set the alarm, rather letting our body clocks wake us. It's all good, we are ready to take the 10:15pm walking tour that leaves from the hostel (and we managed to get a feed of the standard backpackers free breakfast - toast with jam, cornflakes and tea). The tour is run by New Europe a crowd that run tours in lots of different cities. The 3 hour tour is free as your guide works entirely for tips. So if you like the tour you are encouraged to tip him (or her) at the end. We meet near Buckingham Palace to find that there are about 150 people there to take tours, some even in Spanish. Anyway it's called the Royal Tour because it starts with the 11:30pm Changing of the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Our guide gets us there late so we weren't too impressed. It was interesting to see the guards marching along playing their instruments just to change over. But protecting the palace is a very serious job and so should also be taken seriously. Besides it is a great tourist attraction! The rest of the tour turns out to be really good. We learn that there is always a flag flying at the palace (contrary to popular belief). It's the Union Jack if the Queen is away and her monarchy flag if she is at home. She was away for our visit. In trafalgar square there are four platforms for a monument... with only 3 monuments. The king who was intended for the forth monument had a salary of 80k per year and spent 250k per year. As he had no money to build a statue of himself the forth platform has remained bare for hundreds of years, now used as an artist spot. At the end of the tour we meet Sarah Herbert for lunch. It is great to see her and hard to believe that two years ago she crashed with us for 3 weeks before leaving to live in London. Man time flies. It is a stunning London day where we get a little bit burnt (it's now tanned...) and have a great afternoon and evening catching up on gossip, checking out the view from London Eye, hiding in a water fountain trying not to get wet, walking the along the Thames river walk and having a few drinks for dinner. All in all a fantastic day.