Wednesday: Along the Bankside Promenade and Billy Elliot

London was peaceful last night, without any problems. People seemed relieved this morning and there was a sense that things were returning to normal.

We took the Tube to Westminster station for a walk along the promenade along the south shore of the Thames. We walked across the Westminster Bridge and then followed the promenade east. The beginning of the walk was packed with people. There is a good view of Big Ben and parliament. It is also where the London Eye is located.

The London Eye from Westminster Bridge.



Big Ben and parliament from across the Thames.



We walked almost all the way to the Tower Bridge. There are many pubs, restaurants and sights along the way. We stopped at the Borough market for
lunch. We got a good view of the Tower of London at the end of our walk. We didn't visit the Tower this time but did on our last visit to London.

The vendor at the Borough Market who provided our lunch. He is stirring a huge vat of curry.



The Tower of London.



The Tower Bridge.



We retraced our steps as far as the Millennium Bridge and walked back across the Thames. You can see St. Paul's Cathedral in the background.




We found St. Paul's Tube station and took the Tube to Covent Gardens. We walked around there and took in some buskers.

The nice thing about London is how compact it is, with regard to it's major points of interest. With the Tube, it is easy to get around. The last time we visited London, we were all about visiting all the spots: the Tower, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey and so on. Having done that, this visit is more about just enjoying the city.

In the evening we went to see a performance of Billy Elliot. It was spectacular and the young man who played Billy was amazing.



Before the show, we took a short walk to Buckingham Palace. Cathy wanted me to say that this is a picture of her in front of our hotel.


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