The Time I (Basically. Technically. Sort of.) Saw the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace

As you know, I spent most of the past weekend in Scotland with my friends Mallory and Dan. Today (Monday) we had a bonus day off from class, so Mallory and I decided to do some exploring around London. What better way to start off our whirlwind walking day tour of London than going to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace? We hopped on the Tube to Victoria station, then walked through Green Park, approaching the Palace via the ornate gold Canada Gate. (Cue 'O Canada'). For once, we didn't get lost and actually overestimated how long it would take to get where we were going. Score one for team Mari and Mallory! It was only 10:30, but the changing of the guard doesn't actually start until 11:30. We decided not to push our luck leaving and coming back, so we grabbed a great viewing spot at the front gates of the palace. This is how the next hour went: 10:30: we proceed to take thousands of pictures from different angles of the statue-still guard and Buckingham Palace 10:45: typical London summer weather (read: cold and rainy) sets in. We were ecstatic to have actually remembered the umbrella this time. (Score two, go team!) 10:50: we have major deja vu to 8th grade Washington, DC trips. With the secret-service-looking men peeking out of various windows, black metal bars keeping the public out, and scores of tour groups, Buckingham Palace looked a lot like the White House. 11:00: The guard shifts his gun from his right side to his left. Cue photo frenzy. 11:05: We notice that the front of Buckingham Palace is crowded. Really crowded. Tokyo subway at rush hour crowded. Although we were a little bored and tired of standing and waiting, we were glad we got there so ridiculously early since we ended up with an awesome view. 11:15: The guards begin to pace. Children and small women atop parents' and boyfriends' shoulders try to see over the crowds. I begin wondering if I'm going to have use my lifeguard training to treat a spinal injury. 11:20: Everyone is at rapt attention as a dozen guards in gray cloaks march through the gates and around the palace. 11:28: One of the police officers ceremoniously places a sign between the two guard boxes in front of the palace: THERE WILL BE NO CHANGING OF THE GUARD CEREMONY TODAY. 11:29: Chaos ensues as this news spreads across thousands of unhappy tourists. Even though we didn't get to see the official changing of the guard ceremony, we did get to see the guards change posts. We even got right up close as the gray-cloaked guards marched back out of the palace. We were so close that we could even see the color of the plumes in the guards' hats: red, representing Coldstream. After our misadventure at Buckingham Palace, we decided to walk in the direction of Big Ben. Because of sidewalk closures due to construction and Olympic preparations, we got diverted a bit and ended up going the "scenic route." On our way to Big Ben (or should I say the Elizabeth Tower, in honor of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee?) we passed Whitehall Palace, whose name we instantly recognized from our obsession with The Tudors. Nearby, we saw a space being prepared for Olympic Beach Volleyball (woohoo!). Our circuitous journey brought us to Trafalgar Square, where we took pictures with a mini Big Ben and the Olympic Countdown Clock. We also visited the National Gallery, where we saw Titian's first masterpiece, the Flight into Egypt. If you're keeping up with me, we strolled past Downing Street and a couple of protest, on to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Whew. After taking a myriad of pictures and harassing a poor old couple into taking one of the two of us in front of the famous clock tower, we were starving. Essentially by accident, we stumbled into St Stephen's Tavern, where we had our first fish and chips of the trip. Delicious. Can't wait for classes to start up again tomorrow! Lecture in the morning and then mummies at the British Museum in the afternoon. Links of the Day: The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace: http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/ChangingtheGuard/Overview.aspx The National Gallery and the Titian exhibit: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/titians-first-masterpiece-the-flight-into-egypt St. Stephen's Tavern: http://ststephenstavern.co.uk/