Day 6a On the way to Buckingham Palace

  This was the day we checked out of the Restup Hostel. Goodbye, teeny tiny broom closet masquerading as an Ensuite room for 4. Goodbye gender non-specific bathrooms. Goodbye first floor wifi and plastic kids' chairs. It's been fun.  Well, the real fun was the company!!!!

After we checked out of our room, we paid for a locker so we wouldn't have to schlep our luggage all around London. We crammed all of our stuff into two lockers. I know it doesn't sound that impressive but if you would have seen the enormous suitcase Rachel and I were sharing and Heather's suitcase that was as big as she was (that's not saying much, she's no bigger than Paddington Bear) you would have been impressed. We paid a reasonable amount, well, whatever we paid it was worth it to me not to have to drag luggage around on buses and the tube.

We set out for Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the Guard, since it was free and all. But first we had to get there so Rachel and I led the way, since we had been there on our first full day in London.  Today I noticed the architecture and statues that I had been a little too preoccupied to notice  on our first foray to this historic area.

I don't know what most of these buildings were, much to my embarrassment, especially since I'm writing this blog to remember and I don't remember. Perhaps I never even knew.

However, I do know that the last picture is that of the Institution of Civil Engineers because someone was kind enough to carve it on the front.

Big Ben, of course

(at least I know this one)

(but you probably already knew it)

Those civil engineers, always showing off.   

However, I quickly forgave them because I seriously loved this!