Bearskin Hats

Jetlag is still affecting Sandy... He went to bed oh-so early on Sunday night (7:15 pm) and then woke up at 3:30 am. Sigh... After much grumbling and mumbling and some tossing and turning... Sandy was allowed out of bed at 5 am. But most things in London aren't open at 5 am... or even 6 am... although Mama's favourite hot chocolate shop does open at 6:30 am.

So Sandy came along to watch Mama drink hot chocolate... and work on her blogs...

But Sandy gets a bit bored...

(Bored Bear)

So Mama let him read her e-book... Right now he is deep in the adventures of Jules Verne and The Mysterious Island (free for e-book readers!).

Finally... after a few chapters of reading and a few blogs... it was time to go. Sandy wants to know where we are going today but Mama says it is a surprise. It turns out to be... The Guard Museum!

Sandy isn't so sure he likes this... as the Guards wear bearskin hats! But... they do reuse and recycle them so some of them are over 100 years old. This Guard is one of the Irish Guards (you can tell by the shamrock on the collar and the blue plume tucked into the bearskin). Photos weren't allowed in the museum but... Sandy had a treat in store. Mama knows the curator of the Museum and he took Sandy and Mama on a behind the scenes tour and we got to see Guards getting set for the Changing of the Guard (as they get ready to troop over to Buckingham Palace).

This guy is the Drum Major... he has a lot of gold stuff on his arms!!

This is the Guards troop heading out behind the Colours (the flag)... There were tonnes of other tourists behind the fence and Sandy was glad he had such a front row seat... although Mama didn't let him roam free - he is an impetuous bear and might rush a Guardsman and try to steal his bearskin hat!

After all of that excitement, it was time for the biggest excitement of the day... a trip down to Brighton to visit Beanie Mouse!!

 But that will come in the next blog posting!