Traipsing around London

 We got up super early and caught the Tube in to London!

It was so early the train was practically empty!

Lots of room for a little bear to stretch out his legs...

We parked our little behinds at the Victoria Station Starbucks and got some blogging done.

Then we had a poke around... we are waiting for someone(s)...

Not here yet!

I do have to say London is beary pretty as it dresses up for Christmas!

Today we are doing a walking tour of the London core...

We are here...

And then we're going to walk...

Up to Westminster Abbey...

And from there, up Whitehall, past the Horse Guards to Trafalgar Square...

And we'll poke our heads in the National Gallery and then scamper over to Covent Garden Market!

Ooooh... this place has cookies!! 

Is it time for a cookie??? Ooohh... who's calling my name???

Ahhhh!!! It's mice!!! Just Beanie and String Beanie!!

Whew! We found each other!!

We went and had a look at this statue that Beanie always comments on when he goes by on the bus....

We were only meeting up for a quick visit... but Beanie shared a Jaffa Cake with me!

Not at all what I was expecting! It has a soft orange bit and it's like... a cake... not a cookie (or biscuit)... Guess that's why it's called Jaffa Cakes and not Jaffa Biscuits!

Beanie had one too!

They brought up a book for Sherlock Sandy! Cool.

And a whole wad of London Bus Guides!! We are soooo far behind!

But now we can start to figure out how to get around London on the bus... which, FYI, is a lot cheaper than the Tube!

We said goodbye to the Beanie crew... we have places to go and people to see!

That's a war memorial... 

I'll tell you this... riding the Tube you see NOTHING of London. Riding the bus you do see things but they go by in a blur sometimes... Walking around London... you see things and you can stop and take pics!

Like a red telephone booth... because... why not?

That's Westminster Cathedral (it's Catholic)... it's pretty with the reflected sun on it!

We saw a train!

This was a bit odd, but it's a war memorial to all the members of staff of the Westminster City Council who fought and died in the Great War.

Next door... we saw Paddington Bear!!!

There's a better angle!! Hi Paddington!!!

We also saw the dinkiest little car... what the heck is that thing?? We think it's a Lotus Seven (Caterham Seven?)... snazzy.

Wow... we are seeing lots!!! This is a rusty horse sculpture...

Just down between some of the skyscrapers...

Ah... finally!!! Westminster Abbey!

We aren't going in cause... London is just heaving with people! Where are they all coming from? It's December!!

But we are going into the gift shop...

They have a cute Christmas display with bears!!! Not a mouse in site...

Errr... except... in those little tree ornaments... sigh.

We saw Paddington here too!!!

Honestly... all these people!!!

Oooh... Winnie the Pooh!!!

And a King Charles bear!!!

Whew... finally out of those crowds... now we're going to head up Whitehall...

Seems everybody else has the same idea...

Horse Guards!!

And Trafalgar Square!

O.M.G. Getting here is exhausting!

But we made it! That's Canada House over there!

Now... this little bear is getting peckish... what's for lunch??

Oooh... there's a Christmas Market in front of the National Gallery! Let's check it out!

Well... there wasn't much that we wanted... but we'll take this bratwurst with sauerkraut!

And then we headed off in the direction of Covent Garden, but a very specific direction...

Down a very specific road...

Cause of course we had to stop and get pics here at the Maple Leaf Pub!!

A small piece of Canada in the heart of London! 

We kept walking and came to Covent Garden... but we didn't really do any shopping. As you may have guessed... it too was heaving with people!!

We did go into the London Transport Museum gift shop but they were sold out of what we wanted... bummer...

Whew! What a day! This little bear's feet are pooched! But there is more to do!

More later...