Hampton Court, Saint Paul's, Museum of London, South Bank, and Piccadilly

On Thursday, 7 July, We caught a Central Line train at Notting Hill Gate. A transfer to the Jubilee Line took us to Waterloo Station so we could take a train to Hampton Court where we spent the morning. We returned to Waterloo for lunch because the kiddos had spotted some tasty-looking pasties on the way to the train. A direct City-and-Waterloo-line train took us non-stop to Bank. We made our way to St. Paul's where almost everyone climbed to the lantern. The photo nazis were out in force, but that never stops me when I have paid a hefty entrance fee. They have hired lots of unfriendly folks to watch over the tourists, many of them eastern Europeans. We swapped the Museum of London for the Courtauld Galleries, which was a good call. At the end of the day we walked the South Bank, which was packed, as far as Westminster Bridge where we caught a bus to Piccadilly Circus. A few-blocks walk took us to the Cath Kidston flagship store on Piccadilly Street, where some fun purchases were made. We also popped into the Burlington Arcade and the Royal Academy for a quick look-see. For supper, we ate kebabs and the like at Taza on Queensway.

 Morning toilet (in the French sense) in our great Airbnb flat

 Central Line eastbound platform

Arriving at Hampton Court Station

 Hampton Court Palace lies just across the Thames 

from the train station

 Tudor crenelation, turrets, and Roman roundels on the gate house

 These kiddos are spectacular travelers; they have been well trained

 Words I live by: "If there is no picture, it didn't happen"

 All dressed for a morning at the Palace

 Tudor brick work, Tudor arches, and fanciful Tudor columned chimneys 

 The kitchens are the best parts of the great houses

 Faux Tudor lads watching the fire catch

 The Fountain Court in the Wren-Baroque part of the Palace

 Up the King's Staircase

 The Orangery and the Tudor and Baroque bits of the palace

 Sunken garden

 I had a border as pretty as this for a couple of years long ago;

garden envy

 Elegant dining at Waterloo Station

 Like forbidden fruit, stolen photos are the sweetest: St. Paul's

 The history of London on display

 The Lord Mayor of London's extravagant rococo coach (still used)

 Back across the Millennium Bridge for a walk along the South Bank

 Our crew with the river and the City of London beyond

 Making it happen for the Montezes

 Westminster and the London Eye

 Cath Kidston makes some fun stuff

 Burlington Arcade: these arcades were the original shopping malls

 The elephant-trunk-like sculpture has a camera that captures
 and projects the scene below or above
on the large screen on the building

 Tasty

Such a great time.

OXO

D.