Day 16 Finding Free Things to do in London and Muggle Tour

My first whole day in London started early with stuffing myself full of breakfast.  They had tons of fruit available to I took more than my fair share.  I put what I thought was yogurt on top only to find out that it was whipping cream.  So I got a little sugar high this morning.  I stole a banana and an apple for my day and out I went.  Only to turn back about 20 feet outside the hotel door because I forgot my conformation sheet to pick up my London pass.

 After finally getting everything together at he hotel I got though the tube well this morning.  I only got turned around at one station for about a minute.  Once got off I found someone to talk to.  I know that comes as a surprise.  Around London because of the Paralympic games there are London ambassadors all around town.  I spoke with one probably not on duty and on her way to work but she pointed me around where I had gotten off.  It was Trafalgar square with an stage and screen set up for the games.  Lots to do and see in that area.  From there I found my pick up location for my pass but it was Sunday so they didn't open until 10am.  So I had 30 minutes to burn.  I wandered up the street to find myself in the West End.  

All the famous theater show were everywhere around me.  And a ton of tourist shops too.  I continued walking up the hill to find myself at Piccadilly circus.  Lots of sculptures around that area and even more tourist shops!  By then it had been 20 minutes so I walked back to the kiosk.  I got my London pass after only about a 5 minutes wait.

Let the stair climbing in London begin.  Getting my pass I had to go down a spiral staircase and to get into my next place I had to go up a large staircase.  Londoners really love their cardio. 

 I had an hour before my tour started so onto the National Portrait Gallery I went.  Practically to use the restroom, since other places in town you have to pay, and to check if I would be worth coming back to.  I looked around the gallery that was about the road to the 2012 games. I had about 40 minutes until the tour so I went for a walk to my meeting point for my Muggle tour.  I found Horse Guards Parade where they do stand guard on horses.  Not a lot of imagination naming some things I tell ya.  The guards were just leaving to go down the mall towards the palace for the changing of the guard.

As the ambassador suggested I walked along the Thames for a good long while enjoying the misty morning on London.  It was a quintessentially English morning.  As it was a Sunday in the morning not a lot of people were out.  I was enjoying my walk seeing all the monuments along the river but it was taking me too long to walk.  I thought I wad going to miss my tour so I booked it to the closest underground station and ran up and down the stairs into each train.  Of course I had to transfer from one line to another because things can't be that easy.  

I got off at the right station but came out the wrong side.  Usually stations have more than one above ground entrance and I moped for the street name but was unsuccessful.   I walked briskly around, stopping at a store for directions which was unsuccessful and walked around above the station area until I found them.  At exactly 11!  I paid my money, which I was not the last person to pay, and then we were off right back to place where I was previously lost. 

Our first stop was at the front door of Bridget Jones.  Right because that makes since for a Harry Potter tour but many of the actors from Bridget were also in Harry.  We walked through a weekend market to a flower shop.  The flower shop had been transformed into the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron for the third film.  Our tour guide was great because not only did she point out Harry Potter stuff but just London facts in general as she is a tour guide for multiple companies.  Like getting two tours for the price of one.

 We around that area a bit more and the we headed down to the underground.  On the underground we figured out which house we belonged to.  I had already done this quiz before and I come as a Ravenclaw.   We arrived at the station where Harry and Mr. Weasley went into the underground to take Harry to his hearing at the Ministry of Magic.  

From the underground we came up into the area where I had been earlier around Horse Guards.  Our guide told us that every day at 4 they do a parade.  This started because Queen Victoria found one of the guards drunk on duty so as punishment for 100 years they had to parade.  Well the 100 years were completed 15 years ago but they still do it for tradition.

And following Horse Guards we ended up right next to Scotland Yard.  As we talked about the scenes shot here some police officers on horse back came in.  Very cool.  Some scenes were shot around this corner in the seventh Harry Potter film.  

Not too far off was the head quarters of the Order of the Phoenix   Who knew that it would be this very strange and awkward stand alone building in the middle of London.  I suppose it fits for this magical building that sits unseen between two buildings. 

Our last stop were two streets that connect together to create Diagon Alley and Knockcturn Alley.  They shot scenes for both alleys in the film at the alley JK saw as Knockturn. The Diagon Alley that JK Rowling wanted them to use was a bit too open so they created a set that would meet her idea and the directors.  But the layout of the two streets in the film mimic how they are set up in London.

I really enjoyed the Muggle tour.  Lots of good stops and Harry Potter trivia.  Plus it was nice having a tour guide that did other London tours for extra knowledge.

After the tour I walked around town which was right off the Trafalgar square area.  I strolled around for a bit before deciding that I had to visit Buckingham palace.  

It was not far of a walk.  On a normal day you would be able to see it from the top of the Mall but there were still tons of setups for the Olympics.  It was interesting to see how everything was set up, all of the signs around, fences, Olympic branded walkways and security.  From the mall I walked down to the palace.  The place is huge not that's a surprise.  There is a huge open area behind the gates.  

Tons of people were around the gates taking photos as I did the same.  I didn't see the Queen, not surprisingly.  I think she is in a different castle since this one is partially open during the summer for tourists.

From the palace I walked through Green park.  It sits right next to Buckingham Palace and has a very ornate gate.  You can walk around to the inside of the park on either side so I'm not sure why it is there.  But it is pretty none the less.

I hopped onto to the tube after walking a bit too much to walk around even more at the British Museum.  

Wow what a place that is.  I spent three hours looking around at everything.  Its a huge place with history from around the world.  

They have a massive collection of Egyptian artifacts included mummies, sarcophagi,  huge stone idols and even animal mummies.  They also have pieces from the Parthenon.

  The British museum is also home to the Rosetta stone.  The place is huge with so many exhibits.  I spent about 3 hours inside and to describe everything that is there would take me even longer to write. 

 I would go back there any day to explore the exhibits that I just breezed by.

After walking almost the entire British Museum I decided to get a good view of the Parliament building and Big Ben.  It was overcast that day so the pictures were not as pretty as they could be but. I started off across the Thames to get the view from the other side but I came out from the underground a bit too far away for that iconic photo but my legs were already to tired to walk closer to it as it would have been about 2-3 bridges over.  I found another food market that was open and found my dinner there.  Because when I think England I think French crepes with nutella and bananas.  

It was an excellent on the go treat while I walked across the bridge to get photos of the riversides.  But little did I know that the pedestrian bridge was split in two by a train line so you could only see one side of the river and I was on the wrong side from Big Ben.  Shoot.  Well I walked across.  Walked down the stairs and back up the other side.  It was worth it.  I walked halfway down the bridge to shoot some more photos.  So many photos!  

Finally I decided to call it quits after being on my feet all day.  Not that I regretted it one bit.   Once I got back to the hotel I looked my London Pass guide to figure out how to attack the next two days.  I wasted some money on the underground by not grouping things together so I could only get better at traveling around the city after having 1 1/2 days under my belt.