16.07.2007

Today we went out to have a look in town. We strolled through streets like Oxford, Bond, Old Bond looking through shops. We ate sushi in Green Park by the river, with views of Buckingham Palace. After that we took a tour through Westminster Abbey. Last time we only looked on from the outside. We have seen a few Churches on the trip already, and on our last one, but we haven’t before seen a place so ornate and decorated. Every square inch of some parts of the church are intricately carved, painted and gilded. Here are the tombs of so many monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth the 1^st, who is buried with her sister Mary. There is also Mary Queen of Scotts and of course Isaac Newton is here too. The Coronation chair is also on display. Overall, the impression is very grand, inside and out.

We walked on past Parliament and Big Ben, across the Thames to the Eye of London. The Line up for tickets is fairly large, but the experience is worth it, with views spanning miles around London. We then had pizza by the Thames and were served by the angriest waitress we have had since Don Giovanni’s closed in Adelaide. She wore a permanent scowl and managed to make you feel like a pest for asking for anything. The pizza was nice though as was the view. We then walked across to the north side of the river to Somerset House, a large building with four wings that enclose a central cloister in which they host outdoor concerts. Tonight we saw Lily Allen play. She was quite good, even better than we had expected. The highlight of the show was the venue itself; being surrounded by the beautiful old building with the central dome sitting high above the temporary stage dome. Some people had stayed late at work in the buildings so they could just hang out of the windows to watch the show for free.