I went to London to see the Queen

But Her Majesty did not have time for me.

So, I occupied myself by:

1. Watching Her Majesty’s guards change at the ceremony at Buckingham Palace

Although the published time of the ceremony is 11:30am, the crowd starts to build up as early at 10am.



Should you decide to be there early, time is not wasted, especially on a day with fine weather. There are lots of photo-taking opportunities around Buckingham Palace, Wellington Barracks and at St. James's Park.





I spent about about an hour and a half there, watching the crowd build up till the end of the ceremony. Friendly street police we present for crowd control. But more than that, they patiently took the time to answer many curious tourists' queries.

Here, a police officer advising the crowd to keep and eye on their belongings to prevent pick-pockets.



The actual changing of guards process will not mean more than just men in uniforms to us who do not fully understand the significance of every detailed process (besides, a lot of it happens behind the palace gates, and those bars are thick!).



I was fortunate enough to be standing within earshot of a proud British gentlemen who was narrating the entire process to an American family. So, got bits here and there.

The entire ceremony is a big deal for everyone involved -- ceremonial guards, serving soldiers, palace workers, British Police.

2. Catching The Phantom of the Opera matinee at Her Majesty’s Theatre

I had been told that London is the place to catch theatre plays and after my first experience, I can see why. The Phantom of the Opera by A Really Useful Group Theatre was simply exhilirating and worth every penny (I paid £37.50 for a £40.00 seat in the Grand Circle, bought on the day itself).

Apart from the breathtaking performances by Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom), Leila Benn Harris (Christine Daae) and other key characters, what really kept me in awe was the seamless movement and coordination of stage props. There were moments between scenes (especially after The Journey) when I tried to lookout for stage shadows to figure out how it's done, but I suppose that knowing what happens behind the scenes would spoil the novelty of being an audience. So, I'll just leave it to mystery.

The matinee left me humming Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's Think of Me and The Music of the Night all the way back to my hotel.

3. Visiting one of London’s main attractions, the original Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

The massive wax museum has several themes; Premier Night (Hollywood A-listers), Movie Characters and TV Personalities (eg. Shrek, Terminator, Indiana Jones, Oprah, Scarlet O'Hara, Holly Golightly), Sportsmen (eg. Tiger Woods, Boris Becker, Lance Armstrong), World Leaders (past and present presidents and prime ministers), Singers (eg. Beyonce, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson), Geniuses (eg. Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Richard Branson), and the Royal Family (arranged in a politically correct order where Diana Spencer stands along and Camilla is placed with the Prince of Wales and the two Princes).


More pictures on my Facebook!

Award for the Most Photographed wax figurines should go to Brangelina.

Madame Tussauds also includes little background on how the museum came about, the Scare Chamber (with "live seriel killers" for effect) and a mini tour of the city on the Spirit of London.

Of course, I did the usual walks around Leicester Square and Chinatown (crispy duck, crispy duck!), Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly (the so-called “Times Square” of London) and Westminster (to catch sights of The Abbey, House of Parliament and Big Ben, the London Eye).

The infamous Chinatown arch.



Four Seasons, where tasty crispy ducks await the hungry.



Kenneth and I opted for the Set for Two, which included a hot and sour soup, crispy duck with wrap and condiments, sweet and sour beef, some deep-fried pork dish, mixed vege and fried rice. I could have had more duck and less of the other stuff. Once I savoured the duck, I didn't have much appetite for anything less.



To Rendevous on Leicester Square we headed for speciality yoghurt ice cream thereafter.

Leicester Square

Summer evening at Trafalgar Square. Not as many pigeons as I though there would be.



Night lights at Piccadilly.




Westminster Abbey, the large Gothic church where the English monarchs are coronated or burried.



Big Ben and the House of Parliament. To the left, a pretty clear view of the London Eye.

I didn't have the opportunity to explore bus routes, but the Tube is excellent and well-connected. I bought the Oyster (similar to EZlink in Singapore) and tapped my way everywhere.

Loving London!