Markets, Westminster and a brush with royalty

Up early and of to the Burrough Markets, foodies heaven. A brisk walk in the sunshine and we enter bedlam; great little market stalls, brilliant produce, but they charge hugely inflated prices and it is people overload. Prosciutto for $660 a kilo, cheeses for $200 a kilo and oysters natural $6 each - really? It was thoroughly enjoyable but Tim later tells us that locals don't go there as much anymore. We stocked up on mushroom pate, baklava, sourdough for tea and a focaccia, venison and heirloom tomatoes and salad. Bought our prosciutto on the way home at a local deli. Venison burgers for tea - yuuuuum.

So Ross decides a bit of a walk is needed to walk off the focaccia and pate and so we head out just after lunch - over Westminster Bridge past Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, St Margaret's, Oliver Cromwell, Westminster Abbey, Westminster School, Churchill Museum, the War Rooms and the Ministry of Defence through to the Horse Guards again.

Tagging on to this we headed to St James, a bit like the royal village. It has palaces, grand homes, statues, parks, exclusive shops and secret passages. We begin at Queen Anne's Gate and wind the streets to St James Park. They have large blue plaques when a building has a historical significance. There are heaps to read in this area. Through the park and over the Mall to check out Buckingham Palace - Lizzy was home but we decided not to pop in for a cuppa and to continue on. Walking away from the palace we heard a commotion and around the corner came the Palace Guard on parade. They trotted down the Mall with a Mounted Police Guard and a pooper scooper machine following - scooping, brushing and washing up the inevitable.

On we went - through to St James Palace, where Princess Di  lay in state before her funeral. Ross thought he'd stand guard for while but didn't get a call back. In this area we saw Christies, some beautiful gardens and parks, over to Pall Mall, Waterloo Place, Duke of York's Column, back to Admiralty Arch and on to 10 Downing Street.

And finally back across Westminster Bridge and home. Toni is on strike - too pooped to pop. 14.7 k today and that only the direct route and doesn't cover all the backtracking and meandering.