We are staying at the Windermere Hotel. This is located in the Pimlico district of London. In medieval times the site was a resting spot for travellers to London including the Kings and Queens. The current building was built in 1857 and is an excellent example of Victorian architecture. Downstairs there is a small pub, which I’m sure we’ll visit sooner than later.
The Pimlico district is a mixture of small hotels and a wide variety of restaurants. One block over from our hotel, the area turns into an upscale residential area. Winston Churchill lived in the area in the early 20th century. Here the three-story flats go for about $2,500,000.
During the day, we oriented ourselves to the city by taking the hop on hop off bus tour. It took us several attempts to find the bus stop, but we eventually did find the bus. The tour took us to many of the places that are synonymous with London, such as Big Ben, the Thames River, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey. It was a long tour, which lasted about 4 hours, counting time off for lunch.
For part of the tour, we had a very funny guide that commented on each of the attractions and historical sites we passed. Then we went on a bus, that had no guide and a broken audio system, so we were on our own to find out what we were looking at.
What is very clear to us is the way the skyline of London has changed since our last trip, over twenty years ago. The skyline is now a stunning mix of glass and steal and older majestic palaces and Victorian government buildings and monuments.
The royal palaces are on another tour, which is booked for
tomorrow.
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