Becki and Nanci’s European Adventure

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Today was supposed to be a rainy day, so we really didn’t plan a lot of activities. We needed to do laundry, and re-pack our suitcases as we are supposed to leave for Paris tomorrow. So it was up early, breakfast, and then back to the room to separate our clothes for laundry. We are fortunate because the laundromat is two blocks away from the hotel.

I headed out to the post office, which is about a block away from the hotel, and mailed home some souvenirs. It was a way to get rid of some of the bulk out of my suitcase plus some of the weight.

After I check the weather report, and the rain wasn’t going to start until late afternoon, we decided to join a guided tour For the changing of the guard. So we hopped on the big bus and headed to the meeting point. We arrived about 10 minutes late and had to practically run to catch up with the Tour Guide and the group.

Our Tour Guide’s name was Charles. I keep remembering remembering that because of the snow Charles in charge. He was a young man full of energy And he walked as fast as he talked. Nanci and I both had a hard time keeping up with him. I really liked how he handled the changing of the guard. He told us he could take us down to the fence around Buckingham Palace and we could watch two guards face one another for several minutes , then salute and go the opposite direction. Or we could watch all the things that lead up to the actual changing of the guard, which is what we did.

He positioned us on the street across from Saint James Palace, where the guard would come out with the band and they would all be facing us. It was really exciting to be on the front row, and as they turned down the street toward Buckingham Palace, so did we, marching right along Now Charles was showing us how the guard marches and of course Nanci got out with him to practice! It was pretty funny.

Once the retiring guard and band march toward the palace, Charles hurried us down the street to see the guard coming on duty and their band marching towards the Palace. It was like getting to see two parades at once. I had to laugh when he grabbed Nanci by the hand and dragged her up the street to make sure she had a good viewing position since she was so short. He also positioned us where we could get pictures of ourselves with the palace in the background.

Once we left the area of Buckingham Palace, we started walking toward the horse guard house. This is considered the official entrance to Buckingham Palace and the residence at St. James palace. Those entrances are guarded by a horse guard on the main street in the front. It is also the place where, as Queen Elizabeth’s body entered the archway, it was considered the end of her reign. If you watched her funeral on TV, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

Now it was a pretty hefty walk to the Horse Guard from the Palace, and our dear Charles walked as fast as he talked. It was really hard to keep up, but once he stopped, we made it. He was really an excellent guide, and we enjoyed him so much except for the fast walking! However we were worn out!

Because we were so tired from chasing Charles, we got a taxi back to our hotel. I insisted Nanci rest while I went and did our laundry. It really only takes one person to do laundry!

We had a reservation at Fortnum and Mason, and upscale store that started out as a Grocery in 1707. It now has a tea room on the fourth floor and several other restaurants. It still sells upscale products on its main floor. It’s signature search color is turquoise much like Tiffany’s. Chrissy introduced me to Fortnum in Mason in April and we promised our hotel manager, Flavio, we would take him to tea when we came back for our next visit. It truly is an unbelievable experience!

After tea and a few purchases, we came home to prepare for the next day, as we were supposed to head to Paris. Our plans changed quickly when Flavio and Suzy, our hotel owners, daughter, told us about the major bedbug problem in Paris. I am mediately searched on Google and found out there were 400,000 reported cases of bedbug infestation in Paris. Nanci and I talked about it and both decided we did not want to get mixed up in that, so we decided to cancel Paris and stay in London. Fortunately, the Balmoral house could keep us in our same room, and I started the business of canceling all our plans in Paris. It looks like we’ll have to visit Paris at another time. We were disappointed, but felt like we made the right choice.

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