Adventures in Europe: London, United Kingdom

I am on my way to Tajikistan, but from Edmonton that is not a quick or particularly efficient (or cheap) trip. I was laid over for six hours in London this morning and decided to make the most of it. I left my bag at the airport and took the tube into the city. I got off at Leicester Square just before 9:00, or 2:00 in the morning Edmonton time!

I walked into Trafalgar Square . . .

. . . past Canada House . . .

. . . and down Whitehall to Westminster. I stopped to take a photo or two of Big Ben . . .

. . . and Westminster Abbey.

It felt good to be walking briskly, but coffee sounded good, too, so I found a cafe in St James's Park. 

I thought about continuing on to see Buckingham Palace, but instead I decided to head over to Monument, which I think I have climbed every time I have been in London and really it never gets old. It was a few stops ride away on the District line. At 9:45 on a Thursday morning I had the great views all to myself!

Back at ground level, I had about half an hour left, so I did another walk, this time westward toward St. Paul's.

By the time I reached St. Paul's I figured I better head back to Heathrow. In the end I only spent about 90 minutes in London itself, and probably 120 minutes on the tube to/from Heathrow, but it was a nice way to spend the layover and fight jet lag, and I was very happy I had taken the opportunity!