You Just Never Know

We've had some beautiful weather days in London lately, and when you set off for your daily "adventure," you just never know what will catch your eye along the way. This time, I was headed to the Museum of London, another one of my favorite museums in London, for a special exhibit on Charles Dickens in honor of his 200th birthday. London is celebrating him in a big way this year, as if we didn't already have enough reasons to celebrate with the Summer Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee Year.

Taking the bus to get to the museum, we stepped off at St.Paul's Cathedral, which was sparkling in the winter sun,

and crossed the street to the One New Change retail complex which has recently opened in the shadow of the cathedral. Restaurants and shopping--we could have easily been sidetracked for more than just lunch, but we were looking forward to getting a bit of culture!

The One New Change modernist building has 6,500 glass panes of varying shades, and creates a surprising optical illusion that caught us off guard.

The day before while strolling around, we passed by the Horse Guard parade, in the midst of a changing of the guard,

we circled by the pond at St. James Park where the resident pelican was preening her feathers, gazing at her own reflection,

but the most amazing serendipity of our winter walk home was the remarkable view we got when passing by Big Ben, as the afternoon sun spotlighted the clock tower and a rainbow popped into the sky reminding us to always look up, always look around. There are treasures to be found at every turn.

St. James Park and Swan Upping

Today I took a long walk home from the Soho area through one of my favorite parks, the St. James Park. As I walked towards the west, I could see Buckingham Palace across the lake.

Looking back from the other side of the lake you can see the Horse Guards that I mentioned a few days back.

Through the park, English style gardens abound.

I even spotted a small vegetable garden.

A boot camp group, stretching after a long workout.

All types of small wildlife can be found in the park, and they seem to be quite comfortable with the human race.

This is a photo of Duck Island with the pelicans who "hang out" there, waiting for their feeding each day at 2:30 P.M. There are numerous types of waterfowl which make the lake their home.

Which reminds me of an important ceremony that began today called the Swan Upping. Each year in July, for five days, the Swan Uppers have to catch, mark and release the mute swans in a 79 mile stretch of the Thames River. Today it's all in the name of conservation, but it had its origins in the 12th century when swans were a common food source for the royalty. The monarch of the United Kingdom owned all unmarked mute swans on the river, and they were claimed by the Crown to ensure there would always be a ready supply for dinner.

Photos from the Daily Mail London

For the first time, the Queen accompanied them today. She was presented with a brood of cygnets. I'm sure they won't be fattened to be included on the royal menu as in years past. In fact, the only swan that went home with her today was the diamond swan brooch she's wearing on her jacket. A video news report can be found by clicking here.