Bits and Pieces: London Recap

Remembrance day recap...

1. I got up early and packed up my stuff to switch to my business hotel, Hilton Metropol. The Metropol is on Edgware Rd, near Paddington station. I took a cab again, because I wasn't really interested in dragging my suitcase up and down stairs. No way I can do that in some of those stops and I wasn't sure what the Edgware Rd. station would look like.

2. After dropping my bags at the bag check, I ran immediately to the tube to get to the Remembrance day festivities on Whitehall at the Cenotaph. I read online the night before that the queen/royal family lays a wreath as part of the ceremony so I jumped on the chance to see her. No issues on the tube, got to the right stop and followed the crowds to the right exit. I made it there at 8:30 and it was already packed. I went through security and then found a spot 3 rows back from where the action was happening. I thought I chose well behind a smaller woman and a kid on the front row, but around 10:00, 2 large men switched spots with them. They had to be at least 6'5". The ceremony started at 11, so at 10 I started staring at the back of jackets. I couldn't see anything. I began to think it wasn't worth it and should get out, but by the time I had that thought, it was too late. I was stuck in a sea of people with no hope of getting out. It gets pretty boring staring at the back of a jacket and your shoes.

3. I ended up watching the cameras that were held up to take pictures or video. I saw the queen on their little video screens. Here are the bbc highlights of what was happening 50 yards away from me:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15710473
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20285860

I'm somewhere in the crowd on the second video. Bonus points if you can spot me. I couldn't, but I guarantee I'm there.
Here are some pictures I took through the rare moments I could see around the jackets:

Most of the people in the crowd were wearing their British Legion poppy pins on their lapel. I bought one as well to fit in...made me feel very British.

I borrowed that picture from the Telegraph.

I took some video...some of these I actually got the parade, some I just shot my feet or the tree above me to capture the sound. Ignore the singing in 2 of them...I can't remember to stop singing when I have the video camera on. It was neat to sing Our God Our Help in Ages Past with a crowd like that...and I attempted God Save the Queen. I need to learn the words! Blogger's not working all that great, so I'll do another post with some of the videos referenced here.

After the official ceremony ended, the veterans present marched, were wheeled or used scooters to form the longest veterans parade I've ever seen. It was pretty cool. I couldn't get out at that point, so I just relaxed and people watched. They had veterans marching from every corner of the Commonwealth, so the uniforms were a sight just alone. Add in all of the band pomp and circumstance and it made for some very pleasant standing. What I didn't realize until after it was over was that I stood in one place for over 4 hours. I don't think I really understood how tired that was going to make me until I tried to move. My feet were like blocks of ice and dead to the world. That drastically adjusted my plans for the rest of the day. However, on the way out, I did catch the area where all the dignataries parked. I'm pretty sure I saw Boris, the mayor of London and I was able to grab a picture of the ambassador to Britain from Kenya:

I saw quite a few other ambassadors, just didn't take pictures of all of them. The building in the background was the Horse Guard's Parade, where they played beach volleyball for the Olympics:

I then followed the crowd to the WWII memorial:

I found the Churchill War Rooms, but the line was at least an hour to get in. After standing for 4 hours, I wasn't really up to standing in line. I didn't think it would do the place justice to be in pain while walking through, so I'm saving it for the next trip. I followed some more crowds and ended up on the opposite end of the mall from Buckingham: