"MEMOS."

Sun. Nov. 16

Breakfast in hotel coffee shop at 10:30. I have bacon, eggs and a wonderful croissant. The bacon is meatier than ours. Don has grilled kippers which are also very tasty. Leave the hotel and walk along the Green Park to Buckingham Palace to see the very end of the changing of the guard. Guards wear long grey overcoats. The weather is nice. I only have to wear my blazer, no coat. Walk to Westminster Abbey and take short tour. Walk past Parliament buildings to pier and take sight-seeing boat up the Thames to Greenwich. Many interesting sites and we went under the tower bridge. The Cutty Sark is in Greenwich. It is a beautiful clipper ship, the rigging is amazing. Also saw the Gypsy Moth which Sir Frances Chichester sailed around the world in 1968 - so tiny. Walked up hill to the Royal Observatory, a beautiful building designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Stood with one foot in the western and one foot in the eastern hemisphere. Greenwich is quite picturesque. Took a bus back to London. Rode one a short way then took #53 as far as Westminster pier. You can see a lot from a double decker bus. Walked along St. James Park to Buckingham Palace and back to hotel. It was getting cold so we needed coats for the evening. Left the hotel at 6:00 to go to Shepherd's Market. Stopped at a Middle Eastern restaurant for dinner. Wonder why the pubs are closed. Find out that alcohol cannot be served until 7:00 pm on Sunday. Dinner was humus ( mashed chick peas, garlic, etc.), pita bread, sheik kopta (lamb meatloaf), rice, salad and wine. After dinner some window shopping - I like pill boxes. Then to the King's Arms for beer (Don) and cider (me). Next to the Bunch of Grapes where I have a shot of Glenfiddich. The Bunch of Grapes has a resident Basset Hound with the saddest eyes. He knows the regular patrons and they buy him pretzels and peanuts - he can open the bags himself. Pub has a nice coal fire in an open fireplace. Don walks me back to the hotel and goes on to try a few more pubs. Call from Richard Egland - very nice.