London

What a city! We've had a great time in London this week en-route to Iceland tomorrow morning. The weather has been a bit chilly and occasionally wet (surprise, surprise) but not without moments of heat and sun. Today has been particularly bright and warm - which is appropriate given summer starts on Sunday. We've had a chance to see some shows and do some bike riding which has been great - and a lot of walking! Here are some pics...

Airbus shares Toulouse Airport and across the tarmac were lined up these Beluga aircraft - very odd looking freight planes which look like....

About to fly...

There has been a lot of pomp in London this week. It turns out they are regularly practicing for the Kings Birthday Parade in June as well as the Trooping of the Colour....

Squirrel and observer in Hyde Park - which was glorious....

A disused church converted into a food hall in Mayfair - very groovy and a wonderful use of an ornate historic building...

Above the front entry of Selfridges department store on Oxford Street...

One night we went very local and had dinner at Chinatown and saw comedy at the Comedy Store - it was the monthly gong show with multiple comedians who you could boo off stage - a hoot....

Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower (containing Big Ben). Very picturesque as always...

We had a nice walk along the southern bank of the Thames to the Tate Modern - this is a view of the modern towers in the City of London, with St Paul's to the left. We went up the 'Walkie Talkie' later in the week (the building on the right)...

Jodie (sister in law) and her girls were in London - we caught up with Jodie, Lily and her mum Fay at the cafe at the Serpentine in Hyde Park...

Street view in Mayfair - very nice buildings and almost a village character in many places....

The Sky Garden is at the top of the 'Walkie Talkie' building and has great views (because there's not that many high buildings around)...

Construction constraints....

Nearby, we also went up 120 Fenchurch Street which has an open garden...

Leadenhall Market is nearby and is a very attractive Victorian market, on the site of a medieval marketplace. The iron frames above the tenancies were for hanging your chickens (this was the poultry market)...

Walking back through Trafalgar Square one evening - it's so elegant with great lighting....

The roses are out in force in Regents Park - heaps of the them - and heaps of people (but nothing like the number of people outside Buckingham Palace this morning for the Changing of the Guard - we were trying to ride past and it was a challenge!)....