July 21 (Tuesday) Westminster Abbey, Billy Elliott

After picking up tickets for Billy Elliott we wandered down to the church of St. Martin in the Fields where we found a cello quartet practicing.  The church is a Christopher Wren church and is very charming... 

with a very unusual and modern (un)stained glass window.

We listened for a while and then headed out across the plaza to Trafalgar Square.  This is the location of the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. 

National Gallery

The square was full of tourists, performers and business people heading off to do whatever it is they do. 

Church of St. Martin in the Fields

There was a large fountain in the plaza...

and the Nelson Monument, honoring Admiral Nelson who died during the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic wars.

Nelson's Monument with National Gallery dome in the background

The street performers included a man in kilts playing the bagpipes...

and a couple of performers that appeared to defy gravity. 

The plaza also had large statues including a couple of British lions and the “Gift Horse” (a bronze skeleton of a horse at twice life size).

Gift Horse

Then we took a walk along Whitehall where we saw numerous memorials to various war heroes...

including one dedicated to the women in the armed forces during World War II. 

The walk took us near 10 Downing Street, home of Britain's Prime Minister.

Near Westminster there were several bright red phone booths for which Britain is well know.  One had a very long queue of people waiting to get their picture in front of/in the booth. 

We had lunch around the corner from Westminster Abbey at a small, very old pub/restaurant called the Westminster Arms.  Mary remembered it from one of her visits several years ago and was able to find it again (she is part homing pigeon).

After lunch we toured Westminster Abbey.  We had all been there before but it had been years.  So it’s always good to revisit the truly special places. 

No pictures were allowed within the Abbey but we were able to take pictures of the Cloisters

and the Chapter House, with a spectacular ceiling and 360 degrees of stained glass windows.

Upon exiting Westminster we passed a taxi stand.  London is know for the boxy black taxi's.  These, on the other hand, were quite colorful.

This evening we went to see the musical Billy Elliott.  We all thoroughly enjoyed it.