Queens

I celebrated Queens today. I got to walk outside the home of the current English crown holder, Queen Elizabeth II. The only action outside of Buckingham Palace was a group of men marching to a drum and step, kick, turn. I didn't spend my precious time focused on the royal guard, instead I took pictures of the monument to Queen Victoria. I felt like a Queen during my banger and egg on a roll with chamomile tea breakfast from a place called Pickels. The deli style storefront was in an alleyway smack between the Westminster Abbey and Churchill's War Rooms on the Horse Guard Grounds. The men inside the deli used the f word as an adjective in every sentence, but they also drank tea and politely waited on me. Directly across the alley from Pickels was the front door to a fancy work building. The door was secured by a pass key and there was a receptionist inside the door that required an ID to enter. Since the alley was adjacent to Parliament I figured it may be a lobby office or something important like that. But I also saw women in running clothes open the door with a pass key and sweatily enter the building. Then I changed my impression to that of an important office as well as condos. I'll never know what was behind those doors. When I left Pickels to continue my independent and self guided Westminster tour, I noticed a great trend: running and bike riding. The amount of people running to work, with a small backpack of their work clothes, or riding the cobblestone streets was astounding. There seemed to be more bikes than I observed in Amsterdam! Continuing my Queen for a day tour, I went to Westminster Abbey to see the final resting place of Queen Elizabeth I. My fascination with Good Queen Bess stems from a desire that I have to rebel. She was the ultimate woman who rebelled against her government and religion. She was strong and lovely. I felt a sense of awe as I stood in the nave where she is buried and thought of the respect that I've always had for Elizabeth Regina. On the contrast, her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots is buried directly opposite her in a matching nave. Since Elizabeth imprisoned Mary for 19 years and eventually had her head cut off, it's strange that her tomb is almost as lavish as Elizabeth's. I guess that just goes to show you that your legacy after life and how your kids remember you (her son had the monument made) is more long lasting than the Queen's ire that you might have pissed off. I observed the hourly moment of prayer with the Abbey clergy and then moved on from Elizabeth's tomb. I also, illegally, took a few photos of the tombs. I'll be able to post those when I return home.Unfortunately, I spent the day in London alone because my sister confused the days of my arrival and took the bus and train into London yesterday. She did not have the extra time to return today, so I had yet another solitary romp around London. This time I ventured into Kensington Gardens, a new place that I didn't visit last time I was here. My Queen theme continued when I arrived in Bristol to see my family and my little niece and I talked about princesses and watched The Princess Bride together. I want to be the Queen tonight when I sleep and have an undisturbed sleep in a bed. I grant myself this one desire, which I have the power to do as Queen.