London - Saturday

Final full day in London. I'm pretty comfortable on their subway system. They all seem to be about the same, so no big deal. The way to go here is to stay for a week and get a week long subway pass. It will take you anywhere in the city. One place had a piano and a sign inviting people to play. So I sit done and play Elton's Your Song. A few people stopped and listened and recorded it on their phone. OK, highlight of the trip.

Now for more sights. The night before was cool. Walking in the grassy area by parliament there were protests over Brexit. Nothing violent, but lots of people, lots of cameras, people with signs, people making speeches. riot police and helicopters overhead. How fun. Today there isn't nearly as much of that. With social media now you can kind of schedule your protests I think and get a following at an appointed time. What is the issue with Brexit? They don't seem too sure themselves.

I didn't know you could even go through the parliament building, but it turns out you can. There are tours every day they are not in session. They have been in the ongoing arguments over Brexit, but luckily are taking a break today. This might just be my favorite time in London. Like a lot of "tours" now, they give you an audio guide and you walk yourself around. You get to go in all the main areas and including the House of Commons and House of Lords. On Sunday nights in the US they show the Prime Minister answering questions in the House of Commons. Let's like a US Presidential press conference on steroids. So I enjoyed being right there.

We went through Kensington Palace. Royalty has lived there off and on. Charles and Dianna lived there. Others have, too. The queen, of course, lives in Buckingham palace. I'm not sure who of the other relatives gets to call dibs on it.

On the outskirts of London is the poet's Keats house. I'm so not into poetry, I'm not sure of his first name. I think he wrote Ode to a Grecian Urn though. I don't take time to read poetry and if I did, I bet I could find something better than poetry about an urn. Nice house, though.

Last but not least, after two failed attempts, there was a Saturday night service at St. Paul's that all were invited to. So I got to go in and got to hear their choir for free. Much better than their costly tour. It was quite impressive.

So there you have it. My tour of London. From now on my philosophy in visiting cities is stay plenty long to see everything and pack it all it. I love London, but I feel no need to go back. Next destination - Des Moines, Iowa. Yes I am serious. I don't think I'll need a week for that one, though.