Touristy things

This is Hampden Court, home to Henry VIII and his six wives.

It's located up the Thames from London, where it's wide and gentle and clean.

And is well-guarded...

...since "the King is in residence." You should have seen the effect of these guys on a mob of 5th grade school kids.

Then I went to Parliament -- again. I went there last time I was in London. Still the same.

And I passed by Big Ben. Again. But this time with a specific goal in mind.

I wanted to stroll along the Thames to where the Tate Gallery and Old Globe Playhouse were. It was a walk...and the wind was cold...but it was worth it. You can see The Shard office tower in the background, and that's the Millennium pedestrian bridge linking it to the other shore.

I took a tour of the Globe, lead by a very chatty actor who was chock full of sly info, including the amazing (and hard to believe) fact that Shakespeare was able to cram 1000 people into the standing room area around the stage, and that Hamlet's soliloquy regarding "To be or not to be..." was spoken directly to the audience, as if asking them the questions on his mind.

But this is what proves I'm shallow at heart. I happened onto the building used for MI6's HQ in "Skyfall" and got really excited. If I'd seen Daniel Craig during any of this, I think I'd have squealed.

I may, yet.