After a night's sleep at Lianglong's (one of Xianhong's pals, funny, they all rhyme: XianhONG, SinlONG, LianglONG...) place, we set off early to Westminster Abbey. It was adorned with gorgeous and intricate carvings, statues at every inch. There were so many of them and in such rich details that I was lost in them. There was a sign put up for lessons on Westminster Abbey, and I think to fully appreciate the artistry, one needs to learn the histories of the people they were rendered in homage to, else they'll all seem a blur. I can only remember the Chapter House (from popular fiction The Da Vinci Code), Poets' Corner (from a fondness for reading) and Sir Isaac Newton's tomb... it's HIM that we all have to memorise, swallow, digest and assimilate into our bodies awful, awful equations!!!
These are the little photos we took as cameras were not allowed inside. If they were, I bet I'm still there clicking away.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/WestminsterAbbeyMore
In the afternoon, we watched the longest running musical "Les Miserables" at the Queens Theatre. Not a fan of musicals and plays but I was blown away, so it's easy to conjecture how good it was. Wonderful songs delivered by beautiful voices and brilliant acting played upon fantastic props. My personal favourites was the theme "Do You Hear the People Sing" and "On My Own", I like the stirring of the first and melancholy of the second. The realistic town prop was turned and hey presto! it transforms into burning wreckage. I found the depiction of the suicide of the officer imaginative, the bridge was lifted gradually to show him falling and the turning spotlight accurately imitates the swirling of waters when one is drowning.
Here is a recording of the finale during its 10th anniversary concert. This special has them all standing while singing when the actual musical has them singing and acting. My favourite part starts at 5 min into the recoding... oops, but this is the best I could find.
Spectaclar, but no photos allowed except for these:
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/PiccadillyCircus
Sunday was a visit to the London Bridge, Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Tower of London does not really count because we didn't go in but took photos of the postcards showing crown jewels in the souvenir shop and also of the exterior... it does seem dumb but none of us were particularly interested to see them up close and personal and a hole in the pocket but we were determined to see what most tourists see.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/Bridges
Later we went to HMS Belfast -- London's Floating Naval Museum, a historic warship that supported the allied troops duing D-Day landings now moored on the Thames. It was really an eye-opener to the lives of seamen. We first boarded with walkie-talkies-like gadgets that acts as a tour guide on pressing buttons (we abandon them soon as they were long-winded and anyway, I can't multi-task). We climbed up and down ladder-like steps from deck to deck, ogled at statues enacting the tasks during voyages and of course, took photos aplenty.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/HMSBelfast
We also visited Camden Town that resembles a very expensive pasar malam... expensive because we multiplied everything by 3 due to the exchange rate, cheap to the Britons though.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/Camden
At night, there was a birthday celebration for Lianglong... Happy Birthday!
On the very last day, Xianhong and I rushed through the National Gallery while the others went to Harrods. Wished I could have wandered in the rooms forever, there are so many pictures to admire, again, no photos allowed. I hope to return and the plus point is that it's FREE... haha!
Next we rushed to Buckingham Palace for the changing of guards. When we got there, it was so crowded that instead of the dark furry headgear worn by the guards, I could only see the dark glossy manes grown on people's heads... sigh, was too greedy but luckily, Lester was in front and took many photos. I think it's amusing to hear the guys (who have undergone National Service) dismiss the sloppy marching of the guards when it's an attraction. 
Judge for youselves =)
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/BuckinghamPalace
After that disappointment was a lovely walk in Kew Gardens. The others weren't very interested but I was set on going, so Xianhong had to come. But it was really beautiful even though not all the flowers bloomed and we prefer outdoor trips to the hustle of city life. We followed the Explorer's Route in the map (that belies the size of the gardens, the map seemed enormas!) with some little detours. We decided to leave the Palm House to the last, coming from tropical country, we weren't too fascinated with palms. 
We decided to go to the Temperate House, a large greenhouse with stairs! and temperate plants although there were some that seemed tropical to us, non-horticulturists who can't differentiate shrubs and bulbs.
Then we went to Evolution House that tried to show how plants evolved through the ages.
Next was the funny Pagoda, ugly to our oriental eyes because we have seen much more beautiful ones then to a Japanese garden with a strange gate. We trampled over gravel to take photos excitedly before we saw the notice to NOT step on the gravel... oops!
The waterliy pond looked... pathetic because no lilies now! There was a boring Queen Charlotte's Cottage, odd name, Queen in a Cottage? The star attractions were animals, pheasant, squirrel and peacocks! An old man's comment echoed our sentiments. Looking on a peacock fanning out it's amazing tail before an unfazed peahen, he said,"Well if he doesn't impress her, he sure impresses me!" and shoo the peahen towards the frantic peacock,"Go on!"
There was also a serene pond with ducks swooping around.
A passing shower forced us into a Minka House, a wooden hut imported from Japan. Then to the Rhodendron Dell, I've come across them so many times in books that I yearn to see whether they match my imagination. I think they weren't blooming yet and mistook dandelions for them... only realized error when looking at brochures... haha!
The Princess of Wales Consevatory was full of beautiful tropical flowers and prickly cacti. We regret taking too many pictures of not-in-bloom temperate plants because the faulty battery was running low when I just charged the night before. It has inspired me to consider growing some orchids when I return home.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yannyranran/KewGardens
This trip was certainly not as relaxed and enjoyable as the trip to Oxford but it has its highlights. I prefer the quiet and tranquility of an old, old town of dreaming spires and wider expanse of small Loughborough.
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