London-Paris Day 1: London in Three Days

Arrived last night at about 9:30 p.m. and after clearing UK customs made my way from Heathrow to Kilburn Park on the London Underground. This is a quick trip – just three days in London and one day on Paris.  I want to see as much as I can and time is tight, so I before the trip I searched on “London in 3 days” to plan the trip itinerary.  First stop … the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben …

… and then a walk over to Westminster Abbey.

Next I walk up Whitehall, past No. 10 Downing Street, to Trafalgar Square.

I duck into the National Gallery to see the collection of Canaletto’s, the great Venetian landscape painter.

For lunch it’s takeaway enjoyed on the steps of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, followed by a walk up the Strand to Covent Garden.

It’s a short tube ride from Covent Garden to Charing Cross station and a nice afternoon walk down The Mall to Buckingham Palace.

I jump back on the tube at Hyde Park Corner and ride to Tower Hill station, hoping to tour the Tower of London.  But I arrive just after the 5 p.m. closing time and miss the tour. Instead, I opt for the sightseeing cruise on the River Thames from Tower Hill to Westminster, passing Tower Bridge …

… and Big Ben on the way.

It’s getting late, so I walk back to Covent Garden and finish the day with a fish and chips dinner.