Week 10 - The Royals and other "Crown Jewels"

Week 10: 8 - 14 June 2015

After having spent Sunday in Brighton, we returned to work on Monday with sunburnt skin and our English colleagues saying "but you're Australian?!?!". The rest of the week was relatively cruisy and delivered a wide assortment of weather, from uplifting warm sunshine, to grey and drizzly days, with a few overcast, cold and windy ones as well.

Roslyn discovered, by chance, that an Aussie we had met at drinks back in week 5 was temping at her work. She then went out for after work drinks on Friday at a pub located just footsteps from her desk, yet it looked like a pub you'd expect to find in the English countryside. Brendan came across, and we then went to Brick Lane. Substitute Italian for Indian and (to compare to Australia), Brick Lane is a bit like Lygon Street Melbourne. Indian restaurants line the streets, and each one has staff standing outside trying to coax customers in. 

The following day was Trooping the Colour, the celebration of the Queen's birthday. Tickets to the official Trooping the Colour ceremony are balloted, and have to be applied for months in advance, which we were not lucky enough to score. Fortunately for us, the general public are able to watch as the ceremonial party parades down The Mall from Buckingham Palace en route to the arena where proceedings take place. After a squirrel running down the middle of the street nearly stole the show, we observed several marching bands and guards before the Royals passed in coaches.

After the Trooping the Colour ceremony had finished, we were treated to the same parade in reverse as the party returned to Buckingham Palace. Back at the palace, we were able to see the Royals as they stood on the balcony for the Royal Air Force fly over, decorating the sky with blue, white and red smoke.

Following on from those formalities, at nearby Hyde Park a group of cyclists were gathering and disrobing for the World Naked Bike Ride. Watching hundreds of naked or semi naked people (men, mostly) riding bicycles from Hyde Park down Oxford Street, was a weird combination of intriguing and repulsive. Judging by the crowd who had gathered, we weren't the only ones who thought so.

Highlights for the week:

- Roslyn had after work drinks

- Bargained for dinner at Brick Lane

- Stood on the side of The Mall (where nearly every iconic Royal parade takes place)

- Trooping the Colour

- Spotted the Royals

- Royal Air Force fly over

- Cycled and strolled around Hyde Park (fully clothed!)

- World Naked Bike Ride

- Visited Westfield London in preparation for the Royal Ascot races