After arriving at the London Heathrow Airport in the early AM, we boarded the Express train to Paddington Station, London.
From left: (1) The Heathrow Train Station, (2) Waiting for the train, (3) Arrived at Paddington Station
Outside of Paddington Station we saw a hotel very fittingly called "The Pilgrm"! A propitious sign.
Before we could commence our touring day of London, we attended to one necessity: breakfast. We had our first taste of a Full English breakfast at Mimos Cafe.
A full English breakfast consists of bacon, eggs, sausage, beans, fried tomato, fried mushroom, black pudding, and toast. Can you spot all that in the photo?
We then headed toward Brompton Oratory to attend noontime mass. On the way, we walked through Kensington Gardens, one of the Royal Parks, and were treated to lovely views of the architecture and fountains.
Views from Kensington Gardens
At the Brompton Oratory (also called the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), we attended mass. This beautiful neo-classical church was founded by St. John Henry Cardinal Newman and dedicated to St. Philip Neri.
From beginning of slideshow: (1) Oratory mass times, (2) Outside view of the Oratory, (3) Inside view of the nave into the apse, (4) The main altar in the apse, (5) The ceiling and the dome in the transept, (6) Veronica and the Holy Face, (7) Altar to St. John Henry Newman, (8) Altar to St. Philip Neri
After resting at the Oratory for a bit, we spent the rest of the early afternoon touring major London sites.
Visiting Buckingham Palace
(1) Top left: Trafalgar Square, (2) Top right: Big Ben, (3) Bottom left: Westminster Palace/House of Parliament, (4) The London Eye
We tried to visit 10 Downing Street, but the road was closed and guarded by police, probably because the UK is electing a new Prime Minister. But we did get to pose with the classic British telephone box:
Above: The selfie-stick has made us too powerful!
After touring, we hurried to Waterloo Station -- we were running late for our 3:05 pm train!
Left: Frantically buying tickets for the train from Waterloo to Winchester. Alternative title: How many pilgrims does it take to buy one train ticket?
We boarded the train with just one minute to spare before departure. Phew!
We arrived in Winchester safely and walked to our lodging. Here are some of our first views of Winchester:
After a bit of recuperation, we headed out to have dinner at The Wykeham Arms.
We've done so much today, but this isn't the pilgrimage yet! We start walking the Pilgrims' Way on Monday, September 5. We'll spend the next several days exploring Winchester.
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