Westminster Abbey, London

SINCE IT WAS OUR LAST DAY IN LONDON, we wanted to cover as much as we could... and so our walk continued on from St. James Park to Westminster Abbey.... and one famous icon that Aaron mentioned we must take a picture like this.... below....

Iconic scene of London.... 

Must not leave London without taking this picture, so he said... LOL.... 

As we walked to the Abbey, this is the surrounding scenery... 

It was a Sunday and people just love the sun!

But I took this picture hiding from the sun!  LOL... 

Big Ben at the background... 

The Westminster Abbey against the sun... 

Every year Westminster Abbey welcomes over one million visitors who want to explore 

this 700 year old building... It is open from Monday till Saturday but on Sunday, 

it is only open to those who want to worship.... 

So we just stayed around the vicinity before we walked on... 

Next time we must go and visit on a non-Sunday... 

Forgot what building this is... 

It is just opposite the Westminster Abbey... 

Before we walked on, we need some refreshment for energy... 

One last panorama view before we proceeded on to 

River Thames!

St James Park, Central Of London

FROM THE BUCKINGHAM PALACE, we walked to St. James Park which is nearby.  First thing first, we looked for the restroom and we have to fork out 20 pence to use them.  Well, we do not mind paying as long as the toilets are well kept and clean and that was exactly what they are.  With the hot weather looming above us, we got some lemonade to quench our thirst and we were amazed by the crowd who were out on this beautiful Sunday...

St James Park is a 23 hectare park situated in the City of Westminster, Central London and it is bounded by Buckingham Palce to the west, the Mall to the north, Horse Guards to the east and Birdcage Walk to the south.  The park has a small lake with two islands, West Island and Duck Island... 

One side was facing the London Eye... 

And the other side is called the Duck Island... 

no wonder there are families of ducks swimming in this beautiful lake... 

And the crowd like us who are crossing over the small bridge... 

A zooming angle of the scenery in front of us .... 

And this looks like a fairy tale castle.... 

Scenery on the other side where the ducks were enjoying their dips... 

And not forgetting our little poses as we walked along ..... 

And also spending some time taking a "breather" at the park.... 

Buckingham Palace And Hyde Park, London

FROM CAMDEN MARKET, WE ADJOURNED VIA SUBWAY TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE... Another one place I have visited since the 1980s!  I could still remember the Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park.... nothing much has changed and since it was a Sunday, the roads were closed from cars and it was a very long walk for the three of us.  This is the day that we broke our record... Walking! My son told me that we have walked around 14km on this very last day in London..... Oh me Oh my!

Reaching Hyde Park first... many were already basking under the sun...

Deck chairs were provided and we could rent it by the hour.... to sunbath... 

But of course, we being Asians do not sunbath... we run away from the sun if possible! 

In front of Buckingham Palace.... The sun was glaring at us!

Panorama view of the Palace... 

Royal Park... 

Around the vicinity of the Buckingham Palace and Royal Park.. 

To mark our presence, we did a tip toe pose... 

Takes two to tango... 

And the beautiful landscape around the Park...

The many poses of Reanaclaire... 

hmmmm... ladies!! 

Spread my arms out wide... to fly... 

To... St James Park!

Wish I could fly... YES!

Great Shopping And Food Haven At Camden Market

THE VERY NEXT MORNING, THE SKY WAS SHINING BRIGHTLY!!  Thank God for the sunny blue sky after the shower of blessings on the previous day.  Our last day in London... we must cover as many places as we could on this sunny day!  Wasting no time, we ventured out quite early in the morning... our next destination is the Camden Market....

Camden Market started off as a small arts and crafts fair in the backyard of Dingwalls.  Originally it was oopened on Sundays only, however its popularity grows and now it is the largest market in London, open seven days a week.  Camden is an open air market filled with 1000 over stalls that will keep the shoppers busy with crafts, books, clothing, jewelry, international fast food, souvenir stalls, household items and many more items! 

For me and my girl, this is the place where we wanna be... shop and shop till we drop!  It was the second time visit for Aaron so the first place he led us to was none other than the International food fest for our lunch!

From the station, we came out and we were really fascinated with the Big Crowd aka The Shoppers..

Reminded me of Bangkok here... lots and lots of things to see and buy...

Endless shops and souvenirs... so much cheaper than where we bought our stuff earlier.. 

We should have come here and get them.... 

As we walked along.... 

Every shop has their own theme and decoration....

Indeed it was a nice and sunny day for us all... shoppers! 

We like this!

The dockyard canal next to the Camden Market.... 

 At the entrance of the Camden Market.... 

 Inside the market... where we joined in the hustle and bustle of the crowd... 

 I think we could spend half a day just walking and shopping here.... 

But of course, we didn't.... 

Let's look for food first before we shop... 

No food No battery.... LOL...

 Alright... what shall we eat first???

Appetizers... 

 Spanish rice with all the healthy ingredients... 

Really different from what we eat here in Malaysia... 

We waited quite a long time for these!

Danish pancakes with Chocolate!!

Camden Market, we LIKE!

YES!  Hope we can come visit again next time!

Keep The Cost Of Your Car Cheap And Cheerful

There are plenty of expenses that we will have to fit into our budget, both annually and monthly. Whether that’s the cost of upkeep for the home or even insuring all our possessions. These costs add up and take a massive percentage of our annual income. One of the biggest expenses is easily our car. Our car can end up costing an absolute fortune if we’re not careful. There are easy ways to avoid that though and cheapen the deal on the cost of your car.

Keep A Check On Insurance

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If you’re interested in reducing the price of your insurance, there are a couple of things you can do. Most insurance companies now include the option of adding a black box to your car. This black box measures how you drive and decides whether you are a safe driver. If you are, your insurance premium will typically be lower. If not, it won’t go higher, but you will certainly not get the best deal. Another possibility is to price check your insurance when your current policy runs out. You might find that you can get a cheaper deal on the market, now that you have had some experience on the road. Building up a no claims could result in lower insurance premiums from some businesses.

Stay On The Right Side Of The Law

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Most of the laws on the road aren’t your typical crimes. If you break road laws, you’re more likely to be looking at a fine rather than a prison sentence. That might sound like good news, but it isn’t. Those fines can be incredibly expensive, to the point where they are difficult to manage. For instance, you can be forced to pay a penalty of five thousand for one case of DWI. Scheiner Law pride themselves are getting those fines reduced, but they can still be expensive. That’s not even thinking about what speeding tickets could ultimately cost you after they build up. As you can see then financially, it’s in your best interest to drive safely. We haven’t even considered the cost of repairing your vehicle after a crash. Make no mistake, though; it’s an expense you’ll want to avoid.

Fuel Up When It’s Cheap

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Fuel prices rise and drop throughout the year. You’ll also find that different stations have varied rates on fuel. Is it worth traveling to a different fuel station to get a lower price? Probably not because you’ll spend the money you save driving there. However, it is worth waiting to refuel until prices drop if you can. If you don’t need to refuel your car, waiting could save you a lot of money through the year. Money that you will then be able to spend elsewhere.

Buy Secondhand

Lastly, you should never buy a new car. It seems like peculiar advice. However, it makes a lot of sense because cars depreciate fast. A second-hand car has already lost most of its value. So, if it does depreciate you’ll be losing less money.

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