Day two - the Establishment and Billy Elliot

Started with a walk down Whitehall passing Scotland Yard, #10 Downing (behind serious barriers and police with big guns), cabinet offices and ministry of defence. There are barriers of one kind and another all the way down the street. But also crazy tourists who are not phased by any of it, doing selfies with grim-faced police as a background. Our walk caught the end of the changing of the horse guards. Fun to see some pageantry in this tradition-infused city.
We ended up at the Palace of Westminster - the Houses of Parliament. The Queen was there yesterday to open the new session. Our shortened time in London meant no attempt to get inside. Across the street is the stunning Westminster Abbey where we spent over two hours. Jeremy Irons led us around (via audio tape) and he did a brilliant job. Amazing to work your way around the truly incredible church with sky-scraper gothic ceilings and 3000 tombs. A combination of supreme beauty and reminders of the sinister realities of political and royal lives.
To continue the day of tradition, we made our way (via underground) to Buckingham Palace. The iconic black cabs were lining the streets leading up to the palace and soon we saw a many-block-long line up of ladies in best dresses, heels and great hats alongside men in suits. Turns out there is a garden party with citizens who had applied lined up to go in to have tea with the queen.
Back to the underground to go to Drury Lane to buy same-day tickets for Billy Elliot. We were muddled when we got out of the underground and Bill asked a pedi-cab driver for directions. He offered to take us to the theatre and we jumped in. Turns out it was the wrong theatre (my fault) so our enterprising driver ran into theatre, got the details we needed and took us on a winding and exciting ride through Soho, China Town and Piccadilly Circus on our way to another underground station to head to the theatre at Victoria Station. It was a wild ride and we knew we weren't taking the most direct route but decided that the trip was worth it!
We bought tickets then back on the underground to quickly visit the Natural History Museum for a short tour before a quick supper and the theatre. Billy Elliot was a fun production with a wonderful young dancer in the lead role. I loved it.