Down in that London

While I was in London, my sister and I had a wander round Eltham Palace. What a magnificent place. First it was a thirteenth-century Bishop's palace then a royal palace for a few hundred years (lots of historical events occurred there), then a farm and ruin, before the Courtaulds turned it into a nouveau-riche place by adding a stunning new mansion onto it in the 1920s-1940s, then moving out. It's an art deco masterpiece with all sorts of touches equivalent to what a footballer would do with a mansion now: fake log electric fires, Old Master paintings concealing loudspeakers and so on, all surrounded by glorious gardens.

Very excitingly, I finally got to see London's urban parakeets: flashy, green and loud. I'd always wanted to see them. I only had my sister's compact camera, so couldn't get any pictures of them, but they are such an exotic and enjoyable addition to the city's fauna.

A few photos here.