August 17th - London

Caches Found = 3

Venturing out of Worcesterhire and making sure that I make the most of the light evenings.  I am staying in the Strand Palace hotel.  This is a big old hotel that I havent been in for years.  The last time involved an incident with an ashtray, that i dont really want to discuss.

Popped out for a quick circular walk through the Victoria Embankment Gardens - looking for http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=388c51bb-bc8d-464f-a71d-29c332a39fd5.  The place is muggle central and I particulary like the drinkers at the wine bar who stand directly outside the office block - that must be a great place to work!  The cache was an easy find and how furtive cachers havent been noticed by the coffee seller, I will never know.

Then move onto a micro at cleopatras needle - http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=e7f66789-d86d-4853-847b-dd58426bc291.  This place is one of my earliest memories of London for some reason.  My dad must have pointed it out on a boat trip or something.  It was also the first of "the carry on" series that are scattered all over london that I have managed to find.  A great place - look left and you can see St Pauls over Waterloo Bridge, look right and you have the gothic houses of parliament.  Directly opposite, the London Eye.  Pay attention to the Sphinx's - one of them has bomb damage from the first air raid on London - in WW1!

Stopped for a pint on the boat in the picture - felt sea sick.

There is an off-set cache in Victoria embankements http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=4021c1be-6e7f-4dcc-93d6-e5e39b651a59 .  This involves looking for a clue on a statue and deciphering the location with a bit of path.  I had high hopes for finding this one when it plotted me further down the embankment.  However, despite some serious furtive action at an object that matched the clue, I only found cobwebs.  Recorded my only dnf.

Pop around by Big Ben - stopping for another pint at St Stephens Tavern - a favorite for the location and then headed up to trafalgar square for http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=388c51bb-bc8d-464f-a71d-29c332a39fd5 - part of the Flonopoly series that I have been finding over the months.  A good find through the power of touch.

I think that caches are like Rats in london and you are never more than a few feet from one.

Now for something to eat.