London, episode 8. In which we are caught off guard.

A whole lotta nothin' happened the first time we went to Buckingham Palace.

You heard me. I mean it was there and we found it easily enough and there were lots of tourists milling about waiting for the changing of the guard, but nothing happened. As Mari and I walked up to the gates to claim a good place for viewing the ceremony, we noticed lots of people walking away.

That's when I remembered that my little gem of a guidebook had noted that the ceremony took place daily at 11:00 AM, but only during the summer months. It was "sorta" every other day the remainder of the year. Well, it was Spring Break, not summer, and we were at Buckingham Palace on the other day instead of the every other day.

Not your fault, Lonely Planet, but there really is no way of knowing if it is every other day or the other day until you arrive at the palace gates.

Needless to say, we went shopping at Harrods instead.

Without the enormous crowds we would face the next day (which was the every other day during which the changing of the guard ceremony actually took place), Mari and I pretty much had the place to ourselves (if you want to ignore the few hundred other out-of-towners who didn't have the benefit of a dog-eared and colorfully-flagged guidebook to tell them they were here on the other day).

We made the most of our time without the next day's crowds and snapped lots of photos and video.

We snapped these last three photos the next day (the every other one) during the ceremony. The whole experience ranks up there with one of the most touristy (and definitely most densely crowded) locations and events we have ever viewed and attended, but you need to do it. The ceremony is pomp at its bona fide British best and is, of course, an important symbol of England's rich and lengthy history.

changing-guard.com

Visit this relatively new site for plenty of helpful visitor information (including a ceremony calendar!) as well as detailed information about related royal locales with their own can't miss events.

Getting back to Harrods...

Although not our typical travel fleamarketing location by any means, it's always a learning experience to shop at a department store in a country outside the United States.

In addition to what ravenously rabid shoppers might expect from a million-square-foot luxury department store, you will find spectacularly shiny escalators, preciou$ London and Harrods souvenirs, and incredible edibles in the fabulously foodie food hall.

I still extremely enjoy my two original Harrods purchases.

At top is a book-themed modern mantel clock that serves as a primary daily reminder of how quickly time has passed since that first London trip.

The sharp Stilton once luxuriously housed in the porcelain jar below has long since been savored, but the now companionless crock holds lasting epicurean memories (and the occasional secret stash).

Search Harrods' online shopper's paradise for useful visitor information and for a sampling of your own future treasures.

harrods.com

Our search for the best fish and chips begins next time as our first London visit comes to a savorily satisfying conclusion complete with festive fanfare (it was St. Patrick's Day after all) and an unexpectedly delayed (by more than a day) departure.