Day 1 - December 5, 2006: Covent Garden and Embankment

	Our hotel, the Millenium & Copthorne at Chelsea Football Club is right in front of the Chelsea football club at Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road.
	A sign near the stadium.
The main hotel reception building, the Copthorne.

	Chelsea was playing PFC Levski Sofia tonight.
We stopped by to say hi to See Ming's London colleagues at their office at the Adelphi on John Adams Street, which is on the north side of the Thames. This is the view out of the cafeteria window, onto the river and the London Eye.

	After that, we walked around Covent Garden for some shopping.
See Ming trying on some winter clothing at the Ellis Brigham store. The back of the store has an ice-climbing wall. I asked if sport climbing was done outdoors anywhere near London and was told to try Milton Keynes or Wales or along the coast.
	Snowboards at Ellis Brigham.
The Taschen book store just opened on Neal Street. This shop is temporary. The new one opening next year will be designed by Phillipe Starck. We could have stayed in there for days!
	Some carollers at Covent Garden Market.
A few more pictures taken around Covent Garden.



When you go to London, everyone will tell you that you have to watch a musical, so we tried to get tickets to the only one we know the songs to - Dirty Dancing. This grumpy old man behind the counter asked us when we wanted to watch it and we said Friday night. He said okay, but in April because that's when its next available on a Friday night.
	In front of a toy store.
The Palace Theatre was playing Monty Python's Spamalot with Tim Rice as King Arthur, based on the Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
	Chinatown.
See Ming went back to the Adelphi for a meeting at 3:30pm, so I just walked along around the Embankment area.
	On the Hungerford upstream bridge, one of the two Hungerford footbridges, part of the Golden Jubilee Bridges, next to the other Hungerford bridge which is sometimes known as the Charing Cross Bridge.
On the south bank.
	View of the bridge from the south.
The London Eye.
	On the south bank between the two bridges is the County Hall and the Dali Universe.
Another copy of a Dali Sculpture near the river, promoting the exhibition.
	The House of Parliament and Big Ben.
More Big Ben.
	By the time I got back on the north side, it was getting dark.
The Battle of Britain memorial
	The Hungerford bridges again.
Back with See Ming, we had dinner at Le Café du Jardin nearby.
	We took a taxi back to the hotel, but it was slow-going because of the football match. Some bobbies were guarding the area around the stadium. Chelsea won 2-0.