29 December 2016. Last day in Bangkok

The view continues to captivate

and I made a slow departure from my room. I walked down to the boat station at and went up to Wat Vorachanyawas, the home of a huge reclining buddha.

I took the boat up to just past the Royal Palace and walked through the side streets, past a fort and music school................

........... to the area containing other royal buildings as well as the parliament building.

I then set off to walk back to the Chao Phraya, which first took me past another royal residence complete with a well-tended moat......

and then on to more typical water courses.

I then made my way to the river and the Rosary church I had noticed from the river.

Back at the hotel, I took the final sunset view for the holiday

28 December 2016. The Royal Palace

I walked south down the road outside the hotel, taking some photos of the hotel

and picking up a wonderful 50 baht breakfast

I got the boat from its starting point, going past the Chatrium

 and went up to the Royal Palace.

 There, I was amazed to see the scale of the mourning visotors - this more than a month after the latre King's death

From the royal Palace I andered past the Elephant roundabout

#up Sam Sen Road, turning left onto Luk Luang Road whichhas a pretty plant selling area

The boat back took me past the Royal Palace again, where there was a huge assemblage of tugs.

In the evening I went to the Enjoy BBK restaurant that was not as good as its neighbour, I thought. On the way back, the hotel looked pretty

as did the nighttime views from my room.

27 December 2016. Walk up Charoen Krung Road

After taking a few photos from my new room,

I went for a walk down the road outside the hotel to see what was in the neighbourhood. This took me  past the interesting boat-shaped Wat Yanawa

and into some familiar roads near Hua Lamphong station, including the, perhaps self-appointed, junction monitor.

At the station the brand new train to Malaysia was preparing to depart.

From Hua Lmphong I went down Soi Wanit to the river.

 and caught the boat back to the hotel in time for a nice sunset photo.

 In the evening, I had a fantastic sea bass at Baan Glang Soi - maybe the meal of the holiday

26 December 2016. Back to Bangkok - Two rooms in a day

I got up and left quite early for my 10.10 flight. Lucky I did, as the flight left quarter of an hour early. My normal hotel was full, so I'm staying at another by the river.
It certainly has a great view.........

............as long as one focuses on that rather than the building works to the side!

After a somewhat inadequate meal, I went back to the hotel to gather my thoughts. At 11.00 the building works were still going on and looked set to last all night. I went to discuss it with reception and they instantly upgraded me to a suite on the other side of the hotel. A great result!