London Part V: Day 8

Day 8

Monday, June 24

After class in the morning we departed for the Tower of London.  This stronghold has been in place since William the Conquerer came to Britain.  The Tower of London is actually a number of different towers, not just one.  The Tower has been standing since 1078, as our tour guide put it: long before America even existed.  It has served as the home of many royals over the years, but more famously is the home of the Crown Jewels and the site for a number of famous executions.

The Front Gate to the Tower

The tour guides here are called Beefeaters.  No one knows why they're called that, but they've had the nickname for as long as anyone can remember.  All tour guides are also standing members of the Royal British Army and their job is actually to guard the Tower.  While the tower has not seen military action for many years and now serves mainly as a tourist attraction, the men still serve under Her Majesty's army.  And yes, they all wear those outfits.

Our tour guide was very humorous, one of my favorite parts of the day.

The Tower at one point also served as a zoo, so there are a bunch of random mesh animals around the grounds.  King Henry III had a casual polar bear that he kept as a pet...you know usual stuff.

The Beefeater told us about the many executions that have taken place inside the Tower of London, including the execution of Anne Boleyn.  This is where she was held preceding her execution.

After a short tour with our favorite beefeater, we stood in line to see the Crown Jewels.  Holy Moly these are some of the biggest diamonds I've ever seen and also the most Gold I've ever seen in one place.  Of course it's under strict security, so no pictures.

Where the Crown Jewels are held

Her Majesty's Crown

Now that's what I call a punch bowl....

After observing the bling, we went inside the White Tower.  This original tower was built to imprison people like Richard II.  It is now more of a museum type building showcasing English Battlewear and such.

The White Tower

Real suits of armour

The spooky halls of the White Tower

Then we skipped over to the Torture exhibit.  The basement of the White Tower is famous as a torture chamber used throughout the centuries by royals.

They literally crushed their victims, like walnuts.

This device stretched the victim out and waited for their joints to break.

After we experienced the pure torture of the White Tower, we climbed up onto the wall to a breathtaking view of Tower Bridge and the Thames River.

My traveling companions

Inside the tower from the wall

View of the Tower in its entirety from the outside.

We took the tube back to our hotel for dinner afterwards.  We walked down to Covent Garden and proceeded to have some great Indian food.  Funnily enough, we were seated next to some fellow Bruins.

Ceilings at Marsala Zone

On our way back, we made a spontaneous trip to King's Cross Station of Harry Potter fame.  We took the Tube over and then walked up to the actual train station.

Feeding my obsession with ceilings

Off to Hogwarts

This would be my last Tube ride in London.  It really is an amazing system that makes me see what a difference a great public transportation system can make in a big city like London.  We found a Lego version of the tube map at King's Cross.

Then we went back and got some rest to wake up for a final day in London.

London Part IV: Day 7

Day 7
Sunday, June 23

Started off the day early by going to Sunday Morning Mass in Westminster Abbey!  Since 1066 with William the Conquerer, all royal coronations have taken place here.  It is also where Prince William and Kate Middleton got married.

Unfortunately, there was no royal wedding going on when I was there, but I got to enjoy a short, but sweet service.  Since it is still a chapel, you are not allowed to take pictures inside.  Definitely a great experience though!  I was looking forward to hearing the choir sing, but unfortunately they didn't perform at our service.  

Here's a little music to set the mood:

Right after Mass, we hopped on a train and went to Hampton Court!

Hampton Court Palace has served as the home for many royals, including William and Mary of university fame and also King Henry VIII of beheading and divorcing fame.

ehrmagehrd there's a palace behind me

The decadent palace was renovated by William of Orange when he moved there, after assuming the throne by marrying Mary (haha).  Hampton Court is where I fell in love with the ceilings of Europe.  For the rest of the trip, I am taking picture of ceilings.

 Their casual gigantic mural of an entranceway

We toured the various rooms and chambers in Hampton Court.  They are truly built for a king.

 More ceilings....

 Love the ceilings

After I just looked at ceilings for a while, we got to go to the new special exhibit Secrets of the Royal Bedchamber.  Unfortunately no photos are allowed.  It basically showcased the various beds of the royals.  These people had the right priorities (sleep).

Beds looked something like this:

After the exhibit, we visited the gardens which were exquisite.  They are enormous and beautiful.

After the gardens we explored the Maze.  It wasn't too challenging...we found the centre rather easily.  

Then we hopped back on a train to London!  Spent the rest of the night eating dinner and then getting some rest for class the next morning!

London Part III: Days 5-6

Day 5
Friday, June 21

After class, our professors and advisors organized a trip to Greenwich!  Not Greenwich Village in New York, but the Greenwich where Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) comes from.  So after class, we just took the tube over to Westminster and got on a river boat!  We got a nice ride down the Thames and got to see the beautiful riverside!

Tower Bridge, from the boat

Then we finally got to Greenwich!

 

University of Greenwich

Greenwich houses the Royal Observatory, located on top of a hill behind the University.  It has a beautiful view of London and is a grassy beautiful area.  Also, allergy city.

Then we went inside the museum!  In the courtyard is the physical Prime Meridian line!  

The Prime Meridian separates the Eastern and Western Hemispheres and is also where GMT originates!

It also separates two time zones, so who knows what time it is there?

The Royal Observatory also houses the famous Harrison Clocks. John Harrison was the first man to create a clock that would run on time at sea.  This was a problem before Harrison came along, and the King offered a £20,000 (£2.87 million today) prize to anyone who could create a maritime clock.  After a series of larger clocks, Harrison finally came to create the 4th Harrison Clock.

After exploring the Observatory, we made our way down to the National Maritime Museum.  However, we only got there right before it closed, so didn't get to spend a lot of time in there.  They had a giant ship in a bottle in the front though!

After going back to London that night, we went out clubbing.  We went to Ministry of Sound

This is basically what we were listening to:

After a night of dancing, we headed back to our hotel with the assistance of a helpful bus driver.  One of the more interesting people we met in London.  Got to ride the famous double decker bus!

Day 6

Saturday, June 22

Got a late start, due to staying out late the night before.  We went out to Borough Market, which is a food market located underneath London Bridge.  It's a foodie dreamland and we spent the afternoon taking in all of the sights and smells.  Here are some highlights:

My lunch: Lamb sausage

Earl Grey Iced Tea!  It was so refreshing!!

Paella...drrooooollll

Desserts Galore!

After Borough Market, we stopped in at Harrod's to see the famous department store.  They literally have everything you would ever need.  The store is enormous, the size of a mall, but all one store.  Just imagine every mall you've ever been to, combined, and fancy and british!

They just have causal Sphinxes decorating their escalators, you know the usual.

Then headed back to the hotel and went to bed early.