Well hello again from London! I'm afraid there's still no free internet so you'll have to settle for just my witty remarks for the time being. It's been hot and ridiculously muggy here in London for the past couple days. I was expecting it to be cooler, but of course we decide to come during a heat wave. Yesterday it hit 28 degrees. And I didn't pack shorts, since I was pretty sure I wasn't going to need them. I was wrong. Though I did make myself some makeshift capris yesterday by rolling up the legs of my jeans. Classy. It finally clouded over today, so it was much more tolerable, and I hope it stays like that for the rest of the trip. I want to experience rainy London. We've done so much in the last couple days that I think I need to split this into sections based on place. So here we go...
Buckingham Palace. Oooh, a castle! And a big one at that. We got there just in time to see the changing of the guards, which we didn't really see, since it all happens behind iron gates, and unless you get there at least an hour ahead of time and get a spot on the steps, it ain't happening. And being as it was 28 degrees, sitting in the sun for an hour in jeans didn't really appeal to either of us. We saw a little when the guards came in, but promptly gave up and left after they went behind the gates. It's an impressive sight, the palace, so we took a bunch of pictures, even managing to find the “Canada” gates. I was wearing my Canadiana garb at the time so that should be a gooder. After that we walked through Hyde Park, which is a welcome green space compared to the stone and iron of the rest of London.
Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. We stumbled upon these as we were looking for Westminster Abbey, and had apparently turned the wrong way. We didn't even know it was Trafalgar Square until we looked at the guidebook. There aren't any signs, and it's just a square with statues and fountains. We thought it would be bigger, really. We only really went into the National Gallery because it was free. It's just paintings, which are cool, but can be a little boring room after room.
Westminster Abbey. This was my favorite place so far. It's a huge chapel with tons and tons of memorials and tombs. And you aren't allowed pictures, which is a little irritating. But I bought postcards so at least I have something. There's this really amazing part of it called the Lady's chapel which was built by Henry VII, and it's so detailed and intricate you could just stare at the wood and stonework for hours. We got audio guides so we learned (and promptly forgot) all the history as we walked around. Narrated by Jeremy Irons, too, so it was pretty pleasant to listen to. Issac Newton's in there. I also pointed out to April how ironic it is that Charles Darwin is entombed there given the church's view on evolution. And the Abbey is a church, after all. It's a little irritating, really.
The London Eye. After we stopped at a pub for a pint and some fish and chips, we got on the London Eye for a good view of the city. It's this giant ferris wheel that hangs right over the Thames. I think they destroy it in the new Harry Potter movie. The view is really amazing, but I was almost more interested in how the thing worked and was was built. I looked for a book on it 'cause I thought Glen might like it, but couldn't find one.
The Tower of London. We went first thing in the morning and were glad we did. The guidebook says get there at 9 am and go straight to the crown jewels, and for good reason. The line gets HUGE. After that we took a free Beefeater tour, which was hilarious and far too informative. We've forgotten most of that already, too. There's an inner and outer wall in the whole structure and 10 towers in total, though they're not as “tower-esque” as you'd expect. They're, at most, 5 stories. But all built so long ago that the place just looks really old and cool. There are all kinds of chambers you can explore and learn more about the kings and people who stayed, died and were executed there. There's just too much information to put here, so you'll just have to go for yourself someday. We did learn something I thought was really cool, though. The Beefeaters (Yeomans, officially), actually live in the tower. They have their families, pets, everything right inside the walls. And there's a curfew. They lock the gates after 10 pm. It's really strange to think about. How would you tell people where you live? Where do you address the post? White Tower, Tower of London, England?
British Museum. April wanted to go here and I wasn't going to argue since admission is free. It's a really big museum, and she was keen to see the Egyptian section. They have a lot, and it's all very impressive, but I couldn't stop thinking how much better it would all be if it had been left where it was found. The tablets, statues, and everything else would be so much more interesting in situ than sitting in a museum in Britain. We also saw the Rosetta Stone, which was basically the stone piece that has allowed us to figure out what Egyptian Hieroglyphics mean. It's a pretty impressive rock, and the detailing on the letters is amazing. We pretty much wizzed through the rest of the museum because after about an hour, it gets a little tiring reading all the plaques and looking at old pieces of clothing and artifacts. But we went and we saw, so there it is.
That's been the past 2 days. Tomorrow morning it's off to Ireland for more fun and excitement. So until I manage another internet connection!
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