Day 5 - More of London by Foot

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Another perfect day in London. We couldn't have asked for any better weather than what we've been having...and everyone has been saying the exact same thing. I don't know if it has been as bad here as it was for us this winter, but this is perfect for exploring. Kristi decided to put Westminster Abbey first on today's list. We saw the outside the first day here, but she really wanted go inside. On the way, we realized that we've been staying next to St. Thomas' Hospital. Hmmmm...I wonder if they need any financial analysts (sorry, Rick!). Just a short stroll over the bridge and we were at the Abbey. The line didn't look very long, so why not. Well, that was just the fake line apparently because it went all the way to the left and out onto the street. We walked to the end of the line and it actually started moving pretty quickly. It might have been about a 15 minute wait, which I didn't mind at all. Once we grabbed our tickets, we were in. My earbuds didn't fit into these audio players so we had to hold them to our ears like phones. There are no pictures allowed in the Abbey, so I think I was able to pay more attention to the information. More of the high ceilings that I've been talking about are here, as well. These aren't adorned with gold, but rather carved insanely intricately. In fact, they were considered a wonder of the world as soon as they were finished. Construction of the church that we see today was started in 1245 but it was originally founded in 1080. It's home to the remains of history's greats. The first hall houses Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The others range from Chaucer in 1400 to Kipling in 1936, the laying of one's remains here is really one of the highest honors in the UK. Several areas were damaged by bombings of the second World War, but have long been repaired. In one of the small chapels, a hole from a bomb is left in the wall for a reminder of what the church has endured. The high altar has a one-of-a-kind marble floor inlaid with semi-precious stones. This work was completed by an Italian family of specialists brought to London for this one purpose. We Italians know what we're doing, don't we? It was here that Will and Kate said their vows just a few years ago. Also, coronations take place here, as evidenced by the coronation chair displayed in its own room. You'd think it would be big and fancy, but it's actually not much bigger than a recliner and made of oak.



Next on the list is Saint Paul's Cathedral. Saint Paul's Cathedral is quite a distance from the Abbey. However, we have been saying we need to do more cardio and ended up hoofing it. We walked along the river most of the way on a road called the Embankment. We ran into a Red Cross fundraising walk. Weird observation: we have 5k's while we don't use the metric system while they have 4m's while they don't use the English system. Why does everyone insist on making life so confusing? Anyway, a quick snack in a park and we were on our way again. Another great building in London, the cathedral is situated right in the middle of a busy street with modern buildings all around. I didn't know what to expect, but I was satisfied with just seeing the outside. Kristi had some other plans, as I'd find out soon enough. The entryway is two gigantic wooden doors set at the top of a staircase that runs the width of the building. The foyer isn't really much to look at, but we bought our tickets and headed further in. The audio guide here was on a touchscreen iPod which was pretty cool. You are immediately drawn in by the massive size of the space. To the top of the dome in the center of the cathedral, it's 365 feet (the same number of days in a year, which was on purpose). It seems huge inside, but it was thought that it wouldn't be flashy enough from the outside, so the designers added some buffer, "fake" layers to the outside so that it was more easily seen from the surrounding areas. The ceilings here are intricate, sure, but in a different manner than the Abbey. Many parts of it here are decorated with over 6,000,000 tiles of mosaic glass to create beautiful scenes that have occurred through history. There is no stained glass here, like in Westminster, but the pure sunlight makes the ceiling sparkle. There was a short service while we were there so we just sat quietly and observed. It's so mind boggling to me that a cathedral has been here since the mid 500's, this one being the 5th. It is where Charles and Di were married and that Wellington dude is entombed here, as well. There have been some other big 'events' here such as the Qur'an being read here by the King of Jordan's son. It has always been a site for Christians, but they also understand the need for any type of worship, which is nice. This theme carried into the events that unfolded on 9/11 when thousands of people (many Americans that were in the UK at the time) came to St. Paul's for comfort. It has always been the 'nation's church' and that day was no exception. Due to this fact, it was targeted by German bombers in the second World War to lower morale. It was hit a handful of times, but each time, the volunteer fire brigade managed to save the church (albeit, with sections very damaged).



So remember when I said Kristi had other plans in mind and that the top of the dome was 365 feet off the ground? Well she made me go up to the walkway around the dome. So 259 steps later, we arrived. It was terrifying. In my head I could hear Terry yelling for Kristi to get back from the railing when she felt the need to peer down. So many people have walked this route that you can actually feel the path worn in the stone under your feet. What kind of sick individual likes this stuff? Well it would probably be the same one that thought we should go even higher to the peak of the cathedral...on the outside. That's right, the outside. Another 271 steps up insanely narrow corridors and spiral staircases and we were there. I admit, it was a great view. You could see the Gherkin, Shard, Eye, and Millennium Bridge, just to name a few. Of course, there had to be a bunch of photo-snapping tourists in my way to get the hell down, but I tried to be patient. The stairs weren't exerting like the ones up, but they required more concentration, as they were small. On the way out, we ran into a wedding in the crypt area where women were wearing those big hats (fascinators) like we see on tv.



Next stop: Tower of London. Yes, we were there the other night in the dark when I wanted to photograph the Tower Bridge, but we didn't get to see the Crown Jewels! On the way, I noticed more American sports cars, including a Dodge Viper and a Corvette. I'm glad to see that somebody here appreciates American engineering and craftsmanship! By the time we got there we were pooped so we took a seat on one of the benches. As it was a Saturday, tons of families were out and about enjoying the city. We even met a young couple, like us, here from Philly! This fortress was built in the eleventh century by William the Conquerer (probably because he ticked a lot of people off). His grounds were used for security, armory, torture, and even a zoo! The first stop inside the Tower was the Crown Jewels' building. There are priceless artifacts that are under very strong security (we're talking solid steel doors over a foot thick) including ceremonial crowns, sceptres, rings, and even little Prince George's baptismal bowl. The world's largest flawless diamond is mounted on a sceptre and weighs in at 530 carats. The next largest is a mere 317 carats *rolls eyes*. These may be large but perhaps less flashy to the common eye than the other crowns containing thousands of rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones, not to mention gold and platinum settings. You are not allowed to stop when you walk by many of the crowns. You have to ride a moving belt like in an airport and no photos are allowed.



The Tower of London also has a morbid side. The White Tower now houses a huge collection of military history, including coats of armor belonging to Henry VIII and many others. The weapons displays ranged from swords to muskets to modern day submachine guns. The Bloody Tower shows what types of devices were used on those who were sent here to be tortured and executed. In fact, Anne Boleyn was beheaded here. There was more to be seen here, but we simply didn't have enough time. Onward!



After that, we decided to go up into the Tower Bridge and take a tour. Another good vantage point for the city, the bridge has a really informative and interesting tour. You can walk from tower to tower while reading displays about the views, as well as the building and operation of the bridge. We also toured the engine rooms. It is a working drawbridge, still today. One of the few sites in London, the bridge got by unscathed in WWII, as it was needed as a landmark for enemy bombers.



Walking back to the hotel (which we've started referring to as home) was a bit labored. We took the Queen's Walkway along the river, which was very lively. There were street performers, restaurants, and even a food market called the Borough Market. The smells made me drool, but we already had plans for dinner, so we pressed on. Well, okay, I fibbed. We got another ice cream cone, then pressed on. We had a quick photo op at the famous Millennium Bridge, which was right on the route.



We had a great dinner right across from our hotel at an Italian place called Locale. The Premier Inn Waterloo is in a great location for all of the attractions, and has good access to transportation and dining. One thing we noticed early on, but I never talked about is the fact that it's light here so much longer than at home. We're assuming that this is due to how far north we are. On the same theme about differences from home, there is no such thing as trash here. It's called litter. Also, garbage cans don't exist, because they call them bins. Another difference is that at many crosswalks, written on the ground is "look right" or "look left" with an arrow pointing in that direction. This is very helpful for those of us that come from countries where we drive on the right.



This is our last night in London, so I had to get a couple more night shots in. We hit Buckingham and Admiralty Arch before turning in for the night. It'll be sad to leave our home-base in the morning, but we're picking up the car and heading to the Cotswolds.

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Photos

Westminster Abbey
You can see how big the doors are in relationship to the people. Since no photography is allowed inside, this is as close as you'll get from me.

Westminster Abbey
This is a courtyard in the abbey.

Side Street
A small side street on the way to St. Paul's. I'm hoping the roads tomorrow heading to the Cotswolds are bigger than this.

Saint Paul's Cathedral
This is set within a modern surround, which emphasizes its uniqueness. People gather on the steps and by the fountain even if not going inside. The liveliness of the city is one of the things that I'll miss most.

Saint Paul's Climb
I thought we were just going to this level...heaven forbid we stop there!

Spiral Stairs
The last third of the climb, maybe, is climnbing up these stairs. They sometimes creak, which freaked me out a bit, at first.

View of St. Paul's
This is from the next block over. If you can zoom in, you'll see little tiny people up there close to the top, which is where we climbed.

Old vs. New
One of the oldest sites in London with some of the newest. The shard (on the right) is the largest building in Europe.

Crown Jewels
This tower houses the incredible collection of the Crown Jewels. DeBeers is the curator of the collection, which is highly secured. Most pieces are only brought out during very important celebrations, like a coronation.

Tower Bridge
This view is from down toward the Hilton, London Tower. Not as pretty as at night, I don't think, but still quite amazing.

The Globe Theatre
This is a replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. It's set in a really busy area of the Queen's Walkway amidst pubs and shops.

Millennium Bridge
Us up on the Millennium Bridge with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background.

The Borough Market
This place was a mob scene. It smelled incredible but was jammed with people. We didn't stop to buy anything, but we did take in the sights, sounds, and smells.

London Bridge
Despite the rumors, I can assure you that London Bridge is, in fact, not falling down. I repeat, not falling down.

Big Ben and the London Eye
This is taken from the bridge in front of the Waterloo Station. Good idea from Kristi.

Buckingham Palace at Night
It's crooked because it's hard to edit on an iPad. I liked how there were very few people compared to earlier in the day. The rotary (roundabout) is somewhat closed so you have less traffic.

Admiralty Arch at Night
We've come across this arch a couple times now so we knew that it would be pretty at night.