O To Be in England

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British Tour – Highlights - Blog I



Sixteen days ago, we landed in England with our long-time travelling companions for an adventure to first honour the medical achievements of our friend’s uncle, intermixed with social get-togethers with various family members all combined with a certain degree of tourism.

One of our first adventures was a trip down the Thames from Westminster Pier to Greenwich where finally after six attempts over the last 15 years we finally got the opportunity to visit and step aboard the Cutty Sark, one of the last remaining tea clippers. On previous visits the ship, which is in a dry dock in Greenwich, was closed for special events, restoration, including being shrink-wrapped following a fire. Now the ship is open for inspection from below her keel to the main deck and everything in between. The only areas definitely off limits were the masts and the associated rigging.

Following our visit to the Cutty Sark we stepped across the street to the former Royal Naval College buildings where we had a very informative tour of the site. The site served for most of its history as a hospital for injured and disabled naval personnel. Later the site was used for the training of officers for the Royal Navy. One of the most stunning visual spaces in the complex is the Painted Hall, unofficially known as “the UK’s Sistine Chapel”, due to its ornate ceiling and paintings.

On this visit to London we found that the crowds trying to get into attractions were formidable. On two occasions we tried to get into the Churchill War Rooms but encountered 1 to 2-hour lineups each time. Needless to say, we chose to view another attraction. The weather, which was frequently raining, also encouraged us to seek other indoor activities. In this case we ventured across the street and took in a tour of Westminster Abbey.

With all of London’s historical buildings, museums, art galleries there are an endless number of activities to please and enlighten the curious traveler. On this trip we returned to the Queen’s Gallery where we enjoyed a display of some of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches. We also took the opportunity to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, but with so much to view we only took in a small portion of the exhibits.

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