Moody weather of London

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Heathrow Airport’s immigration and custom was a breeze. The tube (London subway), priced accordingly to districts covered, is an extensive and excellent subway system. District one and two ticket is perfect to cover our trip in-and-about London, and it costs £21 for one full week. We met several interesting people at our first tube ride, including two Americans from Boston and Tennessee who advise us not to skip Edinburgh, and a burly Norwegian lady who scared us at first because she looked like about to swallow us alive when she asked whether we’re from the States (later on, she advised us to take off our American Airlines tags that were still hanging off from our backpacks, that identify us as Americans). The USA has no popularity in the world lately due to the recently started Iraqi war.

After checking at a local hotel around Kensington Garden, we decided to stroll around the Kensington Palace through Lancaster Walk. I noticed right away that London has many Sycamore (Platinus occidentalis spp.) and Common Horsechesnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) especially by the Broad Walk, although the sycamore bark is not as white as Iowan sycamore. An afternoon London stroll is definitely a British pastime, as it feels really peaceful amongst many locals who walking their dogs, jogging, picnicking, bird-watching water forls (I spot a trumpeter swan as well), and model yachting at the Round Pond.

It is the Hardy boys’ first abroad trip, and they decide to abhor jet-lags. They were so grumpy at day one when we were exploring the Italian Pond in the Hyde Park, and they decided to walk back to the hotel to take a power nap. Meanwhile, I decided to continue on with my own tour, which I’m glad to do, seeing the Tower Bridge in action by raising its road sections to allow a ship passing underneath, and experiencing the platform 9¾ at King’s Cross ala Harry Potter to enter the Hogward Express platform.

Buckingham Palace guards changing ceremony is a thing not to miss in London. This is the hundred year tradition where the world famous British soldiers, dressed up in bright read uniform and high black cover, marching to Buckingham Palace to replace the previous shift guarding the Queen. We secured our spots at the Victoria monument across from the Palace to see the ceremony as close as possible by 11am.

As one of the centers of ‘new world’ exploration and colonization, old London definitely saw many treasures and money spent on its citizens and on the Royal Family alike. Tower of London is the place to go to explore the majestic collection of the Royal Family jewels, including Crown Jewels with LOTS of diamonds and gold. After a while exploring the glamorous Royal Armories and National Treasure room, gold becomes a very overrated material here - I’ve never seen any larger concentration of gold in one place anywhere else. Tower of London has many bloody histories, including all the royal family and high profile prisoners that entombed or inprisoned in one of many towers in the complex. Each tower has its own characteristics and histories: the Martin Tower, Bloody Tower, Wake Field Tower, and Beauchamp Tower. TheYeoman, or beef eater are the guardians of Tower of London for hundreds of years, and I feel privilege to join their tour program. The most intensive surprise was when we were inside one of the chapel listening to the general history of Tower of London, our Yeoman tour guide stated that many beheaded victims’ heads were thrown away to the Thames, but the chapel contains the rest of the remains buried underneath the chapel’s floor, right below our feet. Oh, OK then. The complex also houses a medieval torture chamber museum, which demonstrates on how to torture human as an execution back then.

Lisa, my neighbor back in Bandung and one of my highschool buddies, showed me around the ‘Chinatown’ around the Convent Garden. She looks different from what I remember her back in highschool a couple years back - she is more mature and successful career woman who works in London. We had a fancy dinner, catching up with each other’s lives, among Convent Garden’s small food stalls, and ended up in a pub for the rest of the night.

Remember the stereotype of British people who always talk about weather? No wonder that they always mention the subject, as by now, I’m accustomed to the moody London weather. It’s crazy in here, it rains for five minutes, then sun is out for a while, then wind comes bringing out all the clouds to have more rain for about an hour, then the sun comes out and dries the rain residue off the street to create a humid, muggy situation before starts to drizzle. That explains why British people love to travel and colonize more land outside Europe, to find a better land and stay away from crazy London weather. Drinking their tea and carrying umbrella, just like Mary Poppins.

The London Eye, a big Ferris wheel that was built for the millennium benchmark, is located by the Thames across Big Ben and the Parliament building complex. Nearby the Eye is a Dali exhibition, consists some outdoor sculptures of his masterpiece drawings and sketches. While waiting on the Hardy boys done with the London Eye, I had some quality time to sketch Big Ben from across the Thames. Surprisingly, the weather is enjoyable at that time after a short period of drenching rain.

Trafalgar Square is a favorite meeting spot for Londoners, and many pigeons even call the square ‘home’. The four humongous lion statues guarding the main monument are amazing, and I call them as my favorite public statues so far. Nearby the monument is the original St. Martins-in-the-Field church, which its design of Doric columns with triangular top becomes very popular as prototype American churches until this day. Unfortunately inside of the church is not as significant as the outside architecture.

There are many things in London that make you think that the British government has more money that they ever said. The major thing is that there is no tax in any items and food we purchase in London, what you see is what you pay. So their income source is can not be from sales tax. Contrary to the lack of source I can’t figure out, the government seems to willingly put out some fund for many renovation projects to manicure London.

Let’s see how Scotland is different than England, as we are heading up north to Edinburgh for our Scotland experience.

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Photos

Kensington Palace
A hidden garden at Kensington Palace.

Tower Bridge in action
I didn't know that Tower Bridge could do that!

Platform 9 3/4
LET ME IN!!!

Very London
Changing Guard ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace.

London Eye
Moody weather of London.

Lion's den
Riding a lion at the Trafalgar Square.

Phone booth
Hello?