Greenwich

On Tuesday, Mom took a day trip to Paris.  She booked a group tour before we left that traveled on the Eurostar high-speed train through the English Channel straight to Paris.  We dropped her off at the St. Pancras rail station at 5:30am (yikes!).  Since we had the day to ourselves, Mona and I decided we'd take a day trip to Greenwich.

On either side of the Prime Meridian

Greenwich is home to the Royal Observatory and marks the Prime Meridian separating the Eastern and Western hemispheres and the basis for which all time zones are calculated.  The term Greenwich Mean Time refers to the time in Greenwich and is a single reference point by which everyone can calculate the correct time.  It's an absolute time that doesn't change with the seasons like when we change the clocks for daylight savings time.  The observatory sits on a hill overlooking the town and we hiked up the hill so we could each stand in a different hemisphere at the same time.

Giant Ship in a Bottle at the National Maritime Museum

Greenwich is a historic seaport on the River Thames just south of London, and is home to the tall masted ship Cutty Sark as well as the Old Royal Naval College.  No longer a Naval College, it's now the site of the University of Greenwich.  It's also the home of the National Maritime Museum.  We visited all of these as well as walked through the town and strolled along the river.  Greenwich is an easy day trip as it's

Cutty Sark

connected to the Tube system via the Docklands Light Rail (DLR).  Our week's travel card included riding the DLR so it made for a fun day without adding any extra expense.

Choir Memories

When I was a student at the College of William and Mary, I sang as a member of the Choir.  Frank Lendrim - "Doc" as we all called him - helped instill in me a great love of music that I carry with me today.  Every three years, he and his wife Betty Jean put together a tour of Europe where the choir would sing in some of the greatest venues including Westminster Abbey, the Madeleine in Paris, and Chartres Cathedral to name a few.  It so happened that the year of the European Tour when I was a student was my senior year.

St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church

The day after graduation, we left for a six week tour visiting France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and England.  While in London, we performed at Westminster Abbey, St. Martin-in-the Fields Church in Trafalgar Square, and the Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.  That was 21 years ago.  During our time here this week, we have attended an organ recital at Westminster Abbey and listened to a noontime concert at St. Martin-in-the Fields by a boys choir from Bromley.  We also had lunch in the cafe of the church -- another memory from choir tour.   Mona and I visited the Chapel at the Old Royal Naval College on Tuesday.

Chapel at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich

Some of my best and closest friends to this day are those fellow singers from the William and Mary Choir.  Returning to these places brought back a flood of memories of our time together on tour and how much fun we had performing and seeing so many different places.  That trip also had one other profound effect on me -- my love of travel.  I don't think I would have had nearly the level of interest to travel like I've had since then if it weren't for that European Choir Tour.  Thanks Doc. 

Changing of the Guard

Gathering in front of Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the royal family and it also serves as the

administrative headquarters of the Monarch.  Every day during most of the year, there is the Changing of the Guard ceremony where one regiment comes and replaces another as those who stand watch at the palace.  During the winter, this becomes an every other day event -- odd numbered days in December -- so we had to make sure we planned for the correct day.  We went on Monday and the weather was cold, but nice and sunny.

Right along the fence

Several thousand people crowd the front of the palace, the Queen Victoria memorial in front of the palace, and along both roads that pass by.  Other than the processional down the street and through the gates, most of the ceremony takes place inside the gates and is difficult to see unless you're right along the fence line.  We arrived at 10am for the 11:30am ceremony and were barely able to get Mom up front at the fence line.  She would have never seen anything otherwise.

Regimental Band

The regimental band plays a while and you see the soldiers parade through as one regiment relieves the other.  Since it's winter, the regiment was wearing their winter gray coats instead of the red coats we are accustomed to seeing.  It's definitely worth seeing at least one time when in London, but if you can't get up close and personal along the fence line, I'm not sure I'd bother with it.

Decked out for the Holidays

Oxford Street

One of the great things about visiting London during the holiday season is seeing the City decked out in lights and festive decorations.  One of the best places to see this is the Oxford Street/Regent Street shopping area.  We were able to maneuver through the throngs of shoppers and revelers out on a Monday night to snap a few pictures.

Carnaby Street

Regent Street

Carnaby Side Street

Tower Bridge & Thames River Cruise

Tower Bridge seen from our Thames River Cruise

The Tower Bridge spans the River Thames adjacent to the Tower of London and is the city's most famous and iconic bridge.  The drawbridge raises and lowers for ships and other large boats to pass while the walkways across the top allow for great views up and down the river.  As with the majority of London bridges, you can walk as well as drive across (the Millennium Bridge is pedestrian-only).  Many people picture this bridge when they hear the name London Bridge and the song London Bridge is Falling Down.  However, London Bridge is a much plainer bridge.  The old London Bridge was dismantled and sold to American Robert McCulloch who had it shipped to the United States and

London Eye

reconstructed in Lake Havasu, Arizona where it stands today.  Legend has it he thought he was purchasing the Tower Bridge, but he supposedly denied that to be the case.

We took a Thames River Cruise in order to see the city from a different vantage point.  From the river, we got excellent views of the Tower Bridge.  Mona and I walked across Tower Bridge, exploring the areas on both sides so we only sailed from Tower Pier to Westminster Pier next to Parliament.  Mom did the full cruise experience and sailed up to Greenwich from Tower Pier and then all the way back to Westminster.  During our cruise we got great views of the London Eye, the Customs House, the Tate Modern, and many other buildings too numerous to mention.

Selfie outside Westminster Abbey after
the organ recital.

We capped off our Sunday evening with a visit to Westminster Abbey for a free organ recital.  Although we were not able to tour at that time, it was nice to be inside and listen to such a grand organ in a glorious space.  This year's current organ scholar Jeremy Woodside played for 30 minutes. His first piece was actually an arrangement of Sleigh Ride -- certainly not what I was expecting to hear - and the other two were 20th century classical pieces I was not familiar with but were enjoyable.  The finale was just what you wanted to hear -- loud and sustained so you could experience the fullness of the space and reverberation of the sound once the piece concluded.  A nice way to cap our Sunday night in London.

Tower of London

Tower of London along the River Thames
as seen from the Tower Bridge

The Tower of London is probably best known today as the location where the Crown Jewels are kept.   However, throughout history it has been used as a royal residence, a prison, a place of execution, and even the royal mint.  The Tower is actually a castle and is considered to be one of the Historic Royal Palaces just like Hampton Court or Kensington.  Built by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of London in 1066, it is a complex of several buildings surrounded by a double perimeter wall and a double moat, although one moat is dry today.  You can read a much better description about its history here.

Given the crowds we've been experiencing, we decided to visit the Tower of London right when they opened on Sunday morning at 10:00am.  I booked the tickets online the night before so we wouldn't have to stand in the ticket queue, and that turned out to be the right call.  We arrived a few minutes before 10 and after picking up the tickets at the Group Ticket window and bypassing the long lines waiting to purchase tickets, we were able to get in the queue waiting to enter the castle.  Bryan - 1, Crowd - 0.  

Where the Crown Jewels are stored

Mom's top priority for visiting the Tower of London was to see the Crown Jewels.  I suggested we do that first before the crowds built up.  Outside the building where the jewels are stored is a Disney World-style maze of stanchions and pipe that lead you in a zig zag pattern that makes you feel like the line is never going to end.  There was not a soul in that area and we walked right into the building.  Bryan - 2, Crowd - 0.

As we walked through the area where the crown jewels are kept, we learned about their history and use.  We saw coronation crowns, scepters, maces, plates, and the largest punch bowl I have ever seen -- over a meter wide and deep enough to hold 144 bottles of wine.  I'm not sure they still actually use the punch bowl because it looks like it weighs a ton and must be a pain to keep polished.  Unfortunately, they don't allow you to take pictures so I don't have any to share here.

Mom with a couple of Yeoman Warders,
more commonly referred to as Beefeaters

Once we finished seeing the crown jewels and exited the building, the Disney World-style line maze was completely full of people.  By the time we were finished with our visit, the line left that area and went down to the other end of the complex and doubled back upon itself.  If I had to guess, it would have been a minimum of a two hour if not three hour wait to see the Crown Jewels.  Bryan - 3, Crowd - 0.

Mona and I also toured and climbed through the various floors of the White Tower which is where the Tower of London gets its name.  We saw many displays of armament  and weaponry used throughout the centuries.  There is also a small chapel on the top floor that had a very simple elegance to it.  We even got roped into joining a group of reenactors who were demonstrating Christmas customs and traditions from the Norman period.  All in all a great visit on a very crowded day.  Who says you can't beat the crowd?

Best laid plans . . . . .

We're really enjoying our apartment on Pitt Street in Kensington.  One of the reasons we picked it is because it's only a short five minute walk to the Kensington High Street tube station.  We're using the tube and bus system extensively while we're here as it's extremely convenient to get around and visit all of the places we want to see, or so we thought .......

They are doing a lot of construction work during the "festive period" which wasn't being advertised when we made our housing arrangements.  Fortunately the Notting Hill Gate tube station is close by and served by a different line.  All of the buses that serve our neighborhood stop there, so we can hop on any of them and be there in 5 minutes.  Thank goodness for that.

London at Night

During our jaunt to the Tate Modern, we traveled by St. Paul's Cathedral and across the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames.  A couple of my favorite shots --

St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge seen from the Tate Modern

St. Paul's Cathedral from the Millennium Bridge

Art at the Tate Modern

After dinner Saturday night, Mom decided to rest up so Mona and I went out to visit the Tate Modern which is open until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.  As the name implies, the Tate features modern art, from the works of Picasso and Salvador Dali to living artists with whom we're not familiar.  With apologies to my artist friends and art aficionados, I've divided this into Art I could Do/Why is this Art? and Art I Can Appreciate.  All of these are currently on display at the Tate Modern.

Art I Could Do/Why is this Art?

 
Why is air conditioning duct or random squiggly painting renowned art that is exhibited at a prestigious museum?  Wood painted in a multi-colored block pattern?  I think I could do these.


Art I Can Appreciate

The Three Dancers by Pablo Picasso

While abstracts don't appeal to everyone, I certainly appreciate their artistic merit.  They say one man's junk is another man's treasure.  Can the same be said for art?

Variation on the Form of an Anchor
by Tristram Hillier

British Museum

Rosetta Stone

After the Portobello Market, we decided to finish our afternoon at the British Museum.  Of all the museums we've been able to visit, this is probably one of our favorites.  Where else can you see the Rosetta Stone,  Egyptian mummies, ancient Greek and Roman artifacts that pre-date Christ, a giant head from Easter Island, and samurai armor from medieval Japan?  Best of all,

Portland Vase -- Roman glass vase circa
25 BC - 15 AD 

it's free.  The building is enormous, and you easily can lose track of time wandering from gallery to gallery.  Even though we've been before, we only scratched the surface during our visit, so maybe we can find time to
return before we leave London.

Easter Island Statue Hoa Hakananai'a

Portobello Road Market

If you've seen the movie Notting Hill, then you've seen the Portobello Road Market.  There's a great scene where Hugh Grant's character is walking past all of the vendor stalls as the weather changes from season to season.  The Portobello Road Market is probably the most popular outdoor market in London, with vendors selling everything from produce to antiques to everything in between.  Saturday is the busiest day as that's when all of the vendor stalls are occupied.  The crowds were out in full force -- I think because of the holiday week, everything is going to be more crowded.  We spent our morning perusing the stalls and enjoying the atmosphere.

Notting Hill is a fun neighborhood to walk around in.  There's all kinds of neat shops, great architecture, and quiet streets once you get off the main road.  We tried finding several of the filming sites from the movie, including what stood in for William Thacker's travel book shop.  We hope to get back here before our week is up and explore a little more with hopefully a few less people.

Happy Boxing Day

Our flight over the pond was great and we landed at Heathrow around 7am local time.  We rented an apartment for the week and arranged for a car service through the rental company to take us to the apartment.  Our driver David met us after collecting our luggage and away we went.

Shopping at Harrods

The nice thing about traveling on Christmas Day is that traffic was light and it was easy getting through the airports.  Although our flight was full, there wasn't the normal throngs of people that we usually encounter in the airport.  Our drive into London from Heathrow was the same.  Very little traffic and not a lot of people out.  Today is Boxing Day -- also a holiday in the UK.  Traditionally, Boxing Day was when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts -- called a "Christmas Box" -- from their employers.  Today it's a bank holiday and many things are closed.  This makes traveling a little trickier as public transport is reduced and the Heathrow express trains don't run.  Just like America, it's a big day for shopping.

Our apartment for the week is on Pitt Street in Kensington, close to Notting Hill and Kensington Palace.   We went to the Tube station -- that's the subway for you Yanks -- to buy our travel card for the week and hit the grocery store.  After a much needed nap, we went out in the Boxing Day frenzy to Harrods.  As you can see from the picture, the Tube was jam packed with people.  Harrods was no different.  Tons of people and twice as many shopping bags.  Definitely something to experience but I think we'll come back a different day to shop when there's a few less people.

Packed like sardines on the Tube

We capped our first day with dinner and a play.  Mom wants to see Mamma Mia, but the tickets left for tonight were too expensive.  Instead, we chose a British comedy play called Neville's Island -- four guys stuck on an island while on a corporate team building exercise.  We had a good laugh and enjoyed the British humor.  With only a nap to carry us through our day, lack of sleep is catching up to us.  Now it's back to the apartment for a good night's sleep.

London Calling

Merry Christmas!  Or as the Brits would say -- Happy Christmas!  We've started our journey to London and are waiting to board our flight to Heathrow.  Mona's parents usually travel with us when we go overseas, but this time my Mom Kathy is joining us.  We're spending a week in London and this is a bucket list trip for her.  It's been 20 years since Mona and I have been to London so we're interested to see what's changed and visit some sites we haven't seen before.  Although the weather will be cold, the city will be decked out for Christmas and it will be fun to see all the decorations and see how Londoners celebrate Christmas and New Year's.  Now for the flight over ...... hopefully we can sleep some as we arrive at 7:00am.