Hello everyone!!
This city is AWESOME! I am loving every second of being in London. The weather has been less than impressive but that doesn't take away from this magnificent city. Today was just as I said it would be in my previous post. I started the day with the Tower of London which was easy to get to via the London Underground. This is also the location of the Tower Bridge which is more commonly and incorrectly known, as London Bridge. The Tower of London had tons to offer in history and entertainment. After buying my ticket, I opted for the guided tour because I figured I would get the most out of the tour that way. For those of you that have never been and decide to go one day, I highly recommend the guided tour. The guide was hilarious and very informative. He reminded us that the Tower was the first residence of the monarchs of England, but it also served as dungeon and torture chamber for traitors. The Tower is also where King Henry VIII "invented divorce" and had his many wives beheaded. Among those buried there are, Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour. The infamous Lady Jane Grey is also buried within the Tower church after Elizabeth I had her beheaded. I walked around the area for about three hours and visited everything from the Bloody Tower to the Crown Jewels. I have seen the Crown Jewels before, but they never cease to amaze me. The crowns that the monarchs wear for state occasions are around five pounds! Indeed, they are stunning.
From there, I got back on the Underground and proceeded to the British Museum. This truly is the greatest collection of artifacts in the world. They have everything from Mesopotamia to 1900 Europe. They also have the famed reading room where writers such as Karl Marx sat and wrote. My favorite exhibit were the Egyptian mummies. The museum even has Cleopatra's mummy! The preservation of these items shows how dedicated the museum is to being the best. I really enjoyed the various exhibits and highly recommend the Museum to anyone in London.
After the museum, I walked a block away and ate some Thai food for a late lunch. I clearly am becoming skilled at identifying restaurants that are cheap, yet delicious. For an entrée and an appetizer, I spent seven British pounds. Quite a deal, I must say. The restaurant and museum are in the Oxford Circus so I walked around for a bit and browsed the shops. I then proceeded to Covent Garden and browsed the shops there. Tomorrow, I am going back to Westminster Abbey to explore the inside. Additionally, I plan on going to the Tate Modern Art Museum and then Notting Hill. Somewhere in there, I'm going to eat Indian food which is quite good in England because India used to be part of its empire. Perhaps Hugh Grant will be in Notting Hill! Here are some pictures from today:
The Tower
Traitor's Gate
The spot where 3 of Henry's Wives Died
The church where Anne Boleyn is buried
This is how you rip your joints.
Tower Bridge
British Museum
Cleopatra
Ramases II
Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture
Aphrodite, Goddess of LoveAL
PS: I updated my previous blog to include pictures from that day.
Good pictures.
ReplyDeleteTower of London is probably my favorite!
ReplyDeleteThe great poet William Blake may not have been as enchanted by London as are you:
ReplyDeleteLondon
By William Blake 1757–1827
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.
How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every black'ning Church appalls;
And the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new born Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
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Interesting too that the favorite of some is the Tower of London, a place where people were tortured