This morning, we thought we'd take the tube to Westminster, go see the Abbey, Houses of Parliament, etc. The Jubilee line - which goes straight to Westminster - runs through the West Hampstead tube stop, so we were pleased with that. Except when we got to the tube stop, we found out that the Jubilee line was shut down due to signal problems. So, we backtracked and went to a rail station, thinking we'd ride a stop or two and find another tube link.
We weren't sure if our passes were valid on the train line, so checked with the conductor, and he let us on anyway. Take pity on the poor Canadians - colonials are so easily confused. So we get on the train and find we need to ride three stops before we're at one that the tube also connects with. Turns out that station is just outside Zone 2 (our passes are for Zone 1 and 2), and they often have transit agents there to try to catch people outside of the zone so that they can find them a million billion pounds and then deport them. Fortunately, Mr. Transit Agent wasn't there and didn't catch us. Nyah nyah! We are fugitives from justice!
Anyway, got back on the tube. Huge backlog of people waiting for the trains, and when one arrived, we promptly transferred to the wrong train. Had to get off and take another one. Yes! We were finally heading in the right direction. By this time, an hour had passed since we left the house... might have been quicker to walk.
Made it to the Westminster tube stop without any further mishaps. We immediately wandered out onto Westminster bridge, then turned around and realized Big Ben and the House of Parliament was right behind us. Very impressive buildings.
It was £10 to get into Westminster Abbey. I, once again, am miffed to discover that I can't take any pictures inside any buildings whatsoever in England. No pictures! Even if you have the flash turned off, no pictures! And it doesn't help to whine, "But in France they would let me take pictures..." Sigh. All right, no pictures. But I know they're only doing this to sell more postcards. >:-(
I'm not sure how old Westminster Abbey is - apparently, part of it was originally built in 960 as a monastery for Benedictine monks, but the main part of the building is very gothic in style. (Dare I say that I didn't like it as much as Notre Dame? No, better not... I can hear all of you now: "Shut up about France already, you bloody idiot! You're in England now!" Okey-pokey... shutting up.)
Aside from the architecture, the main attraction is the numerous tombs within the church. Many monarchs and notables with very elaborate tombs. I believe that the oldest we saw were from about the 1200's. Queens Mary and Elizabeth's tombs were in the same alcove, with a more modern inscription in the floor asking visitors to remember all those who died during the Reformation "for God and conscience" because of their differing beliefs.
There are also many plaques lining the walls and the floor, commemorating many British luminaries. A big one for William Shakespeare, of course. There was a funny one for some guy, who, the inscription said was the finest in his age... except that the inscription went on to inform us that the dead guy had left £500 in his will for his big fancy tomb and its upkeep, and that the above inscription was his idea! :-) Lots of writers, composers, and a "Great War" tribute to some of the poets from WWI, such as Siegfried Sassoon. We also saw one for Laurence Olivier! Aww... he's my favourite actor. And there is a nice "unknown soldier" tomb there as well. You find yourself almost forgetting to look up at the vaulting ceilings high overhead, because there's so much to see on the walls and the floors.
One of my favourite parts of the Abbey, however, was the monastery areas. Low heavy stone arches - it's the oldest part of the Abbey, and it feels it. I liked it better than the main nave (even though that is an impressive view) - I like the very old, very medieval.
Before leaving, I asked one of the staff how many people were actually buried in the church - apparently, there are 3680 people emtombed within Westminster, the majority of them the monks who lived there. :-O !!!
Okay, we're out of Westminster Abbey, and decide to cross the Thames via the Westminster bridge. On the other side was a Salvador Dali museum and the London Aquarium. We looked at the London Eye, which is £13, but weren't decided as to whether we were going or not - Monica was afraid we'd be cooped up with annoying teenagers - so we continued on. We were getting hungry and decided to look for a not-expensive place to eat. There it was, right before our eyes: "Eat." Great name for a restaurant! Had a sandwich and a "chocolate pot". Mmm, chocolate.
We started walking along the Thames. They have a very nice promenade that follows the riverside. Finally, I am seeing some of those narrow, very old streets with much more picturesque buildings. And when I am outside, I can take pictures - I am happy!
We stop at the Tate Modern museum. Monica scolds me for consistently walking past Picassos. I explain that Picasso is a bit weird. However, there's this giant egg-shaped sculpture with a black reflective surface on the inside - you're supposed to stand inside, and it does very weird things to your perspective and sense of balance. The man guarding the piece seems very bored by everyone's "whoooaaa!" reactions. I liked the black egg of doom... it was a good egg.
We wander further down the Thames, and find the Globe theatre. £9 for a tour. Once again, Monica is afraid of taking a tour with rowdy teenagers. (Is this a clinical phobia?) Instead of rowdy tour, we buy tickets to Coriolanus for next Tuesday.
We wander even further down the Thames (lots of walking today) and under the arches of the London Bridge (which is completely nondescript, by the way) we discover (dun-dun-dunnn!) The London Dungeon. How can you resist it? Great big statues with torches standing outside. Okay, we're going in. £15 each. It's very very dark inside. At the beginning of the tour, there are tableaus of torture and plague with animatronic figures - Monica laughed and laughed as the plague-guy barfed into a bucket. (Did I mention that Monica is a professor? She is.)
The other parts are peopled by actors, who send you through different areas. There was a gothic arched mirror maze - try navigating that in the dark. Several times I thought we were catching up to another group only to find out I was stalking my reflection, and we also circled back to the beginning by accident. "Bring out yer dead" medieval guy eventually had to yell, "Hallo! Over here!" or else we'd still be circling there. After wandering through plague-town and meeting a plague doctor who gave us a brief overview of our imminent demise, we went found ourselves at a facsimile of Newgate Prison. The actress there was quite ferocious - everyone had to get in line, and the little kid that didn't move quite fast enough was urged along with a "move, you mangy freak."
Anyway, she took a victim from the group and made him sit down while she was going to show us various torture devices, and if we couldn't guess what they did, she'd demonstrate on him. First item is a pair of big tongs. Can anyone guess? Monica pipes up, "it's to pull out his tongue?" Immediately, she whirls around: "Who said that?!" Monica points at me - I point at Monica. We insist that it's each other - I tell her that Monica is lying. Monica says, "I would never say that. I'm terrified of you. Catherine said it." How can I top that speech? Traitor. Newgate-wench says to me, "Are you a torturer? I like you!" Whew! That's a relief.
However, once we were let into Newgate Prison, Monica was put on trial. I was quite pleased, and booed very loudly when she took the stand. She was on trial for dancing naked in the streets. After Newgate, there was a boat ride, where they're taking you to be executed - it's sort of like an evil Pirates of the Carribean ride. Then off to see Sweeney Todd, the Fire of London (you get to walk through a very dizzying "tunnel of fire"), and finally a Jack the Ripper exhibit.
After that, we were back to walking. Finally got to Tower Bridge and crossed the Thames. They sell ice cream "with flake" right outside the Tower, so that seemed like a good idea. ("Flake" is a little chocolate stick they put in the ice cream.) We walked around the exterior of the Tower of London, saw Traitor's Gate, then started wandering back in the direction that we'd come from. Not quite sure of the district we were in (have to look it up), but there were a million businessmen in almost identical suits.
On the way back, we saw the monument for the people who died in the 1666 fire. We started deciding to cross back and forth over the bridges, because obviously we hadn't walked enough already today. It's a very long walk... Stopped in to look at Southwark Cathedral, where Chaucer and Shakespeare had attended services. Very old! On our way back to Westminster, we passed Downing Street, which had many guards, and another point where a guardsman with a sword stood ignoring all the people posing for pictures with him.
Finally, we made it back to the Westminster tube station, and fortunately, the good old Jubilee line was back in business. We just had to catch our train, then sit there and try to stay awake until West Hampstead. It was getting dark by the time we got home - a very long day!
We weren't sure if our passes were valid on the train line, so checked with the conductor, and he let us on anyway. Take pity on the poor Canadians - colonials are so easily confused. So we get on the train and find we need to ride three stops before we're at one that the tube also connects with. Turns out that station is just outside Zone 2 (our passes are for Zone 1 and 2), and they often have transit agents there to try to catch people outside of the zone so that they can find them a million billion pounds and then deport them. Fortunately, Mr. Transit Agent wasn't there and didn't catch us. Nyah nyah! We are fugitives from justice!
Anyway, got back on the tube. Huge backlog of people waiting for the trains, and when one arrived, we promptly transferred to the wrong train. Had to get off and take another one. Yes! We were finally heading in the right direction. By this time, an hour had passed since we left the house... might have been quicker to walk.
Made it to the Westminster tube stop without any further mishaps. We immediately wandered out onto Westminster bridge, then turned around and realized Big Ben and the House of Parliament was right behind us. Very impressive buildings.
It was £10 to get into Westminster Abbey. I, once again, am miffed to discover that I can't take any pictures inside any buildings whatsoever in England. No pictures! Even if you have the flash turned off, no pictures! And it doesn't help to whine, "But in France they would let me take pictures..." Sigh. All right, no pictures. But I know they're only doing this to sell more postcards. >:-(
I'm not sure how old Westminster Abbey is - apparently, part of it was originally built in 960 as a monastery for Benedictine monks, but the main part of the building is very gothic in style. (Dare I say that I didn't like it as much as Notre Dame? No, better not... I can hear all of you now: "Shut up about France already, you bloody idiot! You're in England now!" Okey-pokey... shutting up.)
Aside from the architecture, the main attraction is the numerous tombs within the church. Many monarchs and notables with very elaborate tombs. I believe that the oldest we saw were from about the 1200's. Queens Mary and Elizabeth's tombs were in the same alcove, with a more modern inscription in the floor asking visitors to remember all those who died during the Reformation "for God and conscience" because of their differing beliefs.
There are also many plaques lining the walls and the floor, commemorating many British luminaries. A big one for William Shakespeare, of course. There was a funny one for some guy, who, the inscription said was the finest in his age... except that the inscription went on to inform us that the dead guy had left £500 in his will for his big fancy tomb and its upkeep, and that the above inscription was his idea! :-) Lots of writers, composers, and a "Great War" tribute to some of the poets from WWI, such as Siegfried Sassoon. We also saw one for Laurence Olivier! Aww... he's my favourite actor. And there is a nice "unknown soldier" tomb there as well. You find yourself almost forgetting to look up at the vaulting ceilings high overhead, because there's so much to see on the walls and the floors.
One of my favourite parts of the Abbey, however, was the monastery areas. Low heavy stone arches - it's the oldest part of the Abbey, and it feels it. I liked it better than the main nave (even though that is an impressive view) - I like the very old, very medieval.
Before leaving, I asked one of the staff how many people were actually buried in the church - apparently, there are 3680 people emtombed within Westminster, the majority of them the monks who lived there. :-O !!!
Okay, we're out of Westminster Abbey, and decide to cross the Thames via the Westminster bridge. On the other side was a Salvador Dali museum and the London Aquarium. We looked at the London Eye, which is £13, but weren't decided as to whether we were going or not - Monica was afraid we'd be cooped up with annoying teenagers - so we continued on. We were getting hungry and decided to look for a not-expensive place to eat. There it was, right before our eyes: "Eat." Great name for a restaurant! Had a sandwich and a "chocolate pot". Mmm, chocolate.
We started walking along the Thames. They have a very nice promenade that follows the riverside. Finally, I am seeing some of those narrow, very old streets with much more picturesque buildings. And when I am outside, I can take pictures - I am happy!
We stop at the Tate Modern museum. Monica scolds me for consistently walking past Picassos. I explain that Picasso is a bit weird. However, there's this giant egg-shaped sculpture with a black reflective surface on the inside - you're supposed to stand inside, and it does very weird things to your perspective and sense of balance. The man guarding the piece seems very bored by everyone's "whoooaaa!" reactions. I liked the black egg of doom... it was a good egg.
We wander further down the Thames, and find the Globe theatre. £9 for a tour. Once again, Monica is afraid of taking a tour with rowdy teenagers. (Is this a clinical phobia?) Instead of rowdy tour, we buy tickets to Coriolanus for next Tuesday.
We wander even further down the Thames (lots of walking today) and under the arches of the London Bridge (which is completely nondescript, by the way) we discover (dun-dun-dunnn!) The London Dungeon. How can you resist it? Great big statues with torches standing outside. Okay, we're going in. £15 each. It's very very dark inside. At the beginning of the tour, there are tableaus of torture and plague with animatronic figures - Monica laughed and laughed as the plague-guy barfed into a bucket. (Did I mention that Monica is a professor? She is.)
The other parts are peopled by actors, who send you through different areas. There was a gothic arched mirror maze - try navigating that in the dark. Several times I thought we were catching up to another group only to find out I was stalking my reflection, and we also circled back to the beginning by accident. "Bring out yer dead" medieval guy eventually had to yell, "Hallo! Over here!" or else we'd still be circling there. After wandering through plague-town and meeting a plague doctor who gave us a brief overview of our imminent demise, we went found ourselves at a facsimile of Newgate Prison. The actress there was quite ferocious - everyone had to get in line, and the little kid that didn't move quite fast enough was urged along with a "move, you mangy freak."
Anyway, she took a victim from the group and made him sit down while she was going to show us various torture devices, and if we couldn't guess what they did, she'd demonstrate on him. First item is a pair of big tongs. Can anyone guess? Monica pipes up, "it's to pull out his tongue?" Immediately, she whirls around: "Who said that?!" Monica points at me - I point at Monica. We insist that it's each other - I tell her that Monica is lying. Monica says, "I would never say that. I'm terrified of you. Catherine said it." How can I top that speech? Traitor. Newgate-wench says to me, "Are you a torturer? I like you!" Whew! That's a relief.
However, once we were let into Newgate Prison, Monica was put on trial. I was quite pleased, and booed very loudly when she took the stand. She was on trial for dancing naked in the streets. After Newgate, there was a boat ride, where they're taking you to be executed - it's sort of like an evil Pirates of the Carribean ride. Then off to see Sweeney Todd, the Fire of London (you get to walk through a very dizzying "tunnel of fire"), and finally a Jack the Ripper exhibit.
After that, we were back to walking. Finally got to Tower Bridge and crossed the Thames. They sell ice cream "with flake" right outside the Tower, so that seemed like a good idea. ("Flake" is a little chocolate stick they put in the ice cream.) We walked around the exterior of the Tower of London, saw Traitor's Gate, then started wandering back in the direction that we'd come from. Not quite sure of the district we were in (have to look it up), but there were a million businessmen in almost identical suits.
On the way back, we saw the monument for the people who died in the 1666 fire. We started deciding to cross back and forth over the bridges, because obviously we hadn't walked enough already today. It's a very long walk... Stopped in to look at Southwark Cathedral, where Chaucer and Shakespeare had attended services. Very old! On our way back to Westminster, we passed Downing Street, which had many guards, and another point where a guardsman with a sword stood ignoring all the people posing for pictures with him.
Finally, we made it back to the Westminster tube station, and fortunately, the good old Jubilee line was back in business. We just had to catch our train, then sit there and try to stay awake until West Hampstead. It was getting dark by the time we got home - a very long day!
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