Wednesday, slightly sore and stiff from all the walking, we breakfasted and got ready for the day. We still had half a day on our HO HO bus ticket that was also honored on the City Cruises on the Thames. We decided to take a cruise up the Thames to Greenwich and then back to the Tower of London. We had found on-line where we could buy a Travelcard for the day and get a voucher for 2 for 1 for entry to the Tower, and given that it was £17 each, the £5 card seemed a good deal. I had asked Matt about it, and he hadn’t known. I gave him the website and he promptly adopted the program (the following morning we overheard him telling other guests about it).
It seemed so warm when we started out, but it got quite cool by the time we were at Greenwich. I actually had my head covered with a scarf, and poor Jeff’s teeth were chattering! A fleece is warm when it is cold with no wind, but this was breezy. We had picked up the boat at Westminster Pier and over-looking the dock was, yeah, the photo gave it away! Big Ben! Jeff and I had taken photos from the bus the previous day, but had to be careful with these shots as there is much scaffolding and work going on the exterior of the Houses of Parliament on the river side.
A member of the crew gave us a running commentary, and considering he was a sailor and not a professional guide, he did really well! I am sure, after all these years, he has his patter right down, but it was nonetheless entertaining – and full of history of buildings along the river as well as history relating to them. Learned something on that ride too. Know where the word “wharf” comes from? The London docks and means “ware house at river front.”
We passed many famous and infamous places, including the Ransom Pub where felons convicted would be taken for their last drink of rum before being taken down a series of steps to the river at low tide where they were manacled to a post. The tide had to rise and fall twice before the body was recovered, and while all of this went on, the judge sat on a balcony in a pub across the river and watched! We passed the home of Michael Crawford of Phantom of the Opera fame, and the estate on the river of movie producer/director David Lane (Dr. Zhivago et al.) that has the only garden along that stretch of the Thames. He had purchased the property next to hs converted warehouse mansion (with 10 bedrooms and baths, an indoor swimming pool and all the luxuries on 4 floors) after a fire. Estimates of the worth of the tropical garden he installed is in the £12,000,000 range! We saw the oldest surviving pub on the waterfront, built in the 15th century and still operated as a business. We also saw the area of London where Charles Dickens had set Oliver Twist -- now very upscale apartments and such. And Cleopatra's Needle and ... well, we saw LOTS of things!
Greenwich was lovely, but we didn’t spend much time there. That will happen on another trip. I seriously don’t know how anyone, even the most energetic and fleet of foot could even begin to see a 10th of what London has to offer. We will not, for sure, and it isn’t from lack of desire or energy. There is so much to see and do, and then there is just the culture of the City to let soak into your pores. Anyway, I digress …
Needless to say, we got great shots of the Tower Bridge and other famous buildings and sights, including the one I am standing in front of in the photo – The London Eye. We have planned that excursion for Friday early in the day so the light is good for Jeff’s photos.
The boat stopped at the Tower of London and we headed in. Stopped to share an order of fish and chips (honestly, their portion sizes are getting positively American and you don’t have to say “supersize me!” Oh, yes, and P.S. I feel like I am supersized at this point. We have eaten so well and good food to boot that I am sure I have piled on a buncha weight … well, extra pounds = good vacation?
The Tower of London is a misnomer. It is actually a huge complex of many buildings and towers and an entire community made up of the Yeoman Warders -- or “Beefeaters” as they have somehow come to be called. We had been told that a tour with a Yeoman was worth the time, so quickly joined one about ready to start. It turns out that all Yeoman Warders are retired military – sergeants in particular. They must be decorated and have a minimum of 20 years in the services with 18 of the noted as good conduct with the ribbon they wear. The traditional red uniform we are accustomed to seeing them in is only used for ceremonies, State events, etc. and while touring with us, they were in a skirted blue uniform with a blue hat of the same style as that of their formal wear. They live with their families in the Tower and the community of 140 has their own physician “for when we’re ill” and a vicar “for when we are beyond the skill of the surgeon.” There is a pub on the grounds and a church – really, self-contained. I envied them the historical grounds and the ancient buildings they inhabited.
Our guide had a huge, booming voice and was great with adults and children – obviously had been a DI at some juncture. His halo definitely hung crooked and he has some twinkle in his eye. When describing the process of “drawn and quartered” he told the children in the group to think about that before going to bed that night! Never inappropriate, but fun, and I think the children knew when he was having fun with them. Talked of “throwing a few shapes” that eventually sunk in he was talking about dancing – sort of like our “bust a move.”
We hit the general areas of the Tower – a sort of orientation if you will – and were regaled with the odd, the gruesome, and a compressed history of the Tower. The White Tower dates to 1070 and the time of William the Conqueror. The Queen’s House was built by Henry VIII for Queen Anne Boleyn, but, alas, she lost her head before it was even finished. Many famous names lost their lives here in the scaffold site on the Tower green, currently a monument with a glass royal pillow commemorating the three queens who lost their lives here: Anne Boleyn (second wife of Henry VIII), Katherine Howard, (wife #5 to Henry VIII), and Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and sister to Elizabeth I. Of course, this is where the Crown jewels are held and THAT was a sight of MAJOR bling!! Can’t say that I would have wanted to wear any of those crowns – they look damnimably uncomfortable and HEAVY!! The Medieval Tower showed many of the prison rooms, like that of Sir Walter Raleigh who apparently couldn’t keep himself out of trouble or debt, and a chamber where (I think, I get somewhat hazy about the order of the monarchs) Charles I was held. (a sidebar – our HO HO bus guide ran through the 39 monarchs of England at the speed of light. Fast, prodigious memory!)
We walked the battlements and Jeff got some great photos of the ravens of the Tower. The
legend is tht if the ravens ever leave the Tower that it will fall. At least 6 ravens are required, and they keep at least 9 at all times – spares, you know! They are cheeky and pose for photos on fences and in the greens. We quickly ran out of time. They say 4 hours to see the Tower, and I am guessing that is a conservative estimate for sure. By then, however, both Jeff and I were pretty pooped and we still had to make our way back to the Lime Tree. Hopped the Tube and were home in a trice. Changed after a freshen up, and headed into the neighborhood to find a pub recommended – by everyone in Belgravia, it would seem. The joint was jumping, and in typical English fashion, we joined the queue with drinks in hand (as long as you stayed outside the pub and on the sidewalk). For the first time since we had arrived in England, it started to sprinkle, so we put up our umbrella (as did our fellow queue occupants) and, sipping wine under the dripping umbrella, opined how lucky we were to be here. Of course, many of the English probably thought we were to silly to come out of the rain!
Well fed, very tired, we toddled off to bed – not before Jeff discovered the Chocolate Society shop … and needless to say, we’ll be visiting that before we leave! So that is why I am behind on the blogs! Will get Thursday’s posted tonight (we think we will be meeting Scott this afternoon in London, but are sensible enough to know that we couldn’t ever keep up with he and his friends on a pub crawl!
So, for now, again, I’m off, with love --
No comments:
Post a Comment