JESSICA'S TRAVELS PHOTO POST THE SECOND: LONDON TOWN (Friday and Saturday)
Lauren welcomes us to London.
So last weekend, George, Lauren and I took our cheap-ass Ryanair tickets to London! (And by cheap, I mean 3 Euros for Dublin to London. Dublin is actually a pretty sweet base for doing inter-European travel, because Ryanair, despite being a glorified bus in the sky, is cheap. CHEAP!!! However, they trap you on hidden fees and bag-checking charges so read the fine print!)
We arrived at our hotel on Gracechurch Street last Friday, right by the Monument to the 1666 fire that shook London to the core. (Read some Samuel Pepys for more!)
Despite being an English literature major, I did not expect to fall in love with Londinium. But a funny thing happened... I did! It's a cliche, but history really, truly breathes in this city. I felt echoes of Churchill, the Victorian era, Jane Austen, and King Henry VIII everywhere I looked. At 2000 years old, this city is timeless in a way that American destinations simply aren't.
On Friday night we strolled the Thames:
To their backs is Tower Bridge - not London Bridge as many Americans mistakenly name the place!
Here we are past Blackfriars Bridge, I believe. This building was funky-shaped. Lauren called it "The pregnant lady", which I found amusing.
The real London Bridge, which has fallen down at least twice - three times? in its history. A bridge has always stood on this spot since the Romans founded the city Londinium.
Good view of the re-constructed Globe Theatre, which stands only 300 m away from the original Globe. The original burned to the ground in Shakespeares' time. To the right of the Globe is the Tate Modern, a fantastic collection of art from the 20th century. Regrettably, I only got to stroll the museum for about 45 minutes.
A classic (if cliche) shot of London's great Tube line.
And here's the pre-teen sis at Leidenhall Square Market. Harry Potter fans may recognize the facades: parts of Harry's trips to Diagon Alley are filmed here. Our hotel was just across the street from the place!
A better view of the Leidenhall Square facade. Recognize Diagon Alley, anyone?
Saturday morning, after picking up West End Theater tickets (Phantom, Lauren's choice) we strolled from Leicester Square to Trafalgar Square Behind Lauren and George is a monument to Horatio Nelson, the Battle of Trafalgar great.
We saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. On the way back to the main streets, I ran into some Ghostbusters at St. James' Park!
Another classic/cliche tourist shot.
Parliament Square.
Westminster Abbey. As a baptized and confirmed Episcopal, visiting the Abbey, a center of Anglican power, was very deeply and personally meaningful. Lauren liked "All the cool dead bodies." After Westminster, we checked out the Cabinet War Rooms, which was PM Churchill's home during the Blitz and was really a well-done, thoughtful museum about the WW2 era.
Big Ben, which is "not the clock, not the tower, but the bell that tolls the hour. The facade of Ben (and Parliament) is Neo-Perpendicular Gothic, an English expression of the classic style.
Our hotel was closer to the Tower of London than Westminster, so we took a City Cruise with our London Pass (which gives you free entrance to almost all tourist spots and is TOTALLY worth it.) The tour was a nice overview of London's heart, and it was pleasant to cruise the river.
The London Eye, a 443-foot tall "observation wheel" overlooking the city. Lauren and I rode it the next day, because she was obsessed with "how it worked" and wanted pictures of its inner workings. (She's going to be an engineer, I swear...)
After watching Phantom on the West End Saturday (Lauren loved it) we came back to Leidenhall, right across from our hotel, for a pint. (Well, Laur abstained, obvs, but George and I both tried Guinness and draft cider.)
Finally, here's a video Lauren took of the Horse Guards making their way towards Buckingham Palace:
Later I think I'll post pics of our Sunday in London, which was a treat...