Travels and Thoughts
Saturday, 9/6/19
Pam and I left Philadelphia airport Friday evening for the nearly eight hour non-stop flight to London's Heathrow airport. Because of the five hour difference in time, we arrive at 7:45am. To get to our hotel, we took the tube to Paddington Station and an Uber to the hotel. We arrived around 10am. The Amba Hotel is located off the Strand, near Trafalgar Square and facing the famous Eleanor’s Cross, referred to as the central point in London. One could not hope for a better place to stay. We were within easy reach of many of London’s top attractions. And, a full breakfast (scrambled eggs, poached eggs, sausage, bacon, oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, fried tomatoes, pancakes, assorted fruits, assorted juices, coffee/tea, assorted pasteries, toast, assorted breads, etc.) at a table with china, linen tablecloth, flowers, and wait service was offered each day. Additionally, a complementary afternoon bar was available with beer and wine and an assortment of snacks.
After settling into our suite, we took transportation to Westminster Pier for a scheduled noon tour on one of the many river boats that move up and down the Thames. Our young guide for the tour was really engaging. He mentioned that London is an expensive city to live in, and most people like himself who work in London can't afford to live there. The large, new glass building houses condos. The top condo in that building sold for $27 million dollars!
We saw the new London Bridge; the original one was sold to an American who dissembled the bridge, shipped it to America, and rebuilt it in Arizona!
Above: This ship has been converted into a pub on the Thames. What a great idea, and a very popular night spot.
Left: The tower of London complex of buildings
.jpg)
Top Left: The Shard, a 95 story skyscraper, tallest building in both UK and EU. There is a public viewing platform on the 72nd floor.
Top Right: The Tower Bridge across the Thames.
Bottom Left: The Eye is 443' high with a diameter of 394'
Bottom Right: The County Hall, a beautiful Edwardian Baroque structure opened in 1922 by King George V
Alhough it's hard to see, there are gold lion heads on the top of the wall to the Thames. When the water reaches the mouth of the lion, London is in danger of flooding.
Right: skyscape. The top apartment in the glass tower sold for $27m.
Left: We passed the Tate Modern Museum. Our tour guide said that it was free and "once you go in, you'll know why!"
We also passed the Royal Albert Hall. Our guide said that Pavorotti, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra all performed there. They are all dead, he said. Then he said, "I'm waiting for Justin Bieber to perform there."
After we left the tour boat, we went to the Tower which is the complex behind Pam at left.
Below is a map of the Tower complex. There was so much to see. The "Bloody Tower" (25), the Traitor's Gate (35), White Tower (1), and Wardrobe Tower (8) were just some of the highlights of our time there.
The Crown Jewels are housed in the Waterloo Barracks. The lines were long, so I sat out while Pam waited in line. She actually saw the jewels!
The Tower was built by William the Conqueror (1066) of wood and later updated to stone. More information can be had at https://www.wonders-of-the-world.net/Tower-of-London/Map-of-the-tower-of-London.php
Sir Thomas More is probably the person in history I admire the most! I wanted to see where he spent his time in prison awaiting beheading at Tower Hill. He was kept in the Bell Tower (26) for over a year. I have seen Man for All Seasons with Paul Scofield and Richard Burton many times, and I wanted to actually see where he spent his time.
I did get to see the Bell Tower, but it is closed to the public because of damage. I did capture a photo of it on the internet, though, and can just imagine Sir Thomas More looking out the Bell Tower window and studying at his desk.
If you are curious about this saint, look him up on Wikipedia for a quick introduction. He too was a renaissance man. His most famous work is probably Utopia.
The prison cll that held Sir Thomas More for over a year before he was taken to Tower Hill and beheaded. His daughter had to purchase his head so that she could give it a decent burial.
Edward I built the Traitor's Gate to provide water access to the tower. This is the very gate Sir Thomas More came through on his way to his cell.
A group of at least six ravens are residents of the Tower of London. A superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it".
The Tower ravens are tended to by an official Ravenmaster. Local legend puts the origin of the captive raven population at the time of King Charles II (reigned 1660–85).
Their diet consists of raw meat daily, usually liver, lambs' hearts and beef or pork trimming, and every other day includes boiled egg with shell and blood-soaked bird biscuits. Occasionally, rabbit parts with fur are added for roughage. Once a week the birds are given a thorough check-over, and once every third week the lifting feathers on their right wings are trimmed to prevent them from flying away.
Pam and I had lunch at the Tower cafe. I had Fish and Chips which I found too geasy. They are served with baked beans and/or peas. I had a Budwar Beer from Czechoslovakia which was the best part of the meal.
After a long afternoon at the London Tower, we stopped by the All Beer One pub for a quick dinner. I had the beetroot, feta, and walnut salad with a delicious Maisels Weiser beer. Great meal!
We rested a bit before going to "The Eye" to look at London from the huge
After dinner, Pam and I walked to "The Eye," London's huge ferris wheel. The pods each hold about 10-12 people. The pods are all glass, so you can see everywhere. The ferris wheel itself never stops; it moves at a slow rate, and people get off and on as it's moving.
The following photos were taken from the glass pod. I haven't commented on the photos because most of what we saw is covered in other entries. The view, however, was spectacular.
When we finished our ride on "The Eye," sponsored by Coke, we walked back to the hotel, washed up, and went to bed. The day had been very exciting but long!