March 26, 2012 – We couldn’t believe it was our last day of vacation.  The trip went very smoothly, and the weather was gorgeous; we had a fabulous time exploring some new areas.  Of course, we booked a later flight home so we’d have one more morning to sight see.  After breakfast we packed our bags and schlepped them to the train station, then over to Paddington Station.  There’s bag storage there, for a not-un-hefty fee, but it’s worth it if you’re taking the Paddington Express to the airport.  Plus we had a full day planned and didn’t want to be carrying our gear.

First up was St. Jame’s Park.  Little did we realize that the park has a lot of very cool ducks, including a beautiful male mandarin duck happily swimming around.  A word to the wise, food, water and bathrooms are few and far between.  Otherwise the park is absolutely beautiful, and will take you over to Buckingham Palace.  Along the way we stopped at a little kiosk for tea and strawberry cheesecake ice cream; we’ll miss the wonderful, creamy richness of the ice cream in the UK.

Buckingham Palace isn’t as imposing as Hampton Court, in our opinion, though it does have some pretty architectural details.  The larger than life Victoria monument is in front of one of the gates. There are traditional guards, as well as a few policeman patrolling the grounds.  Of course Louisa was fascinated by the no-nonsense police officer with a no-nonsense firearm.  He in turn kept hearing the camera shutter click, and turning in our direction to try to locate the noise.  After not causing any sort of international incidents, we kept walking towards Hyde Park and the Wellington Monument.

Final sights of the city included a stroll through Hyde Park, where you can see Kensington Palace in the distance, towards Paddington Station.  Next, a quick stop to get our stored bags, then the Heathrow Express over to the airport.

March 25, 2012 – As usual, we tried to get down to breakfast around the time service starts.  We find this gives us some peace and quiet before others wake up, we get really fresh food, and it’s helpful for catching the rail replacement bus.  Today was the last day on the London Pass, and it was our last full day in London.  Of course things are going to be a bit busy.

The day started with catching the automated commuter rail over to Greenwich.  It was around 10am, but fog still lay thick over much of the Thames (and therefore over much of London).  Fortunately Greenwich was fairly fog-free, though this didn’t stop us from taking the wrong path around the Cutty Stark construction, walking under part of the river before we decided that the tunnel shouldn’t be that long (and consistently downhill).  So around we turned, and headed back up the slight incline (and the 80 or so stairs which were so helpfully numbered) and back to the Cutty Stark.  The clipper was built in 1869, and was one fo the fastest wind propelled ships, holding the record time from Australia to Great Britain for a decade.

If you like beautiful architecture, the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich is right up your alley.  It’s a World Heritage Site designed by Christopher Wren, the same designer of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the U.S. Capitol building.  Visitors will instantly notice his trademark domes.  It was early Sunday morning when we got to the college, and most of the crowds had not yet arrived.  Up first was the maritime museum.  Tony could have spent a full day there, but graciously agreed to a quick tour since we had quite a few other things to check out during the day.  The exhibits that we did see were very well done, including photos from an Arctic expedition, and a room full of model boats.

The chapel was closed open for morning worship but closed to visitors, so we headed to the Painted Hall.  The hall is beautiful and painted from floor to ceiling – including the ceiling.  Mirrors are conveniently placed to allow visitors to look at the ceiling’s reflection, rather than strain their necks by staring straight up.

Next up was the Prime Meridian.  It’s easy to find – just look for a bit hill and start walking up it.  The Meridian courtyard carried a hefty (to us) fee of 8 pounds per person, so instead we peaked at the line through the fence, then eye-balled where it would extend past the courtyard and took our pictures there.  I think we started a trend, since a German couple walked by, figured out what we were doing then waited their turn to take the same picture.

By now it was getting towards lunch, so we got some tea from a nearby shop (good, but small and expensive – I’d recommend finding tea outside the tourist area) and then got some food to-go from the local crafts/food vendors who were gathered at the market.  Tony picked up two giant arracini – Italian rice balls – ham and cheese (excellent), and chicken (eh… it just didn’t taste right, and may have been flavored with Italian dressing).  These were rather messy, so we ate them on the spot.  Louisa grabbed a few things for the boat ride – a sausage roll (i.e. sausage wrapped in puff pastry), which was good, and a cinnamon and sugar danish (also very good).

One of the best ways to see London is from the Thames.  Which means you need a boat.  Enter City Cruises and one of their tour boats with a large open air deck.  If you pick it up in Greenwich, like we did, you’ve got most of the boat to yourself until dock at the Tower of London.  And by the time you reach Westminster, you’ll be lucky if you have a seat.  Regardless of the crowds, though you see so many things from the boat ride.  Our boat left around noon, so the fog had burned off and it was perfect weather.  Highlights of the trip included seeing the Old Royal Naval College, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and the traitor’s gate (the watery entrance to the tower for the accused), London Bridge, the Millennium Bridge, the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin, London’s town hall, The Shard (a large glass skyscraper, which, when finished, will be one of the world’s tallest), the Palace of Westminster and the clock tower housing Big Ben, and the London Eye.  The entire trip took about an hour, and left us right in the heart of London’s tourist zone.  (Louisa doesn’t like tourists, they walk slowly, clog the sidewalks and don’t know where they’re going.)

Anyway, we quickly exited the crowded area and headed a few blocks towards the Churchill War Rooms.  This was a very cool museum, since you got to walk through the original WWII war rooms.  If you enjoy history, if you’re a fan of a nation refusing to fold to a determined enemy, or if you just really like being underground in dark, tiny, cramped spaces (so small that many chose to run through the darkened streets to sleep at home, rather than stay in the bunker) then you should check out the war rooms.

Back to the Tube and towards the British Museum.  The building itself is beautiful, large and full of light.  As with most things in London, you could easily spend an entire day there and be perfectly content.  The main things we wanted to see were the Greek and Roman exhibits, and the Egyptian wing.  Up first was the Rosetta Stone.  Very cool, wonderfully preserved, and did I mention cool?  There’s just something about seeing it in person; it’s not that large (maybe a meter long, and 2/3 of a meter wide), covered in precise, rather tiny writing.  Other highlights of the trip included seeing the frieze from the Parthenon, and a variety of artifacts from Ancient Egypt and the Middle East.

Next up was the British Library.  We wanted to see part of the 1215 Magna Carta; currently only four of the texts from 1215 still exist.  Other items in the collection included some of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches and notes, and various illuminated manuscripts (primarily religious texts).  It’s amazing how well-preserved some of the books are, considering they’re several hundred years old.  We also snagged tea and a chocolate ganache covered chocolate muffin from the cafe, and enjoyed the view of King George III’s private library while we ate.

By this point it was 5pm and the library was closing, so we headed over to King’s Cross station to see Platform 9 3/4 and catch a glimpse of the scenes we’d viewed in the “Harry Potter” movies.  Of course we couldn’t resist grabbing a few pints at a tiny (very tiny) little bar.  There are seats upstairs, but there aren’t any windows, and the bathroom is also in that area… much better to grab a table or a spot by the railing and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.  We noticed that the bar takes pizza deliveries from a nearby shop; that sounded good, so we set off in search of it.  After walking up and down the block a few times we finally located our destination… inside a bowling alley underneath a hotel.  Not exactly auspicious, but the pizza (pepperoni and cheese) was quite good.  So good that we’d put it up against some of the best pizza we’ve had.

We ended the night with another walk along the Thames, and a night photo session at the Tower Bridge.  Since we didn’t have a tripod with us, we used the stone wall to hold the camera steady.

Check out our photo album from the day.

March 24, 2012 – Saturday morning we headed downstairs to breakfast.  While they don’t cook to order, all the full breakfast staples were present (and fresh, since the dishes were frequently refilled).  Toast and tea were also served fresh, and there were several pitchers of juice.  Breakfast was still quite good (and the sausages were great, as usual) and we were quite ready for the few blocks walk to the train station.  They were doing rail service this weekend so we got a replacement bus to a station a few stops down the line, and then were able to take a train into the city.

We got the three day London Pass, so we had a good idea of what we wanted to see.  First on today’s list was St. Paul’s Cathedral.  We knew both St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey were closed Sunday (the last day our pass was valid), so we were going to both today (note: photography is now allowed inside either building).  St. Paul’s dome might seem familiar to those who have seen the US Capitol building – both were designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

We got to St. Paul’s before 10am, and had virtually no wait to get inside.  All the upper galleries except the whispering gallery were closed for renovations, though the whispering gallery was quiet enough that we could hear people testing it’s name (it really works).  Words can’t really do the inside of St. Paul’s justice.  It’s large and surprisingly bright and airy, particularly considering how large the stone support pillars are.  Hundreds of shiny tiles, many painted with gold leaf, create mosaics on the curved ceilings.  Statues are scattered around the building.  A visitor could sit for hours and just soak up the atmosphere.  (We were on a time budget so didn’t take that opportunity.)

 

St. Paul’s was also a rallying point during the Blitz, particularly after it survived a night of heavy bombing on the 114th night (Dec. 29, 1940).  A very determined photographer captured the “St. Paul’s Survives” photo that night, adding to the cathedrals place in history.  St. Paul’s also contains an American memorial chapel, located behind the main altar.  The roll of honor includes over 28,000 Americans who died defending the United Kingdom during WWII.  (And yes, it is striking and moving sthat there is a roll of honor for U.S. troops in the middle of one of the iconic houses of worship in the UK.)

Next up was Westminster Abbey.  Along the way we passed Westminster Palace and the clock tower, home of the bell known as Big Ben.  This area of the city always seems to be very crowded, and is also a known pick-pocket/con artist area.  Beware of overly-aggressive people trying to sell plastic flowers.  By overly-aggressive, I mean the ones who tuck the flowers into your husband’s camera strap while your using the other camera to take pictures.  Bad move, flower lady, bad move.

We got to the abbey around 11am, and there was quite a line – we heard some people saying the line usually goes down around noon, so that might be something to keep in mind if you’re on a tight time budget.  Overall the wait was less than 30 minutes to get inside.  We opted to explore on our own, rather than listen to the audio guide.  The self-guided tour is set up so there’s a one-way path through the abbey. Westminster Abbey has a completely different feel from St. Paul’s Cathedral.  A little more formal, more solemn, weightier.  Perhaps this comes from the dark wood and beautiful stained glass, ornamental everything – from the floors to the chairs to the ceiling, or hundreds of years of history – Westminster Abbey is where monarchs are crowned, and where they lay in state.

About halfway through the tour we took a side detour to the crypt, where they have a small cafeteria.  We got a big bowl of potato and leek soup, some crisps (chips for us Americans), a big piece of chocolate cake with ganache, and a large tea.  The meal was enjoyed while sitting on one of the stone benches lining the arches looking out into the center courtyard.

After the abbey we walked to the London Waterloo station and got a series of trains to Henry VIII’s palace, Hampton Court.  The train station is about a quarter mile from the palace.  Of course we got distracted by the river (canal?) and the ducks swimming around.  The distraction didn’t last long because Hampton Court is huge.  Not tall, but massive nonetheless, particularly once you get into the courtyard.  Speaking of massive, make sure you save time for the garden.  Elizabeth I grew up here, Henry VIII lived here, and  was executed here.  Needless to say, the palace has seen some history.

And all that history requires fortification.  Tea and a chocolate chip cookie, enjoyed in the dining room, fit the bill.  That fortified us for exploring the rest of the castle – which seems even bigger inside than it does outside.  From the wine cellar – lit with candles – to the beautiful chapel, to the seemingly-endless royal apartments, the castle is massive.  We were taking our time, meandering through the castle, when we looked outside and realized the royal apartments (our current location) kept going… and going… and going.  So we sped up since we still wanted to explore the gardens.  The gardens behind the palace are beautiful open expanses of lawn with paths, fountains, and funny little manicured trees.  A canal runs through the gardens; a few birds were happily swimming around.  And a few grey herons (they look almost identical to great blue herons) were causing a raucous in one of the tall pine trees.  If the gardens at the back of the palace are wide open, the side gardens are small, finely landscaped and full of color.

Dinner was fish and chips (and salad for Louisa), and a couple decent but unremarkable pints, at Hole in the Wall.  Hole in the Wall is literally a hole in the wall, er, bridge, as it’s built underneath a train bridge.  It does fill up, particularly when football’s on, but if you get there before the game you shouldn’t have a problem finding a seat.  The fish and chips are fantastic, and the beer is decent but not necessarily as good as drafts we’ve had elsewhere.

Next up was a stroll through London.  We found a fun little group of about two dozen food vendors.  Free samples were plentiful, and we enjoyed trying some well-aged Parmesan cheese.  Many of the people were selling dinner options, but we really wanted dessert and settled on a fabulous caramel apple cheesecake.  The treat was enjoyed overlooking the Thames, underneath trees lit with tanzanite lights.

Up next was the Tate Modern; tonight was it’s night to be open late. Along the way we found some older ruins, and a few nice views of the sunset.  The museum looks like a converted warehouse, perfect setting for a modern art museum.  Admittedly, I don’t “get” most modern art, I find it thoroughly miserable and nihilistic.  There was one piece that looked like a blue tortilla chip, that was Tony’s favorite.  Louisa was pleasantly surprised to find Monet’s Sea-Roses (part of his Water Lillies series) in the collection; the work is very large (maybe 6′x10′).  The work is incredibly peaceful and soothing, a stark contrast to many of the works we saw.

The Millenium Bridge is right next to the museum, so of course we had to walk across it on our way over to the Tower Bridge.  Our aim for the evening’s stroll was to get some night photos of the city.  We didn’t have a tripod but did a decent job of using the bridges as a substitute.  Although we originally wanted to walk back up the Thames, it was getting chilly and we made do with a quick stroll around the Tower of London, pausing to admire the ruins near the outer wall, and on to the Tube.

We stayed downtown until about 8:30 and then made our way back to the train station, and back to the B&B.  Of course, we couldn’t resist the Thai & Co. restaurant at the end of the street, so we stopped in to get lamb Massaman curry and rice.  This was seriously good curry, and a perfect night time snack.