Mind the Gap!

An entrance to one of the gardens originally used by the monks of Westminster Abbey centuries ago

                October was busier with school and a couple of colds, but I decided to not let that stop me from exploring outside the Riviera a little. Conveniently, Europe has three or four budget airlines that provide cheap flights to places as long as you book them a couple of weeks ahead of time. So, in a rather spur-of-the-moment decision I booked a flight to one of the places I've always dreamed of visiting—London.

                Now, one of the disadvantages of a budget airline is that, well, they try to make up for the fact that they’re a budget airline by charging for everything extra they can, including checked luggage, which costs about €24 (about $30) per bag. So I just packed everything I thought I would need in my backpack, and, believe me, it was so full that I could hardly close all of the zippers.

                My flight was a night flight on a Thursday, but thankfully it only lasted about two hours. I flew into London Luton Airport north of the main city with no problem and took a bus from the airport to Central London to Baker Street Station. (Yes, that is THE Baker Street.) I had found a convenient hostel in Central London right across the street from the Great Portland Street Tube station, so I walked about twenty minutes from Baker Street to Great Portland Street in the much colder and wetter London weather. It didn’t take long to notice everyone driving on the wrong side of the road, but the Brits have been kind enough to mark on the streets at every crosswalk, “LOOK RIGHT” or “LOOK LEFT” as needed.

I guess they figured they should help people out when people kept on almost getting run over because they looked the wrong way before crossing the street.

The Tube goes down what appear to be tubes, hence the name.

                So, anyway, about the hostel: It was definitely a unique experience. The security was really good and the staff were very nice. I had a bunk in a 10-bed male dorm with a community room with showers and toilets. Granted, it was definitely not as clean or as nice as a hotel, but then it was only £24 a night. I’m just glad that I was provided with a throw-away mat for my feet! Also, there was only one rather sleazy guy in the room (a Spanish dude with a drinking problem), but he was summarily kicked out the next day for repeatedly bringing alcohol into the hostel. Most of the others that I heard talking were Eastern Europeans who kept to themselves. They didn’t look like the cleanest people in the world (one of them had a ponytail that looked to not have been washed for a VERY long time), but they didn’t bother me, and I didn’t bother them.

                One of the mistakes I made before I came was not planning out my tours very well. I had just thought, “I’m going to go sightseeing in London” and didn’t think that it might be wise to figure out what sights to see beforehand since I only had two days (Friday and Saturday). But anyway, I decided to go see the Tower of London on Friday afternoon and went over to the Tube station since the London Tube (i.e., the subway) is the quickest and cheapest way to get around if you don’t mind going up and down stairways and escalators all the time.

Looks rather grim even today, doesn't it?

The memorial on the Tower Green for the ones who were beheaded there. Only 20 people or so were executed here, since it was considered a privilege to be executed on the Tower Green. Most people were beheaded outside the Tower on Tower Hill. Around the edge of the light blue glass is written, "Gentle visitor pause awhile : where you stand death cut away the light of many days : here jewelled names were broken from the vivid thread of life : may they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courage : under these restless skies." The names of those executed here are written along the bottom.

                So, the Tower of London: it’s bigger than I thought it would be. When you hear the word tower, you usually think of ONE tower, right? Not here. No, there are actually over twenty towers contained in the “Tower of London” built over hundreds of years since the time of William the Conqueror. I saw such sights as Traitors’ Gate, a water gate from which such notables as Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and Elizabeth I (when imprisoned by her sister Queen Mary) were led up into the Tower to be imprisoned. One of the Yeoman Warders took us to the Chapel Royal of St. Peter Ad Vincula, where some of the same notable prisoners went before being executed on Tower Hill or just outside on the Tower Green. In fact, Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are buried around the chapel’s altar, and restorers in the 19^th century found the headless bodies of no fewer than 1500 people buried underneath the chapel floor. (One thing I learned from my trip to London is that you cannot escape hearing about some death or deaths.)

Since I didn’t have time to tour all the towers, I decided to do the essentials. First stop: the Jewel House. I was excited to see that a regiment of the world famous Scots Guards protects the Crown Jewels in the Jewel House and eagerly pictures of the ones I saw. Unfortunately, I was told after snapping one picture inside that pictures are not allowed. Thus I cannot show pictures of St. Edward’s Crown and all the Coronation spoons, the Orb, scepters, swords, and maces that I saw all glittering with gold and jewels worth more than I will probably make in my entire life. The British have done a fantastic job of arranging the Jewel House. One begins by seeing on the wall some explanation of the history of the Crown Jewels and a video about the English Civil War, when many of the Crown Jewels were destroyed or sold off by the Roundheads. Then there is a video of part of the coronation of Elizabeth II while the coronation anthem “Zadok the Priest” by Handel plays over a surround sound system. As you view each item in the coronation, there is written on the wall the part of the coronation script where that piece is given to the new monarch. Then in a veritable climax you see St. Edward’s Crown, the actual crown placed on the monarch’s head at the climax of the coronation. I had goosebumps you wouldn’t believe the entire time I was there!

After that, I decided to go tour the White Tower, which is the original Tower of London built by William the Conqueror near London just after his conquest in 1066. Today it houses displays from the Royal Armoury, including armor of almost every king from the reign of Henry VIII to George VI, the father of Elizabeth II, ceremonial swords, and gifts sent from foreign rulers to the king. Unfortunately, I did not have a lot of time to see much more of the Tower of London, but what I did see was enough to make me say to myself, “Next time years from now when I’m in London again…”

It was getting to be about 7:30 by the time I got back to the hostel. Unfortunately, I missed supper, BUT I remembered seeing the night before on Baker Street a Pizza Hut (!!). Now, you have to realize that Pizza Hut is practically nonexistent in France, so I couldn’t resist. I went there and had a nice ham pizza that didn’t really taste a lot like actual American Pizza Hut, but it was a good English approximation. I just had to take a picture of it!

Ah, Pizza Hut! It's been too long! Having coucous from the buffet was unique, but hey! It was good anyway!

After having wasted a few hours planning what to do on Friday, I decided that night on a rough itinerary for Saturday since I had a lot of places still that I wanted to see. I had already booked a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament and so decided to fit in Westminster Abbey right across the street and Buckingham Palace.

First, before going to the Houses of Parliament, I visited St. Margaret’s Church next door to Westminster Abbey. Though definitely smaller than its neighbor, it has a lot of history contained in it as well, as evidenced by the large amounts of plaques on the wall in memory of various people, and hidden among all these plaques are some more famous ones such as Milton, who went to church here, and Olaudah Equiano, the former slave who helped William Wilberforce in his fight against slavery in Great Britain. In addition, Sir Walter Raleigh himself is buried by the altar.

"When you hear the tone, the time will be..."

The Houses of Parliament were amazing to say the least. They don’t resemble much the original houses from medieval times, since the only original building is Westminster Hall built by King William II in 1097, and you can tell its age by the Romanesque style with massive wooden beams holding up a towering ceiling. I could only take pictures of this room, but I took plenty! Westminster Hall is also where Charles I and William Wallace were tried and where famous British dignitaries such as Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother have lain in state.

Leaving the stone and wood Westminster Hall, one enters into a world of gilt, crystal, and magnificent artistry from the time of Queen Victoria. Paintings from important moment s of British history like the Battles of Waterloo and Trafalgar and the English Civil War adorn the walls, while busts of important people are found all over. Our tour walked through these rooms while the tour guide pointed out various points along the route Queen Elizabeth walks when she opens Parliament each year. Eventually we ended up in the House of Lords, with red and gold seen everywhere. At one end of the room is an enormous golden throne where the queen sits to open Parliament. We were not allowed to sit on the benches because they are strictly reserved for members.

After the House of Lords, we made our way to the House of Commons, which has themes of green and gold. Before going into the actual House, the tour guide pointed out the unique way that the House of Commons uses for voting. There are two rooms next to the House: the Yea Room and the Nay Room. Whenever there is a vote, a bell is rung for eight minutes, making some members have to literally run back to the House of Commons. (Parts from the movie Amazing Grace come to mind.) The members gather themselves into the two rooms depending on whether they are for or against the bill in question, and each side is counted as the members walk into the House.

The House itself is comparatively new, having been destroyed by a German bomb during the Battle of Britain in World War II and rebuilt under the direction of Churchill. All of the reminders of the terrible bombing have been erased—except one. The old damaged entryway into the House was kept intact by Churchill’s decision as a reminder to the members of the horrors of war.

In the antechamber are statues of important prime ministers, including Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. Apparently some people have objected to the statue of Margaret Thatcher because she is not carrying her usual purse on her arm while she points at someone with her finger.

The House of Commons was rebuilt exactly like it was before, except with some more advanced technology, green cushions, etc. People had considered having it “modernized” to accommodate all the members (some members have to sit up in the balcony because there is not enough space). However, Churchill objected because he said it would not be the same without being able to stare down your opponents on the other side. For those of you curious why it was set up that way in the first place, I learned an interesting fact: Before the king gave Parliament a place for the House of Commons several hundred years ago, it was actually a chapel. And now you know the rest of the story…

You can definitely see some of the same stuff you see in cathedrals in France.

Next, Westminster Abbey: Where to begin! Well, I couldn’t take pictures in the actual cathedral, just in the cloisters and gardens. Let me tell you, though, that it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! The towering Gothic ceiling is unlike anything I have ever seen, and the stained glass is also astounding! I was not able to go up to the high altar though because the floor is an intricate tiled floor from the 1200s.

Over the main door of the abbey. I can't imagine how much time it took to put in such intricate sculpture work!

Part of the Great Cloister just outside the main cathedral.  Each one of those black slabs is someone's grave. Note all of the memorials on the wall.

The Choir of Westminster Abbey being dismissed from rehearsal

Now, one thing to know about the English, as evidenced by the chapel in the Tower of London, is that they love burying people in churches. They went all out here. You cannot walk five steps before walking over large slabs with inscriptions, sometimes in Latin and sometimes in older English. Numerous little chapels branch off the main church. Some of these chapels are dedicated to saints, and some to kings. Henry VII’s chapel contains the tombs of Henry VII and his wife as well as some other royals, and next to the chapel, on the left, is the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I with her sister Queen Mary I buried underneath her. On the top o f the tomb is a statue of Queen Elizabeth lying in repose. On the other side, built by James I to rival Queen Elizabeth’s chapel, is the tomb of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, who was beheaded by Queen Elizabeth. I was also able to visit the Poets’ Corner, where such notables as Geoffrey Chaucer, George Frederick Handel, Robert Browning, and Charles Dickens are buried. On the wall in front of Handel’s grave is a statue of him holding part of the score of his Messiah: the beginning of “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” I also saw the bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the only American poet to be honored with a bust in the Poets’ Corner. It was interesting trying to find it. You have to realize that there are busts and statues EVERYWHERE, so it’s hard to locate one statue. I asked one of the people working there, but he did not seem to even know who Longfellow was. However, after asking several other people, he finally found the bust. Toward the end of my tour I heard the magnificent organ playing for the famous Choir of Westminster Abbey, who were warming up for rehearsal. Now THAT was amazing. Here I had just walked down the aisle to the altar, and then the choir that sang at the wedding of William and Kate was rehearsing! Wow…

Anyway, the cloisters were very beautiful, one of the oldest parts of the abbey as evidenced by the more Romanesque architecture. I saw the oldest door in merrie olde Englande, a door built during the reign of Edward the Confessor around 1050. (I was actually able to touch it!!!)

Looks pretty good for being almost one thousand years old!

You can probably tell that I spent quite a lot of time, actually four or five hours, in the abbey. I thought about taking the Tube to Buckingham Palace, but I thought I should walk a little at least, since the palace isn’t too terribly far from the abbey. So I walked down a tree-lined street next to St. James’s Park and walked up to the Palace with the magnificent Victoria Memorial in front. The gates to the palace were closed, but I did take pictures in front of the gates. 

Anybody home?

Victoria is found everywhere in London, and for good reason too!

Trafalgar Square with Nelson's Column in the middle

I then decided to walk down the Mall through the Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square. While taking pictures in front of the National Portrait Gallery, I noticed Big Ben lit up in the distance, it being about five or six o’clock by now. I thought to myself, “I really wish I could get some good pictures of London at night,” and then thought, “Well, why not? I can just go back out after I eat supper!” It was so much fun, even though it started raining again! I first ate a quick supper back at my hostel and then took the Tube all over Central London, first to 221B Baker Street, which was absolutely awesome; Tower Bridge, which I walked across of course; then to St. Paul’s Cathedral, although I didn’t see the Bird Lady there; then to London Bridge, which is still here but not all it’s cracked up to be; then to Westminster again to take pictures of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey and walk across Westminster Bridge. I also managed to take a video of Big Ben chiming eleven o’clock!

I was sad to leave London on Sunday, but I must say I smirked when the captain on the airplane told us that it was a balmy 70 degrees in Nice (whereas it was 50 degrees in London and beginning to rain yet again). I heard almost everyone on the aircraft breathe a sigh of relief. On the way back, I wrote in my journal while gazing out the window at Paris and the beautiful fields of central France.

You could definitely tell I had been somewhere north of Nice because I was lugging two jackets and a sweater in 80-degree weather in Nice. I felt like I was home, though, when I heard everyone speaking French again. I thought to myself, “That’s rather ironic to feel comforted to hear a foreign language after being in an English-speaking country.”

Overall, I am so glad I was able to have the opportunity to see one of the places I had read and seen so much about! It is one of my fondest memories of my study abroad experience.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum, located at--you guessed it--221B Baker Street.

Tower Bridge. I never knew you could string so many lights on one bridge!

"Early each day to the steps of St. Paul's..."

The London Eye. Wasn't able to go up it this time. Maybe next time....

What's London without a little rain and a lot of street lamps?

I took pictures of Big Ben from every aspect I could easily take a  picture from. It was an interesting task balancing an umbrella and a camera and periodically wiping the camera lens clean of raindrops with my scarf.

Probably one of my faves from London.

Black and white is awesome.

Maybe someday I'll be able to go to all the places pointed out.