Okay.... London. There was a 7am flight out of Hamburg Friday morning April 6. The nice thing was that got us there by 7:30 (London time) so we had a whole day to sight-see. Ken has posted a web album up under the link to the left that says "Photos". I'll give you a few pictures in this post but there are 27 more on our PicasaWeb site.
The first thing that we saw was the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. To be honest, this was really disappointing. First, we were neither close enough to the fence to see what was happening in the court yard nor were we close enough to the gates to see the troops entering or exiting. TIP: Get there early and get a spot on the fence. If you can't get on the fence, get by the left of center gate. I picked this picture because it gives you the feeling of being in the crowd and demonstrates a really cool feature of Ken's new camera. It can focus on one color in a shot while the rest is in black and white.
After that, we went to the Tower of London. This was my favorite place of the entire trip. When I was in London with Grandma and Grandpa Bredemeier, we did not go there. Part of the tour includes a tour by the Tower Yeomen Warders or "Beefeaters". (Apparently this is an unflattering term, so don't use it in front of them!) This was the best part. They make 100s of years of British royal history come alive. I didn't know beheadings could be so interesting. And remember "All this history could have been yours ... if you'd paid your taxes!" (according to our Beefeater guide. The tour is about 45 minutes and stays outside of all buildings except the chapel. You then can explore the insides of the buildings on your own. Also, the Crown Jewels are located here.
The last thing we did on Friday was go to the Tower Bridge. (Seen behind the Warder.) It is the most regal of bridges that cross the Thames, but it is not the London Bridge. That bridge is a real disappointment. No worries if it falls down.
Saturday, we signed up to take a bus tour of Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge. We would really recommend this trip. These are huge icons of England and there is no way that you'd be able to see them on your own with public transportation for the tour price. The tour guide also really adds to the learning. First was Windsor Castle. We got to see it and its state rooms, but did not have enough time to fully experience it. That is a drawback to the 3 in 1 day tour is that you are rather rushed. TIP: If you are on such a tour, skip Queen Anne's doll house to get into the State rooms twice as fast, and don't listen to every room on the stateroom audio tour. We did not have enough time to see St. George's Chapel.
Next was Bath. Both the City and the Roman Baths that are there are World Heritage Sites. Being there made me want a spa day! Interesting fact- the Romans lined the baths with lead to prevent the water from seeping out. They contained the water and poisoned their people. Great! (This was for all of you that lived through my lead poisoning prevention Masters Capstone project.) The drive there was also really beautiful. The pastures were green and the sheep were out grazing. The canola (as in the oil used for cooking) was in full yellow bloom which added color to the patchwork quilt of the fields.
Stonehenge was awe-inspiring. When I get to Heaven, I really want to ask God how it got there. The historians and scientists estimate that the stones were obtained from southern Wales which is 240 miles away. They didn't have vehicles then, so it is assumed that these were moved over log rollers that distance. And since the life expectancy of the human in the hunter/gatherer time period was 24 years, it had to have taken over 3 generations to move them all.
Saturday night we got back to the hotel in time to change for the Saturday night Easter mass at the Westminster Abbey. It was an experience. It was awe-inspiring when the organ and voices filled the stone church. It probably would have been been more powerful had we toured the building before worshipping there, but we couldn't fit it into the itinerary. I remember it being an interesting place when I was there in 1990. Every British monarch since William the Conqueror in the 11th century (with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII who were never crowned) has been crowned in the Abbey.
Easter Sunday morning we walked across the Thames to get some pictures of the Parliament Building and Big Ben. Ken took some great pictures, but they did not capture the brilliance of the sun glistening off of the gold gilding of the clock tower.
We then went to Easter service at London's other great sanctuary, St. Paul's Cathedral. The interior was filled with artwork. It would be a fascinating place to go with a tour guide. Maybe when Ken and I go back in 3-4 decades, we'll tour the churches.
After church, we went to Madame Tussauds wax museum. When we entered the first room, I was disappointed as to how crowded it was. Fortunately, the crowds thinned out a bit in the other rooms. This was a fun alternative to all the historical tours we'd taken. Ken gave Superman a few tips before I was rescued me from the Incredible Hulk. I bumped into the queen while we were there. She and Prince Charles are regular visitors. They brought William and Harry along this time.Ken then surprised me with a walk through Regent's Park. We went to Primrose Hill which gives one of the best views of London. The weather was beautiful all weekend (low 70's and sun) so the park was packed.
Our last excursion was the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War rooms. The museum was probably the most confusing that I've ever been in. The war rooms were really interesting but the package wasn't worth the price.
Speaking of price, England is EXPENSIVE!!!! The exchange rate between the dollar and the British pound is 2:1 and then the prices are the same, so everything is literally twice as expensive. We are so blessed to be living in Germany not England. Hamburg also has a better subway system. You can't even hear the station announcements on the London "tube" and the ride is very bumpy. All said, this was a wonderful trip, but one that we don't plan on repeating for a long while due to the costs.
Kristy
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