The last days in London

The last two days in London were jam-packed with sight-seeing, meeting relatives and getting a feel for London life and streets......no wonder there was no time for blogging!

Wednesday was just enormous. It began with a ride on the Underground to the Tower of London. Did I mention how impressive the London Underground is? (At least to a Melbourne train user). The trains simply keep on coming; we didn't need to consult timetables in advance. All we had to do is work out which connections we needed, and turn up on the right platform. If we missed a train, the longest we had to wait was about 3 minutes for the next one.

Anyhow, on Wednesday we went to the Tower and walked around the outside to begin with to check out the view - the main one being Tower Bridge - spectacular. I never realised how much colour there was in it, in the trim and suspension. I'm glad to have seen it.
We spent the whole morning at the Tower, and there is a lot to see there. A cousin, whom I haven't seen since I was a baby met us there and joined us in looking around which made it doubly special. The chambers used by Edward I remain and were very interesting, and I was also moved to see Traitors' Gate. When I was a teenager, I read everything I could get my hands on about the Tudors, and in particular Elizabeth I and so to see the gate by which she entered the Tower was something quite special for me.

The display of the Crown Jewels in Jewel House has been recently modernised, and includes video presentations with footage of the Coronation and various ceremonies overlayed with information about various items in the collection. This was very well done.

From the Tower, we all walked across Tower Bridge to the South bank of the Thames. Luckily for us, a sail barge with tall masts came down the river and the Bridge opened for it, and so we got to see this. (Also luckily, it came after we had crossed, and so we got to see it without being delayed by it LOL).

We had a lovely lunch on the south bank and then walked along the river past London Bridge and into Southwark. This was our first opportunity to really experience something of shops and street life.
Southwark has a beautiful cathedral which we visited. It contains a memorial to William Shakespeare who lived in the area, and after Southwark we walked up past the Globe Theatre to get to the Millenium Bridge and across to St Paul's.

St Paul's was beautiful too. My cousin and I climbed the 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery inside the dome, where it is said that if you whisper, it can be heard at the other side of the dome.
In the Crypt of St Pauls are buried many famous people, and we saw the tombs of Nelson, Wellington, Arthur Sullivan, Sir Christopher Wren and many others.

After the Cathederal closed, we had a drink in a nearby bar, then caught buses (double-deckers, naturally) back across London Bridge. Here we got an extra bonus, as we passed the market place in which the Diagon Alley scenes in the Harry Potter movies were filmed!

We met up with my cousin's husband and had dinner on the South bank, watching night fall and the Tower and Bridge light up. A huge day!!!!

The following day, Thursday, was our last in London, and we really made it count. As with the previous day, it began with a rail trip via the Underground. This time to Waterloo and then by National Rail to Hampton Court.

The morning was spent touring Hampton Court Palace - what a beautiful and historic place - especially to someone who has read about the Tudors! The detail in the kitchens (even down to the smells(!) really gives a sense of life in the Middle Ages. However, despite the clear Tudor references, parts of the Palace show very clearly the influences of the William and Mary period, and the work of Christopher Wren.

The gardens are beautiful as well, and as the sun came out for us that day, we probably saw them at just about their best.

Returning to the City by train, we went to Bond St. Station, and came out into Oxford Street. This was another opportunity to look at London shops and experience street life.
Handel's house is in this area, and is open to the public as a museum. This was something special too - to have been in the room where his works were composed! Well worth the visit.

But the day was not over yet! Walking up Oxford and Duke Streets brought us to Manchester Square, in which Hertford House contains the Wallace Collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century paintings. This is a large collection, and almost overwhelming.

This was the last stop for the day; I think that another month in London would not be long enough to see everything.