London

Day One

We started in Edgeware, a district of northern Greater London, in the London Borough of Barnet. The name “Edgeware Road” is also used to refer to the area of London, immediately to the north of Marble Arch. After checking into our hotel, we wandered down Edgeware Road to the Marble Arch and Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park.

Designed in 1827 by John Nash, the Marble Arch originally sat in front of Buckingham Palace as its gateway.  In 1851 it was moved to its present site on the northeast corner of Hyde Park.  Nash modeled the arch based on the Arch of Constantine in Rome.

This is a Lebanese area.  Every store (except for a Starbucks) was Lebanese.  On our way back, we stopped at Al Dar (one of the restaurants) for a snack.  We were the only non-Arabs in the restaurant—we took that as a recommendation.  The food was good and we were well treated.

Speakers’ Corner is located on the northeast edge of Hyde Park, nearest Marble Arch and Oxford Street.  In 1872, an act of parliament set aside this part of Hyde Park for public speaking.  Historic figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell were known to often use the area to demonstrate free speech.  Even today, on a Sunday morning, it’s not unusual to find crowds gathering at Speakers’ Corner to listen to enthusiasts expounding their views. Anyone can turn up unannounced to speak on any subject, as long as the police consider their speeches lawful.

We booked “A Taste of London” dinner and cruise for the evening.  We were picked up at the hotel and taken to The Butchers Hook and Cleaver for a traditional pub dinner.  Both Bob and I had fish and chips, which came wrapped in newspaper (obviously printed for the occasion).  Across the road from the pub was a plaque marking the spot that Braveheart—William Wallace–was drawn and quartered.  We enjoyed the food and drink.

Then we headed to the pier to board the boat for the river Thames cruise.  It has started raining, so we sat inside and took pictures through the glass.  We went under most of he bridges and saw many of the famous sites.  The new Millennium footbridge was very interesting.

Day Two–Tour of London

We went down the Great North Road to the Hanging Tree at Marble Arch, through the Mayfair area, to the Embassy district.  We saw Governor Square and Berekley Square where the queen was born.  Then we went to Piccadilly Circus with its statue of Eros.  We continued past Trafalger Square with its Blue Rooster and Lord Nelson’s statue and past St. Martin’s in the Fields—one of the places Tim told us to visit.

Next we toured the City of London, which is one square mile. Dragons mark entrance to the City of London,  striking, metallic boundary markers guarding the historic “Square Mile.” About fourteen of these winged creatures stand on plinths facing outwards at major entry points, holding the red and white City of London coat of arms to signify the district’s independence and separate government.  Going down Regents Street, Mayfair is on the right and Soho is on the left.  We viewed Whitehall government buildings, Parliament Square and Westminster Bridge, which leads to the Florence Nightingale Museum.  There are over 20 bridges in London.  We passed The Shard—the tallest building in Europe.

In the afternoon we toured the Florence Nightingale Museum. Then the Globe Theater. However it was more about the Crimean War and Nursing positions, than Florence Nightingale.  It was there we learned we qualified for Concession admission—their variety of Senior rates.  After the museum, we asked about lunch locations and walked a ways past the London Eye to an Arts Center where we found a Ping Pong restaurant and ate.  We still had time, so we walked back to the Westminster Bridge, across it, admiring the views of all the landmarks, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben to Westminster Abbey.  We got in on the last tour of the Abbey for the day.  

The Abbey was first dedicated in 1065.  Every monarch since the 1300s has been crowned in the Abbey.  The coronation chair does not look special at all, though it was once gilded.  As we finished up, the boys choir was practicing for Evensong.  I was sitting in Poets’ Corner under the bust of William Blake listening to the music.  I learned that Queen Mary is not the same as Mary Queen of Scots, though my knowledge of that period is still hazy.  After the Abbey, we took the tube back to the hotel from St. James Square and had some down time before dinner.

We learned about a pub down the street from a couple at breakfast.  So we tried that.  It was called Chapel on Chapel Street.  I had a steak; Bob had kangaroo.  It was great.