This past Saturday, March 13th, four of us, Daniel, me and our friends, Jim and Jan C., all flew into London... two other couples, Jen and Mick P. and Karine and Justin H., were already there. After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we were off... first we made our way through the parks in central London, including Hyde Park and Green Park, and eventually found ourselves in front of Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria Memorial.
After snapping a few pictures in front of the palace, we continued on toward Parliament. We first got a glimpse of Big Ben... I should say the clock tower that houses Big Ben since Big Ben is actually the bell! As you approach, there is also a red telephone booth... two London icons in one great shot. Of course, we had to take a couple of photos with both.
Just across the street is Westminster Abbey, where England's royalty has been crowned since William the Conqueror in 1066. We met up with the rest of our group in front of the famed church because we were all going to attend the afternoon choral service called Evensong. Not surprisingly, since it is considered a worship service, we weren't allowed to take pictures or video, but please take my word that it is a beautiful church and the singing was absolutely gorgeous! Harmonies soaring to the heavens! After the Evensong service, we walked across the Thames River, enjoying more views of Parliament and the London Eye. Soon, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening's activities.
Saturday night, six of us took the Tube to the Apollo Victoria Theatre to see what has become one of my all-time favorite musicals... Wicked! It was our second time to see it, and once again, it was amazing. It was fun to hear it with a British accent... and I had to stopped myself throughout the show from singing along out loud :) Afterwards, we grabbed some food and drinks at a nearby Mexican place... overall, it was a really great night.
On Sunday morning, we decided to take the ferry up the Thames towards the Tower of London. Walking along the river and once on the boat, we had some more good views of the London Eye and Big Ben.
During the ferry ride, we saw some of London's sights along the way... the dome of St. Paul's cathedral, a recreation of Shakespeare's Globe, the Tate Modern museum, and we even went under London Bridge... which actually is the most boring looking bridge ever. The famous one with the towers, often mistakenly called London Bridge though aptly named Tower Bridge, is just down the river. You get a great view of it and the HMS Belfast as you approach and dock near the Tower of London.
We made our way up to the Tower of London... as we walked through the gate, we saw a Beefeater tour had just started. Officially called Yeoman Warders, the Beefeaters are the guards of the Tower, and they share their expert historical knowledge with all who visit this legendary landmark. They're called Beefeaters because back in the day, part of their payment included a ration of beef, which was then very expensive... this set them apart for the general public, who started to refer to them as "Beefeaters" and the name stuck.
Since we were actually coming back to the Tower of London for a guided night tour on Monday, we decided to walk around and check it out on our own during the day. The walls surrounding the fortress provide nice vantage points to take it all in.
Eventually we made our way to the Jewel House, where the Crown Jewels are on exhibit. Once again, we weren't allowed to take photos inside, but trust me, the jewels are exquisite! Then it was on to the central stronghold, the White Tower, built by William the Conqueror. Inside, medieval artifacts are displayed, including swords, artillery, and suits of armor... oh, and don't forget the block and axe that were used for many beheadings during England's bloody past.
After exploring the interior chambers of the Tower of London, with growling stomachs we went and grabbed some fish and chips to take back on the ferry... this time we were heading further east towards Greenwich, located just beyond London on the Thames. First we went under the Tower Bridge, then we enjoyed hanging out during the relaxing 30 minute ride... I was also thrilled to get this great group shot of all of us.
Pulling into Greenwich, first thing you see is the Old Royal Naval College. From there, walking inland for a little while, you arrive at the Royal Observatory, which is surrounded by a peaceful park. Located on the Prime Meridian, the observatory is the point from which all time is measured, hence the term, "Greenwich Mean Time." The Prime Meridian is clearly marked, allowing you to stand in both eastern and western hemispheres at the same time... and there is a pretty good view back towards London too.
Since I had made plans to meet up with Leisa, a friend from grad school, at a pub in London, Daniel and I were soon back on the ferry heading west on the Thames. On the way to Waxy O'Connors, we passed by Trafalgar Square, where there was a huge St. Patrick's Day festival going on. Once we arrived at the pub, it was clear the Irish festivities were occurring there too... despite the craziness in there, it was good to catch up with Leisa while Daniel enjoyed the band.
By evening, our friends had returned from Greenwich, so we met up with them to catch the London by Night bus tour. I already knew that taking photos at night is pretty difficult as is taking photos on a moving bus... now try doing both at the same time! It proved quite hard, but I gave it my best shot. It was pretty neat to hear the history behind the sights and to see them all lit up at night. Some of the places we passed during the tour included Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, the London Eye, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Monument to the Great Fire of London, and the Tower Bridge. By the time the tour was over, the monotone voice of our guide had lulled us all into sleepiness, so we called it a day.
Monday, March 15th was the big day... my 30th Birthday! Although the weather had been nice in London so far, Monday was even sunnier and more beautiful... I knew from the start it was going to be a good day! First, we had croissants and muffins by some pretty church ruins near St. Paul's cathedral... then, we went over to see the main cathedral of the Anglican Church. Unfortunately, we couldn't take photos inside, but I would say that it reminded me of St. Peter's in Rome, just not as grandiose. Even still, it was stunning. After enjoying the church's interior, we headed up to the dome... despite my "old age" I was able to make up to the top :) The reward was expansive views of London... what a fantastic vantage point.
Up next on our agenda was the Changing of the Guard, so we jumped back on the Tube and made our way to Buckingham Palace. We got there in the nick of time too... within minutes, the "new guard" came marching towards the palace. Our friends, Karine and Justin, were standing in another spot so we were able to get pictures from different angles... thanks to Karine for sharing her photos! Soon the soldiers had made their way into the palace courtyard, so we ran over to get a closer look... at first I was a bit back from the fence, but as the ceremony went on I was able to work my way forward. During the Changing of the Guard, the "new guard" gets inspected while the band plays, and then the "old guard" marches away... the Horse Guards make an exit too. I have to admit the ceremony itself wasn't all that exciting, but I am glad to say I have seen it. Oh, and if you are wondering why they are not in red uniforms, like we did, it's because they are wearing their winter coats.
Our friends, Mick and Jen, had flown back to Frankfurt early that morning, so after the Changing of the Guard, the six of us decided to have lunch nearby at the original Hard Rock Cafe. Following the very yummy meal, our waitress asked me to stand on my chair while the whole restaurant sang "Happy Birthday" to me... needless to say, I was pretty embarrassed, but at least I got to enjoy the sundae afterwards :)
Feeling quite satiated, we enjoyed a stroll through St. James Park, past the home of the Horse Guards and down Whitehall, home to many of Britain's political institutions including #10 Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives. We eventually made our way to Parliament with hopes of going in to see the House of Commons or House of Lords in action, but unfortunately there was a very long wait... so we all went back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for the night's festivities.
We started the evening with dinner at a wine bar... and everyone looked so nice all dressed up! The reason we were wearing dresses and suits was because, after dinner, we were heading to the Tower of London for the Ceremony of Keys, which is considered a formal event. Thankfully, through Daniel's work connections, we were able to attend this private affair. It starts with a night tour of the grounds, led by a Beefeater... I guess since it was after hours, he wasn't required to wear his uniform. At the beginning of the tour, you have a lovely view of the Tower Bridge, and then Crawford, our Beefeater guide, told us tales from the Tower's legendary history as he led us through the dark around the fortress. The final stop on the tour was the Chapel of St. Peter in Chains, where many of the prisoners executed at the Tower of London are now buried beneath the floor.
Following the tour, we headed toward the Beefeater's pub... all 35 Beefeaters and their families actually live on the grounds of the Tower of London. Our guide called it their own little village, and as he asserted, every village needs their own pub :) We enjoyed a drink and looking at all the memorabilia on its walls while waiting for the Ceremony of the Keys to begin.
At half past nine, we headed back outside to hear the history behind the Ceremony of the Keys. Then at ten till ten, we were assembled, ready to witness the ceremony. Since we were not allowed to take photos or video during it, I found the video below online that does a very good job of explaining it, showing much of what we saw during the ceremony that night. If interested, please take a few minutes to watch it.
Although the ceremony is quite short and simplistic, I found it so neat because it has been conducted in the same manner uninterrupted for over 700 years! It was fine with me that it was only about 7 minutes long because it was pretty cold that night! We went back to the pub to warm up and enjoy the evening for a little while longer... we couldn't believe that we had just been locked into the Tower of London! Thankfully, when we decided to call it a night, they actually let us leave :) Attending the Ceremony of the Keys was definitely icing on the cake... it was an amazing 30th birthday and a wonderful long weekend! I really appreciate everything Daniel did to make it happen it!
Now back in Frankfurt, we are enjoying some down time for the rest of March. Before we start traveling again in April, I do hope to get some more "back blogging" done, so please check back again soon. Until then, God bless!
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