Morning
Today was an early rise, so that we could attend the Opening Ceremony at the Tower of London (established in 1066 by William the Conqueror). We were a little early for our appointed time, so Peter took us for a short walk onto Tower Bridge. Below is a picture of us with Tower Bridge behind us. It was drizzling a bit as you can see the umbrella in my hand.
The Tower of London is a Royal Palace and operates as such with Royal Guards who live in quarters on the Palace grounds. The ceremony was not flashy or drawn out, but it definitely showed the high regard and specific rituals when it comes to the Royal Family and their Palaces. We were lucky to have a Yeomen Warder, commonly called a Beefeater, explain the process before it began. In typical London fashion, it was raining for most of the short ceremony; however, after that it was a beautiful day.
Essentially the Opening Ceremony consists of unlocking the gates so that the public may enter the Palace. A Beefeater in a fancy uniform (see below) brings out the Royal Keys to unlock the gates at nine o'clock on the dot. Our Beefeater/commentator explained that there was only one time when the Palace was opened late (during a time of war). The Beefeater is escorted by four other guards who wear bearskin helmets and carry real weapons (as we were warned).
Essentially the Opening Ceremony consists of unlocking the gates so that the public may enter the Palace. A Beefeater in a fancy uniform (see below) brings out the Royal Keys to unlock the gates at nine o'clock on the dot. Our Beefeater/commentator explained that there was only one time when the Palace was opened late (during a time of war). The Beefeater is escorted by four other guards who wear bearskin helmets and carry real weapons (as we were warned).
The ceremony was short but worth the personal explanation and up-close view. The real bonus was that we were the first people inside the Tower (before the rest of the public), so we were also then the first ones through the exhibit of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom!! No lines!
The Crown Jewels were amazing to view! The most impressive for me were the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross which has a 530.2 carat diamond known as the Great Star of Africa. It is the world's largest colorless cut diamond. The Imperial State Crown is worn by the Queen at every State Opening of Parliament, so it is periodically removed from the collection to be used on official business.
The Crown Jewels were amazing to view! The most impressive for me were the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross which has a 530.2 carat diamond known as the Great Star of Africa. It is the world's largest colorless cut diamond. The Imperial State Crown is worn by the Queen at every State Opening of Parliament, so it is periodically removed from the collection to be used on official business.
After the Crown Jewels, we were free to explore the rest of the Tower of London including a vast array of armor, weapons, and instruments of torture that have been used in the Tower's bloody past (including Anne Boleyn's beheading in 1554). I think it was the White Tower that had 4 floors of different types of armor for men and horses. Swords, jousting poles, and rifles were also displayed. One level also showed replicas of torture devices which I did not look at for too long.
After the Tower of London, we took the Tube to Oxford Circus. Here we were free to grab a bite for lunch and do some shopping around Oxford Circus and Carnaby Street. The girls wanted to shop nonstop, so Peter, Jacob, Gunnar, and I ate at a quaint pub. After sustenance, we divided up to look around, and I did a little shopping although not like the girls.
Afternoon
Our next activity was quite fun: London Monarchy by Bicycle tour. We rode bicycles through Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James Park, and stopped at many monuments, statues, and landmarks. Our guide explained what each item was and how it fit into British history. We stopped outside of the rear of Kensington Palace (view from Kensington Gardens) and of course Buckingham Palace.
After that jolly time, we headed home via the Tube. As I said earlier, my students enjoyed riding the Tube and quickly became professional Tube riders. It was always interesting to watch native Londoners and tourists navigate the city. Today, we experienced buskers (aka musicians playing for money) on the Tube. Please note that I said ON the Tube not in the Tube station. Yes, there were some musicians playing the stations but not many. We had the pleasure of experiencing musicians jumping on the crowded Tube to play and sing for a literally packed house as we rode to the next stop. |
They were very talented musically but also in the fact that they never lost their balance since they were not holding on to any handles! Oddly we also watched a man rolling cigarette as he explained the process to us.
Evening
After another amazing dinner at a nearby restaurant, we set off for our evening Jack the Ripper walking tour. Our guide was great; he did not focus too much on the gory details (although he did show us one gruesome black and white picture). He described London in the time period of Jack the Ripper and how he might have been able to kill without detection. By the end he also gave the various theories of who Jack the Ripper was. The one theory that I was familiar with was the idea that it might have been a "doctor" who lived at one point in Rochester, New York (not too far from where my mother grew up).
The frightening nature of the tour was heightened by the fact that it was late evening when we were done, so we were literally walking around the same dark areas as Jack the Ripper. As we walked we passed several bars and pubs which of course meant some inebriated fools said things as we passed nothing bad, just obnoxious. We walked by an outdoor urinal contraption! At least that is what I thought it was, and Peter confirmed my assumption. Apparently some bars will not let patrons use the toilets, so these porta-urinals are placed on the streets on weekends. Who knew?
Today was an excellent day with a wide variety of interesting sites of London!
The frightening nature of the tour was heightened by the fact that it was late evening when we were done, so we were literally walking around the same dark areas as Jack the Ripper. As we walked we passed several bars and pubs which of course meant some inebriated fools said things as we passed nothing bad, just obnoxious. We walked by an outdoor urinal contraption! At least that is what I thought it was, and Peter confirmed my assumption. Apparently some bars will not let patrons use the toilets, so these porta-urinals are placed on the streets on weekends. Who knew?
Today was an excellent day with a wide variety of interesting sites of London!