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London Trip Report - Day 4 - May 9, 2005
We got up early today so we could try fit some things in. Most everything here, including stores close at 6. We walked into McDonalds to think about having a quick, cheap breakfast. We found that they did not serve biscuits. You got a McMuffin or you got it on a hamburger bun. We decided to see if Burger King had their croissants that we are used to. They only had buns. My sausage and egg on a bun also had a hidden surprise...ketchup! It wasn't too bad but it was a little strange.
We continued our morning by catching the double decker tour bus again. We made a whole round from Piccadilly Circus. It's over a 2 hour ride. The tour guide had us in stitches. He was a riot. It was also nice to have a different tour guide because he told us different things than the other guy did yesterday. If only I could remember all those tidbits of information!
After getting off the bus, we walked to Trafalger Square. They were still tearing down the stanging and such from the big concert they had there on Sunday night. Right behind Trafalger Square is the National Gallery. It is free to the public. We went in and nearly got lost. There are thousands of paintings in there. We saw works by such artists as Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Van Gogh, and Renoir. Both us us were having problems with coughing and dry eyes because of the humidity limiting equipment in the building.
After the National Gallery, we walked next door to the National Portrait Gallery. We went in just to see the Frida Kahlo pictures. They had pictures from when she was a small child all the way up to her on her deathbed. It was very interesting.
About a block away was our next stop...Leicester Square where the TKTS (half price ticket line) is located. I was able to get a 14th row seat to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest masterpiece "The Woman In White". We then walked around the square. This place equates to London's version of Grahmans Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Most movies premier here. There are handprints from some movie stars as well as a statue of Charlie Chaplin.
From here, Linda and I decided to split ways for the afternoon. I needed to find a store so I could get a cable to hookup my camera to this laptop and Linda had some things she wanted to see today. I walked several blocks to where I'd seen a camera shop the other day from the bus we were on. After I got the equipment I needed, I traveled via the Underground to the Bond Street station. A few blocks from there is the Handel House museum. It is the former residence of the famous composer Handel. Unfortunately, I found that it was closed on Mondays. Perhaps I'll make it back here before the week is over. As I walked back it started to pour down rain. I stopped in the little mall at the Underground station and looked around a bit. Then I hopped a train to Westminister station.
From Westminister I walked to the Italian restaurant we ate at on Saturday. I just ordered Spaghetti Bolognese (spaghetti with meat sauce). It arrived very quickly and was probably the best thing I've eaten since I got here. Everyone said the food here would be aweful. I wouldn't say it's been aweful but it's certainly not been great.
After eating I walked to the London Aquarium. It is a free admission with our London Pass we bought. They had some nice displays but overall it was very dissapointing compared to the aquarium I saw in New Orleans recently.
I went back to Westminister Station and hopped a train going to London Bridge Station where I could go see the HMS Belfast. It is a former Navy ship that was used during WWII. By the time I got there, it was nearly closing time so I did not go in. I decided to just walk around and see what was around. I took some pictures around Southwark Cathedral that the driver of the tour bus had pointed out to us. From there, I walked across London Bridge into "Bank City". It is the banking center of London. It is very much like the financial district of New York City. It is a very fast pace life around there. From Bank City, I walked west on a road that changes names many times. I grew tired of walking and decided to catch the Underground back to Piccadilly where I rested for short while.
Later in the evening, I changed into nicer clothes and walked down to The Palace Theatre to see "The Woman In White". When I sat down and opened my program, I was very excited to see that Maria Friedman was appearing in the show. She is well known to the London Theatre and also to those who bought the DVD of the remake of "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". She is the narrator in the movie. She was wonderful in this show as expected. The show was ok in the first half but during the second half it became very entrancing. It was amazing. The set is very technologically advanced, using white walls to display images to represent the set. I highly recommend it.
Now it is just after 1 AM and time for bed. There is still much to see and do!
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Nelson's Column in Trafalger Square. |
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An interesting view of Trafalger Square...through a passing double decker bus. You can see the stage set up for the special concert they had. |
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A closer picture of Nelson's Column in Trafalger Square. |
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An amazing group of condos along the edge of Hyde Park. |
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This is a small parking lot next to The Stag, a gay bar. We found it humorous that the small sign (center of the picture) says OUT. |
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"Little Ben" with Victoria Station in the background. This working clock was a wedding gift for Prince Charles and Princess Diana. |
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Architectural details on the Thistle Victoria Hotel. |
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Architectural details on the Thistle Victoria Hotel. |
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Architectural details on the Thistle Victoria Hotel. |
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The towers of Westminister Abbey. |
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A statue of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge on Whitehall. |
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Architectural details along Whitehall. |
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Architectural details along Whitehall. |
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The famous pigeons of Trafalger Square. |
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A statue of American President George Washington. |
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A sign about the CCTV (Closed Circuit Television). "Big Brother" is watching your every move in London. |
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A sign outside the national portrait gallery for the special exhibition of Frida Kahlo portraits. |
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In Leicester Square, they are putting up signs for the upcoming premiere of "Star Wars: Episode III". The other sign is for "Kingdom Of Heaven" starring Orlando Bloom who grew up not far from London. |
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Pierce Brosnan's handprints in Leicester Square. |
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Richard Attenborough's handprints in Leicester Square. |
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A Charlie Chaplin statue in Leicester Square. |
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A statue in the middle of Leicester Square. |
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A casino in Leicester Square. |
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The Handel House museum. This is the former residence of composer Handel. |
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Fish at The London Aquarium. |
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Fish at The London Aquarium. |
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Fish at The London Aquarium. |
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Some casino games at The London Aquarium. I believe the max jackpot was only 5 pounds. |
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Westminister Station on the Underground. This was the most updated/modern station that I saw. There were extra safety devices installed. |
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Southwark Cathedral. |
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Southwark Cathedral. |
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Southwark Cathedral with a surrounding meditation garden. |
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Irises bloming in the gardens around Southwark Cathedral. |
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The side of Southwark Cathedral. Notice the flying buttresses. |
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The Monument in Bank City. |
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The Monument in Bank City. |
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The marquee for Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Woman In White" at The Palace Theatre. |
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The marquee for Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Woman In White" at The Palace Theatre. |
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