When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life...

Big Ben

A pithy observation by Samuel Johnson in 1777, which is probably still pertinent today.  Where to even begin?  We flew into Stansted (one of London's five international airports) six days ago, and we've been burning the candle at both ends ever since.  With so much to see and do, we feel a little like chickens running around with our heads cut off.  Unfortunately, we did have to devote several hours to doing a little bit of shopping; we didn't have any warm clothes whatsoever and we're finding it a little brisk.  Thankfully, we quickly got that out of the way and were able to wander the streets, hop on the underground "Tube", walk along the Thames and see London Bridge, Tower Bridge and Big Ben.  Sightseeing in London is fairly easy to do, especially since it seems there are fantastic old buildings, churches and monuments at every turn.  Certain things are reasonably priced, but others are outrageous.  St. Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles & Diana were married, charges 25 £ to get in the door, and no photography is permitted.  So we admired the exterior and kept on moving.  On the other hand, the British Museum was free.  

at the British Museum

We wandered in, spending the better part of a day, and it still felt rather hurried and cursory.  A week would be more appropriate for this collection; there are over 7 million objects from all over the world.  Seeing the Rosetta Stone was in and of itself well worth the visit.  As we marveled at the beautiful Egyptian & Greek artifacts, I couldn't help but think that these pieces belonged back in the country of their origin.  A sign board addressed this, indicating that, though this has been considered in recent years, the hazards of transportation are too great to chance such a move.


Tower of London

The Tower of London was set up in 1066 and can be said to have been a fortress, a palace and a prison, among other things.   The Crown Jewels are housed here, and this is one of the reasons there are 35 yeoman warders, also known as "the Beefeaters" who actually live at the Tower of London.  We were able to see the crowns, scepters and other regalia, but of course, no photos were allowed.  Under thick glass, the gems and jewels sparkled, and it was surreal to see such famous pieces as the Koh-i-Noor and the Cullinan I and Cullinan II diamonds (the Great and Lesser Stars of Africa at 530 and 317 carats respectively).  The other place within the Tower of London where photography was not permitted was the Chapel Royal of Peter ad Vincula.  This church is in the inner ward of the tower, near the place of execution on tower green.  It's a burial place of some of the most famous prisoners executed at the tower, such as Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, St. Thomas More and John Fisher.  One can attend services every Sunday at the chapel, though it's eerie to know that Anne Boleyn's ghost is said to haunt the chapel.  She has even been seen walking around the White Tower holding her head under her arm....  Speaking of creepy, another disturbing thing to see is the preserved etchings & messages carved in the stone by prisoners of old.  Particularly in the 16th century, prisoners were tortured in the Tower using the rack, manacles and the "Scavenger's daughter".   On a lighter note, in the 1600s, the royal astronomer complained to the king that ravens were interfering with his celestial observations.  Charles II was going to do away with them, when he ominously received word from a soothsayer that killing the six ravens would mean the fall of the Kingdom and the Tower.  Whether out of tradition, or superstition, ravens have been kept ever since and today, there are eight (an extra two, just in case)!

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey has to be one of the most splendid cathedrals on the planet.  I would urge everyone to take a couple minutes just to look it up on the internet.  Sadly, no cameras were allowed inside.  This is the coronation place and burial place for monarchs, but it was first a abbey for Benedictine monks.  With the Dissolution of the Monasteries, under Henry VIII, Westminster began to change into a slightly more secular place, under the jurisdiction of the state.  King Edward's chair, the throne on which sovereigns are seated at the time of coronation, has been used at every coronation since 1308.  Among the famous that were buried here in Westminster:  St. Edward the Confessor, Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Henry Purcell & G.F. Handel (composers), Charles Darwin & Isaac Newton and Geoffrey Chaucer.  Poet's Corner was an interesting section of the Abbey, with many other poets and authors either buried or memorialized here once Chaucer found his final resting place beneath the stone floor. 

the modern-day London Bridge

Other sights we've taken in include Buckingham Palace, St. James' Park and Stonehenge.  We'll be leaving the U.K. in a couple days with a massive list for the next time we're here, such as taking in a play at Shakespeare's Globe, heading to Cornwall to see some English rose gardens, and venturing further to Ireland, Wales & Scotland....