Big Ben, Changing of the Guard, Jack the Ripper!
Trip Start
Jul 04, 2006
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20
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Trip End
Jan 16, 2007
London,
United Kingdom
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Up and about early as usual as we are only here for a few days and don't want to waste any time. We set off to see Big Ben, which is on the Thames River and is part of the Houses of Parliament buildings. I always thought that the tower that held the bell was called Big Ben but apparently it is the name of the bell not the tower. The actual buildings are amazing and we spent ages just looking around. We also visited Westminster Cathedral which is the best we have seen so far, but as there was a church service going on at the time Brian couldn't take any photos, but the mosaic tiles on the roof were absolutely stunning! They were putting a new mosaic on one part of the ceiling and it was laid out on the floor in preparation. I don't know how long it takes them to do but it must definitely be a labor of love, as it would be incredibly time consuming and painstakingly slow. We also passed by Westminster Abby and were going to have a look around but it costs ten pounds each to get in ($50AUD between us) and we didn't fancy spending that much to see the insides of a church
01 Westminster Abbey
. We then raced back to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards at 11.30am which happens only once every two days and was sensational! On the way there while walking through St James Park we saw tiny squirrels scampering everywhere and they are so cute! I saw one guy sitting on a bench hold out his hand with a nut in it and a squirrel came right up to him and took it out of his hand before scampering away and sat nearby to eat it.After some lunch we are off to Wellington Arch, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square to soak in the sights and sounds and they are just fabulous! Home for a quick cuppa and change of clothes before we head out again and this time we are going on a 4 hour "Jack the Ripper" tour. It starts off with a bus tour along the western end of the Thames River and they gave us a quick overview of the Jack The Ripper case whilst pointing out places of interest along the way including the headquarters of MI5 & MI6 (British Intelligence & Secret Service). We disembark the bus near the "London Eye" (monster big ferris wheel) and board a river ferry to take us along the Thames to the eastern end of London city. The Ferry Captain also told us a little bit of history about the buildings and bridges on the way to Whitechapel where the Ripper murders were committed. We disembark the ferry next to London Tower and London Bridge (more of that tomorrow) and the tour took us along the streets where the prostitutes were last seen alive, to the bars where they drank (as they were all apparently inclined to enjoy a few pints), and to where 4 of them were brutally and savagely murdered. So we walked the streets that Jack the Ripper made his own in late 1888 while we heard the gruesome story of the Whitechapel murders. It was great and we ended the night at the Sherlock Holmes pub with all it's displays and stories for a few drinks and a late tea. Finally it is time for the walk home after 14 hours on the go, as our day started at 8am and we get back to our room a little after 10pm very tired but oh so happy!
Comments
Gday
Hey guys it sounds like you are having such a great time over there, im so jealous. Lol. I luv the picture you put up of Big Ben and the Parliament house. Now i really wnt to come over and visit England so much history and all the churches and ruins just my thing. Well i hope u continue to have a great time and keep these entries coming.