12/4 OUR LAST DAY IN LONDON, FINDING FUN THINGS ON OUR WALKABOUT

 12/4 London, LAST DAY :(

We sorta kinda slept in, knowing we had to do our preflight COVID tests etc etc . 

We use the Abbott BinexNow kits, pretty easy and fast. We both tested negative and had results within 15 Min.

Lynn did some initial packing and sorting, in preparation for our early start tomorrow.

We plan today to be a walking day and here are the photos and comments to follow:

Yes we started with a bacon butty from the Cabbie Shelter to have later as lunch.

One must Start their day with a Bacon Butty in preparation for Lunch 

 

From the Embankment Station we walked to Trafalgar Square

 Through The Admiralty Arch to The Mall.

In a short bit one passes the Peace Officer Memorial and the on the right side there is a set of stairs. 

At the stairs, to your immediate left is the grave of the German Ambassadors dog. Then there are statues of important men in the history of England. On the left is a statue to John Franklin and across the way is a statute of R. F. Scott. These are men of Polar Exploration fame. 

 

                                                     Captain Cook

                                                     RIP MY BROTHERS

                                                          Franklin

                                                           Scott

Further down the Mall you find a residence, one we all know well.

Now we continue our walk proceeding to Belgravia. We stop at Belgravia Square to have our picnic lunch as we sit on the base a statue of Simon Bolivar. 

Our first stop in Belgravia is the Star Tavern. If a subpoena could be issued for these wall we would learn of The Great Train Robbery, The Profumo Affair and countless other shady dealings hatched in this pub.   

 

From the Star Tavern we wind our way to an other neighborhood pub, The Nags Head. Here no cell phones are allowed, but if one asks nice you can take a picture. Patrons are also expected to come in and hang their coats. Truly an enjoyable little pub. 

Now we are packing for our return home after a most enjoyable trip to the UK.

 
   

NELSON, POLAR EXPLORERS, THE TOWER, CHRISTMAS MARKETS AND A TREE LIGHTING

 12/2 Dateline London: 

We started our day headed to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich via the Underground and the the DLR. We made a stop at Embankment to get a bacon sandwich from the Cabbie Shelter. This would be our lunch later today. 

 



The National Maritime Museum has a very nice section on Arctic and Antarctic exploration. Yes, it is a bit one sided towards the British Explorers and there are scant references to Amundsen ( who beat Scott to the South Pole). There are many nice artifacts of these expeditions as well as some excellent art work. There is a great interactive board where one can learn more about the members of the British Trans Antarctic Expedition - Shackleton’s Endurance. There are a few photos from Frank Hurley the photographer on the Endurance. 

 

                                        

 

There is also another excellent section on Lord Nelson and life in the Royal Navy of his time. During the Battle of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson was on the deck of his flagship the Victory when he was fatally shot and later died of the wound below deck. Before his death, he knew victory was his. Here one finds Nelson’s coat that he wore during the Battle of Trafalgar. The hole made by the fatal musket shot can be noted. 

In a separate gallery, Turner’s Battle of Trafalgar is on display with a very informative narration.

I then had planned a lunch cruise for Lynn. So we took the Water Bus to the Tower of London. We were served a bacon sandwich and Fanta Orange. All excellent. 

I then had planned a lunch cruise for Lynn. So we took the Water Bus to the Tower of London. We were served a bacon sandwich and Fanta Orange. All excellent. 



At the Tower we walked along the river and across the Tower Bridge. This was so we could walk a long the river past the Christmas Market on the South Bank. At London Bridge, we went south to Borough Market. It is always fun to walk through and we noted more fun when not looking for something to eat, as there are so many choices. 

We the took the Jubilee Line to Waterloo for another market. It was not as large as we had experienced in the past. 

Then we walked across the bridge to the Embankment Underground station for the ride to our hotel. 

 

 



This evening we attended the tree lighting at Trafalgar Square. There is a bit of history behind the Oslo Christmas Tree. In 1940 Norway was invaded by Germany and the King of Norway sought refuge in London. During WWII, news broadcasts were made in Norwegian, and these inspired the people of Norway keeping their hopes of freedom alive. 

The Oslo Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square has come to symbolize  the relationship between the people of Norway and Britain. The Norway Spruce is over 24 meters high and is about 90 years old. It is decorated with traditional white lights.

It was nice to see a Salvation Army Band playing carols and hearing a choir sing. There were speeches by the Lord Mayors of Westminster and Oslo.   

                                          

                     

 

 

BRITISH MUSEUM AND KNIGHT TEMPLAR

Dec 1 Lynn’s B-Day

The weather was looking a bit drab so Lynn (it is her B-Day) decided to go to the British Museum. So off we went. 

While we have been there many many times, and usually visit anytime we are in London, it is still so interesting. I must say we do find something new on each visit.

The Egyptian artifacts are always a pleasure. They remind me of places I have been. The Shabaqo Stone is amazing and over the years it’s display prominence has been improved. 



From there we traveled to the Temple Church making a stop at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. One always feels so literary there as it was frequented by Dickens,Tennyson, Twain, Johnson and many more.  Agatha Christie wrote that her fictional detective Hercule Poirot dined with a new client at the Cheshire Cheese in her 1924 story The Million Dollar Bond Robbery.

Next we visited the Temple Church, steeped in history of the Knights Templar and the Magna Carta. The Church was severely damaged in WWII and when it was rebuilt an organ was needed. A benefactor from Scotland donated the organ. When the organ was consecrated, The Queen mentioned when in Scotland she had danced often to music from this organ. 

We went across Fleet Street to the Old Bank of England for dinner and learned they were closed for a private event. The George was recommended and off we went. Yes, The George has been added to our list of establishments with very very good food. 

After our meal we returned to the Temple Church for the Advent Carol Service, I am at a loss for words to say how much we enjoy the service. 



Tomorrow we will be off to the National Maritime Museum and some markets.