Rick Steves' Best of England 2016
...accompanied by "The Bard "
Tonight Only!
EXTENDED SCENES
We're now on our own! Rick Steves' Europe does a wonderful job preparing tour members for unguided sightseeing. Guides provide the necessary groundwork and are an invaluable resource, but the expectation is that each client will use that information to pursue his or her own interests. Over the past six years traveling with Rick Steves, we feel we have developed
the skill and confidence necessary to take on this adventure ... we are undaunted!
We keep our base of operations at the Fielding Hotel the first three days of our five day extended stay. The last two days are spent at the Sumner Hotel in the Marylebone section of London. Bill organized our sight-seeing list based on closeness to our home base and a 7-day Oyster Card made the Tube very convenient and practical as our unused funds will be reimbursed. However, walking is our primary mode of travel. Most of the daily sights we want to see are located in close proximity to one another and walking gives us the opportunity to explore other places along the way.
SCENE I
. Imperial War Museum
. The London Eye
. National Gallery
. National Portrait Gallery
We take the Covent Garden Tube to Westminster Station and cross the Thames using the Westminster Bridge pedestrian walk. Enroute to the Imperial War Museum the three of us stop for brunch at The Fire Station, a gastropub housed in the old 1910 Waterloo Road Fire Station.
The food was excellent and Bill had a chance to add to his list of English
beer tastings. Not much of a lager drinker, he rated the Camden Hells Lager pretty good and the Sambrooks Battersea IPA excellent.
The Imperial War Museum is an organization with five locations in England. Founded in 1917, it covers all wars the forces of the British and Common wealth have been involved in since WWI with an emphasis on their effect on humanity.
Museum interior with suspended aircraft.
A remnant of Hitler's 1939 Third Reich Chancellery which was ruined in WWII.
The Imperial War Museum is an organization with five locations in England. Founded in 1917, it covers all wars the forces of the British and Common wealth have been involved in since WWI with an emphasis on their effect on humanity.
Imperial War Museum
A stroll along the The Queen's Walk on the Thames South Bank
The highlight of our day is viewing London from the top of the London Eye!
We pre-purchased our tickets online which gives both a skip-the-line bonus and a choice of riding any time on our chosen day. The attraction is NOT inexpensive, but considering we may never have the chance again, it's worth it.
The wheel is 443 feet tall and takes 30 minutes to make a revolution, giving plenty of time to experience the SPECTACULAR view. Bill the Quill is simply amazed to see how London has grown.
"Be not afeard; the isle is full of
noises, sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not."
The Tempest (III.ii.135-136)
A magnificent view in all directions
Crossing the Thames on the Golden Jubilee Bridge, we come to our next stop, Trafalgar Square, the site of both the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. After an attraction-filled day, we find it a little easier to enjoy the crowds in the square than the enormous number of paintings in each gallery. However, we do "carry on" with a cursory overview and come away with a good sense of both collections.
Bridge view of the London Eye
Golden Jubilee Bridge
The Bard in the paw of one of the Landseer's lions which surrounds Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square.
Trafalgar Square
National Gallery
By the time we ride the tube back to our Covent Garden hotel, it's dusk and we're hungry. Angus,
the very helpful desk clerk, informs us that without reservations it may be difficult to get seating at the restaurant he has recommended. We decide to wing it for tonight and reserve a table at Orso for Sunday.
TRAVEL TIP
Ask hotel staff for dining recommendations
Walking back to The Fielding from Bella Italia, we encounter a group of friends gathered around a statue, The Dancer, near the hotel. They've joined together to attend the NFL International Series: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts at Wembley Stadium and invite us to join them in a group photo.
SCENE II
. Wesley's Chapel
. Museum of London
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong
to none."
All's Well That Ends Well (I.i.61-62)
This is the day Wendy has been waiting for. It's Sunday, and we will be attending church services at the Mecca for Methodists, Wesley's Chapel. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, built this chapel in 1778 to replace an earlier chapel called The Foundry where he first preached in 1739. The chapel is a 15- minute taxi ride from our hotel. Although rather vague concerning his religious beliefs, Lil' Shakespeare agrees to join us. The service is only an hour long, but after a docent-led tour of the grounds and Wesley's home next door, we end up being there for four hours.
Good job Shakespeare...I think John Wesley said pretty much the same thing.
Leaving Wesley's Chapel we cross the street to walk through Bunhill Fields on our way to the London Museum. From 1665 to 1854 it was a burial ground favored by Nonconformists, among others, and now is a public garden managed by the city. Authors John Bunyan (The Pilgrim's Progress) and Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe) as well as artist and poet William Blake are interred here. It is historically very interesting, but we wouldn't want to be walking through here after dark.
In just few minutes we go from Georgian architecture at Wesley's Chapel to the mid-60's Brutalist at nearby Barbican Estate. This residential estate was built in the 1960s-1970s in an area that had been destroyed during WWII. An elevated, maze-like walkway takes us through the complex of buildings and eye-catching water features, by St. Giles Cripplegate, a section of Roman defensive wall, and then our destination...the museum.
Barbican
Estate
Museum of London
SCENE III
. The British Museum
. Covent Garden
Today's plan is to visit the British Museum and explore the sights right here in our own Covent Garden neighborhood. The museum is a quick 10 minute walk from the hotel with plenty of distractions along the way that make it a little longer for us. All of the museums we have seen so far have been free and the British Museum is no exception. Established in 1753, it is one of the oldest museums in the world and its permanent collection is the largest and most comprehensive anywhere. It would take a couple of days to do this sight justice...unfortunately, we only have a couple of hours.
British Museum
1st. century statue of Roman youth on horseback in museum's Great Court.
Ascending the Greek Revival south stairs.
The 196 B.C. Rosetta Stone, unearthed in Egypt in 1799, enabled the decoding of the Egyptian language which was the key to modern understanding of Ancient Egyptian literature and civilization.
Throne of Weapons by Christovao Canhavato made from disused weapons confiscated after Mozambique's 2001 war.
Huge 7-ton bust of Rameses II from his mortuary temple at Thebes, Egypt.
One of two human-headed winged bulls from the palace of Assyrian King Sargon II. They were used as magic guardians against misfortune.
So much to see...so little time
Back in Covent Garden, we stop for
lunch at the Marquess of Anglesey, one of Covent Garden's most traditional pubs. Bill finds it somewhat difficult making choices from their large selection of international and craft beers. But, he perseveres and rates both the Young's Special London Ale and the Young's London IPA good.
The Covent Garden area of London is located in the West End. A former 17th-century fruit-and-vegetable market, it was created in the 1200s when it was a part of Westminster Abbey's convent and garden. Now it abounds with theaters, shopping, and street performers. We spend our afternoon randomly wandering through the labyrinth of streets and sights.
A collection of sights in Covent Garden and vicinity
"We know what we are,
but know not
what we may be!"
Hamlet (IV.v.43-44)
Lil' Shakespeare finds his likeness at Leicester Square
Another excellent dinner suggestion by the Fielding Hotel staff. Sarastro, on Drury Lane, is a perfect fit for this theater area. Three of its interior sides are surrounded by ten wall-mounted opera boxes each uniquely decorated with props and knick-knacks collected from nearby shows. With its amazing decor and outstanding food, we have to agree with it being referred to as "The Show After The Show."
SCENE IV
. Churchill War Rooms
. Shakespeare's Globe
. St. Paul's Cathedral
It's our last day in Covent Garden and we're going to spend it visiting a few more attractions on Bill's list. Taking the Tube, we disembark at the Charring Cross Underground and walk along Whitehall Street which houses many of London's government buildings.
Along the busy route we pass by several military monuments and are stopped, quite literally, by an almost unnoticed traffic light...we're quite impressed by the open-minded Brits!
2005 monument dedicated to all women who served in WWII
1937 monument dedicated to Field Marshall Douglas Haig
Behind these guarded iron gates lies 10 Downing Street, home to every British Prime Minister since 1730
Farther down Whitehall we pass the Horse Guards just as they are performing their hourly Changing The Queen's Life Guard. Two mounted sentries guard the entrance to St. James Palace from 10:00-4:00 each day and are replaced by dismounted guards the rest of the time. It is a stirring site and we are pleased we happened to be in the right place at the right time...
The Churchill War Rooms are housed in the basement of the Treasury building in the Whitehall area. Fearful of possible bombing, they were built in 1938 as headquarters for the core of the British government throughout WWII. After 1945, they were locked and kept from public view until the late 1970s when the Imperial War Museum began its preservation of the virtually untouched site. The War Rooms consist of the Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Museum.
Entrance to the Churchill War Rooms.
Chiefs of Staff Conference Room
Many of Churchill's medals are on display, but this is one of the more ornate ones.
Entrance to the Churchill War Rooms.
(hover over navigation arrows for description)
Leaving the wars rooms and walking approximately two miles along Victoria Embankment, we reach our next stop, Shakespeare's Globe, via Blackfriars Bridge. This is NOT the theater that existed during Shakespeare's time, but a half-timbered and thatched-roofed replica of the original. The Bard has been waiting to see the site where he had witnessed many of his plays being performed.
The Battle of Britain Monument commemorates WWII military personnel.
A great view of the London Eye from Victoria Embankment.
City of London Coat of Arms on embankment lamp post.
Cleopatra's Needle is a 1450 B.C. obelisk that was given to London in 1877.
One of two 1881 bronze sphinxes that guard Cleopatra's Needle.
Colorful badge from the London, Chatham and Dover Railway on Blackfriars Bridge.
A walk along Victoria Embankment...
"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
Twelfth Night (II.v.156-159)
Armor stage props
During our guided tour of the Globe, The Bard was thrilled to have the opportunity to watch famed actor Jonathan Pryce rehearse his role as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
The Bard posing with his souvenir likenesses in the Globe Gift Shop
The Globe tour over, we pause outside to enjoy a child's excitement watching a street artist create bubbles.
London Millennium Bridge, a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians, is very close and we use it to cross the Thames to St. Paul's Cathedral (seen looming in the distance).
St. Paul's Cathedral
Cathedral's north side
Statue of St. Paul
The first church to be built after the English Reformation, the Anglican St. Paul's Cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren, England's most famous architect. Built between 1675 and 1710, it replaced a previous church on the site that had been destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was bombed heavily in 1940 during the Blitz and became a symbol of resilience when a group of dedicated volunteers, the St. Paul's Watch, risked their lives to save it. We were disappointed that the Cathedral was closed when we arrived, so our photos are unfortunately limited.
"Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, shall win my love."
The Taming of the Shrew (IV.ii.41-42)
We would have been remiss if we hadn't stopped at this pub on the way back to our hotel!
SCENE V
. Oxford Street
. London Walks Tour
Sadly, this is our last full day in London. We have moved from the Fielding Hotel to the Sumner Hotel in London's West End, Marylebone. The hotel is a short 10-minute walk from Hyde Park as well as famed Oxford Street shopping. Shopping will be at the top of our list today. It's our last chance to search for personal trip momentoes as well as fulfill relatives' wish lists.
We didn't have to veer very far from the high-end stores on Oxford Street to find everything we were looking for. The block-long Selfridge & Co. got most of our attention, but we also found John Lewis and House of Fraser worth noting. Founded in 1906 by American Harry Selfridge, it remains one of the key tenants in this business district.
It's late afternoon and we're walking to nearby Tottenham Court Road to have an early dinner at The Jack Horner, a pub generally frequented by the "younger "crowd. Quiet when we first arrive, it becomes louder and more crowded as the evening goes on. We're not in any hurry to leave as our meeting time with London Walks isn't for a couple of hours. The food at this pub is not worth mentioning, but it is a great place for people-watching!
From here it is a quick walk to the Tottenham Court Road Tube Station and our rendezvous with guide Adam Scott-Goulding who will lead us on London Walks: Rock and Roll London-The Pub Walk. This company offers many guided walks throughout London and we like their approach: No need to sign up, just show up at the designated place and time. Each walk lasts approximately two hours, takes place regardless of the weather, and is inexpensive.
London Walks guide, Adam
This is a meaningful tour for those of us who experienced the British Invasion. Adam took us back in time to the London rock and pop scene of the mid-1960s with the sights and fact-filled stories that defined this phenomenon.
A taxi to Heathrow is worth every pence!
TRAVEL TIP
Our last night in London and The Bard celebrates by downing one of his namesake beers. No words needed; his face says it all...
SCENE VI
The Curtain Comes Down As We Bid Farewell To Our Little Friend...
Truth be told, we couldn't leave the little guy... He and his multiple personalities sit under a glass dome in our home office, right where Wendy created him.
"Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again."
Romeo and Juliet (IV.III.14)
Did we actually leave him? Hover over his picture to find out.