Dining with Emily and her parents
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Kevin flew back home, so I took up squatting at Emily's home in Guildford, an hour outside of London.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Dining with Emily and her parents
Dining with Emily and her parents
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge
St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The Millenium Bridge, was, as you would guess from its name, built to celebrate the turn of the millenium. Interestingly, it had to be closed two days after it opened due to lateral vibrations exacerbated by pedestrian traffic (also see: Tacoma Narrows Bridge). Now dampers keep the swaying down.
The Tate Modern Museum from the Millenium Bridge
The Tate Modern Museum from the Millenium Bridge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The Tate Modern is housed inside a former power plant. It is a pretty nifty (and F-R-E-E) museum, much better than the MOMA in NYC.
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
It is sometimes mistaken as the London Bridge, which we now all know to be in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. It actually opens up to allow ships to pass through. Prostitutes and pickpockets used to walk along the upper walkway for free, but now tourist pay to do the same in what is called the Tower Bridge Experience. To walk with pickpockets and prostitutes, you now have to take part of the free Brixton Experience.
London Tower and Tower Bridge
London Tower and Tower Bridge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The central tower, known as the White Tower, was ordered to be built by William the Conquerer in 1078. It's really a castle or a fortress with a series of turrets, but it remains to be known as the Tower of London, not to be confused with the Tower of Babel which was destroyed by the Almighty in a place now known as Iraq. It was the place of many executions, much like present-day Iraq. Ironically, they no longer have capital punishment in the UK.
Better than the Cairo museum
Better than the Cairo museum
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We blitzed through the British Museum, a vast facility with all the trophies of Imperialism. Like all the famous museums in London, it was F-R-E-E.
Bacon and chicken pie
Bacon and chicken pie
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Meat pies -- mmm...Our nearest equivalent is an individual pot pie found in the frozen food aisle.
Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We spent an hour speedwalking in this museum.
Kev and me at PC
Kev and me at PC
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This is sort of like Times Square in London. Actually, I don't think anyone calls this place "PC". It's just an example of trying to be hip and cool by referring to things by their initials. How lame of me. Pathetic.
Vietnamese food
Vietnamese food
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Wandering around in Soho, we ended up having dinner in a Vietnamese restaurant next to Chinatown (really, China-street).
Pimm's classic
Pimm's classic
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Pimm's a blend of gin, spices, and fruit juices. The Pimm's classic has some 7-up or Sprite in it. Brits call a clear soda, "lemonade", which we know to be ridiculous.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The official residence of the British Monarch. The flag shows that the Queen is in.
Downing Street
Downing Street
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Guarded by these officers is the residence of the British Prime Minister.
The Clock Tower
The Clock Tower
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Commonly known as "Big Ben", the clock tower at the former royal palace, is London's most recognized landmark. Big Ben actually refers to the 13 ton bell that chimes inside the clock tower. It was named after the first commissioner of works, Sir Benjamin Hall. Each dial face is 23 feet high
Houses of Parliament
Houses of Parliament
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This site is now occupied by the Houses of Parliament (Lords and Commons) and the Clock Tower that rings Big Ben, but it was once the Royal Palace of Westminster.
Carl, Rachel, and Emily
Carl, Rachel, and Emily
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We met up with Rachel and Carl, Emily's good friends from Guildford. They took us on an fantastic tour of London. Rachel knows a lot about the sights in London. I would post her email here and let you contact her if you are ever planning to visit, but she is going away to Chengdu, China for a year; she leaves next week! Too bad for you.
The London Eye
The London Eye
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This is the largest ferris wheel in the world, at a height of 135 meters. It was built for the turn of the millenium (also known as the Millenium Wheel), but it didn't start operations until March 2000. It takes 30 minutes to make a full rotation and actually doesn't stop to take on passengers; it moves slow enough for passengers to disembark and board.
Tube station
Tube station
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The London Underground is not as hot and stinky as described by other travellers. It's about the same as the NYC subway, with some new cars and old cars.
Kevin and Emily on London Bridge
Kevin and Emily on London Bridge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Something I hadn't realized until I started travelling was that Americans are a big joke to the Brits. Case in point is the London Bridge purchase in the late sixties by an American for $2.5 million, thinking that it was Tower Bridge. Anyways, the last London Bridge went to Lake Havasu City, AZ.
Here are Kevin and Emily strolling on the latest London Bridge.
High Borough Street
High Borough Street
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We had two fulls days of exploring London. After the first evening, we realized this: we should have spent less time in Croatia.
Gregorius of Nin
Gregorius of Nin
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
A crazy-looking statue of a 10th century Slavic religious leader conjuring a spell.
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