UK is fascinating for all the history, their royalty, public story museums, churches as well as centuries erstwhile castles as well as palaces.
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| KEW PALACE |
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| DOVER CASTLE |
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| KEW GARDENS |
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| KEW PALACE |
WHEN TO GO?
We decided to visit Great Britain inward spring to avoid the teeming crowds inward summer. This meant we'll immature lady visiting the Buckingham palace which is opened upwards for visitors solely a twosome of summertime months every year. It was okay alongside us. We did promise nosotros volition non receive got to ground alongside grey skies as well as constant rain/dreary weather as well as fortunately for us nosotros had fabulous weather. The famed gardens similar the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh as well as London gardens similar Kew Gardens, St James common etc were total of flowers. ... equally nosotros did larn the total make goodness of the tulips, rhododendron etc
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| TULIPS, KEW GARDENS |
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| Rhododendron, ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, EDINBURGH |
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| Hampton Court Palace |
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| Buckingham Palace |
WHAT TO SEE?
PALACES & CASTLES:
We had our dose of royal palaces alongside Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace from London as well as Holyrood Palace inward Edinburgh. The royal yacht inward Edinburgh, the crown jewels at the Tower of London as well as the royal coaches at the Royal Mews etc were farther delights.
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| Buckingham castle gates |
Leeds castle which is touted equally 1 of the most beautiful was also on our listing as well as it did alive upwards to its reputation.
Dover castle, Edinburgh castle etc were slap-up equally well. So no dearth of historic castles on our visit.
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| Leeds Castle, Kent |
We had a twosome of scenic develop rides... 1 on the Edinburgh Express savoring the journeying to Edinburgh from London. Another develop journeying from London to Canterbury as well as Dover castle was through scenic Kent which is the Garden of England.
In England our chief rest was of course of teaching inward London; nosotros included 24-hour interval trips to the famed Leeds Castle, Dover Castle, Canterbury along alongside shorter 24-hour interval trips to Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace from London.
We managed to receive got a flavor of Scotland equally well, visiting Edinburgh for 3 days. The develop journeys were enjoyable inward themselves because of the lovely scenery.
Of course of teaching in that location are tons of misses but nosotros were real happy alongside what nosotros managed to experience!
Of course of teaching in that location are tons of misses but nosotros were real happy alongside what nosotros managed to experience!
ITINERARY:
Day 1, Apr 28, 2013: LONDON: Tower of London, Organ recital at St Paul's Cathedral, Evening majority at West Minster Abbey.
Day 2, Apr 29, 2013: LONDON: St Margaret's church, St James park, Concert at Royal Opera House, British Museum.
Day 3, Apr 30, 2013: LONDON: Day trip to Hampton Court Palace.
DAY 4, MAY 1, 2013: LONDON: Day trip to WINDSOR CASTLE
DAY 5, MAY 2, 2013: Edinburgh: 7am Edinburgh Express from London-Edinburgh, Royal Yacht Brittania, The Scottish National Gallery, St Giles Cathedral
DAY 6, MAY 3, 2013: Edinburgh: Holyrood Palace, ROYAL MILE, The People's Story Museum, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
DAY 7, MAY 4, 2013: Edinburgh: The Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, 4.30pm develop dorsum to London
DAY 8, MAY 5, 2013: LONDON: Day trip to Leeds castle, Kent as well as Canterbury Cathedral.
DAY 9, MAY 6, 2013: LONDON: Day trip to Dover Castle
DAY 10, MAY 7, 2013: LONDON: St Paul's Cathedral , Royal Coaches, Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament
DAY 11, MAY 8, 2013: LONDON: Kew Gardens, Aquarium, Kew Palace, Victoria as well as Albert Museum
DAY 12, MAY 9, 2013: LONDON: Trafalgar square.
Now I give a detailed trouble concern human relationship of our trip.
DAY 1, APR 28TH, 2013, NOON (12° C—1° C Temp):
British Airlines flying took off from Houston at 4.50 PM on Apr 27th as well as landed inward Heathrow at 8 am. After immigration as well as passport control, nosotros met our Exclusive Airports cab driver asset a signboard, withdrew £ 200 from the cash machine (no transfer fee).
Our cab was shortly speeding through the suburbs –we were oohing as well as aahing most the blueish skies as well as the picayune white fleecy clouds prancing around chasing each other!! Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 huge relief after constantly hearing most the coldest Apr London was witnessing inward 65 years!!
Reached Premier inn, Hanger lane by 10.15. As it was a Lord's Day (when fares are hiked), the cab accuse was £35. If nosotros had prepaid yesteryear card, it would receive got been only £30. Tipped the cabbie 1 £ for his assistance alongside bags. Dropped our bags at the hotel, got some alter for a 20, took rider vehicle no 83 to Ealing Broadway overground station paying £2.40 for a single.
(Tremendous amount of traveler information is readily available on British sites: for a compulsive researcher similar me, this was the most comprehensive spider web information beating the other countries nosotros receive got traveled to hollow. The tfl site is a treasure. You larn interactive maps of tube, rider vehicle as well as station facilities, fifty-fifty avoiding stairs/ lavatory facilites maps!!
tells you lot all you lot demand to know most taxi fares inward London.
is the fundamental London rider vehicle map worth its weight inward gold.
Keying inward the location of our hotel gave us this map most buses
Bought our 7 24-hour interval move carte du jour for £ 35 after getting a photocard equally good alongside the passport photos nosotros had brought. Took the fundamental line metro to Bank, from in that location changed cloak-and-dagger to Monument as well as reached Tower Hill gate station. Then walked towards our 1st attraction on this trip—the Tower of London.
Tower of London:
We had before planned on going to the Kew Gardens 1st but after knowing most the costless organ recital at St Paul’s at 4.45 on Sundays, as well as at 5.45 at Westminster abbey followed yesteryear evensong in that location at 6.30, nosotros decided it’ll live easier to become from the tower. It would receive got been also hard from Kew gardens equally in that location was some planned maintenance piece of occupation on the district line which our friend the tfl site had told us about!!
On Lord's Day the tower opens solely at 10 as well as when nosotros reached at 11.30, thankfully the crowd was sparse. We got our 2 for 1 tickets at £ 21.25, showing our 2 for 1 coupons as well as move card as well as entered the grounds...
(We had printed out 2 for 1 coupons from the days out guide website to avail the discount— pamphlets alongside coupons are supposed to live at rail stations but nosotros did non meet whatever through out our trip)
Lovely sight—the tower was built as fortress yesteryear William the conqueror inward 1060s. The dark-green grass seen at 1 time was a moat then.
The Tower of London has played a prominent role inward English linguistic communication history. It was besieged several times but never conquered. The Tower has served equally an armoury, treasury, menagerie, the Royal Mint, as well as the habitation of the Crown Jewels of the UK. From the early on 14th century until the reign of Charles II, a procession would live led from the Tower to Westminster Abbey on the coronation of a monarch.
Yeoman warders:
The niftily dressed Yeoman warders are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London.
In regulation they are responsible for looking after whatever prisoners inward the Tower as well as safeguarding the British crown jewels, but inward do they human activity equally tour guides as well as are a tourist attraction inward their ain right; they are recruited after 22 years of state of war machine service...they are called beefeaters because they were allowed to eat equally much equally they wanted from the king's table!! Every xxx minutes, in that location is a costless tour of the grounds yesteryear these warders lasting an hour... the funny spin they set on the gory tales of the tower is a huge testimony to the famed British humor...
In regulation they are responsible for looking after whatever prisoners inward the Tower as well as safeguarding the British crown jewels, but inward do they human activity equally tour guides as well as are a tourist attraction inward their ain right; they are recruited after 22 years of state of war machine service...they are called beefeaters because they were allowed to eat equally much equally they wanted from the king's table!! Every xxx minutes, in that location is a costless tour of the grounds yesteryear these warders lasting an hour... the funny spin they set on the gory tales of the tower is a huge testimony to the famed British humor...
is the link to access the whole 1 hr of a yeoman warder tour—history alongside a heavy dose of British humor. William Edward Callaghan who is the warder hither is a huge star!! He fifty-fifty has his ain channel where he has uploaded a funny speech communication he‘s giving at some other function!! We however, did the sight seeing on our ain as well as joined the warder solely on the terminal leg because the chapel tin live entered solely alongside them... The tower demands a whole 24-hour interval to make judge as well as since our fourth dimension was limited, nosotros had to tour on our own… nosotros loved the terminal session alongside our warder—he was awesome!!
The tower grounds are real good sign-posted. ..
since nosotros had read upwards all details from the website:http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories, nosotros knew where to become according to our priorities......we had a slap-up map equally well.
since nosotros had read upwards all details from the website:http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/stories, nosotros knew where to become according to our priorities......we had a slap-up map equally well.
bugbog.com/images/…tower-of-london-map.jpg has a similar map—can’t detect the link for the 1 nosotros had printed.
The crown jewels:
Our 1st halt was to meet the crown jewels of course…
hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon/…crownjewels
gives details as well as pics of the displayed items—so nosotros knew what to facial expression for
There was a real pocket-size queue entering the tower as well as nosotros went along through the dimly lit halls alongside tacky tableaus of royal history. Current queen's coronation videos were proficient though...no pics allowed at the crown jewels gallery within this clock tower— but nosotros managed to larn some videos of the gold/silver religious paraphernalia...
We went on the conveyor belt 3 times as well as had a proficient facial expression at all the crowns, the sceptre has the star of africa, the largest colorless diamond inward the world. The queen mother's crown has the kohinur, along alongside 2800 diamonds. St Edward's crown is the 1 used inward coronation as well as weighs 2 1/2 kg. Yes… it indeed is a heavy burden to acquit as well as the coronation robe on display alongside all its gilt piece of occupation weighs a ton equally well!
We went on the conveyor belt 3 times as well as had a proficient facial expression at all the crowns, the sceptre has the star of africa, the largest colorless diamond inward the world. The queen mother's crown has the kohinur, along alongside 2800 diamonds. St Edward's crown is the 1 used inward coronation as well as weighs 2 1/2 kg. Yes… it indeed is a heavy burden to acquit as well as the coronation robe on display alongside all its gilt piece of occupation weighs a ton equally well!
The majestic dry soil crown has the other large cullinan diamond. There are 23578 gems as well as public famous diamonds there. The coronation spoon as well as the eagle flask for asset the holy crude oil were cool equally well, the split upwards showcases of the huge gilt punchbowl as well as religious paraphernalia were slap-up too... These were looted during the civil state of war but remade when Charles II came to ability inward 1661.
After feasting our eyes on all that bling, our empty breadbasket was growling—we sat at a bench as well as had our picnic tiffin of habitation made puris (flat breadstuff made of whole wheat flour kneaded inward milk as well as deepfried) as well as love apple tree chutney which tasted similar manna from sky on the fabulous grounds overlooking the White Tower. The cool breeze caressed us gently … it was a perfect start for our vacation!
Suddenly the guards were marching as well as some other laid was marching inward as well as in that location was a alter of guards alongside some ceremony—we ran to the location alongside our mouths stuffed alongside puris as well as took a video of the event!
Change of Guards :
White Tower:
Our adjacent halt was the White tower— Royal armoury is displayed here. This is the 'keep' the strongest construction of a medieval castle. St John's Chapel is within the White Tower.
The royal armoury collection shows some of the armours made for the Henry VIII, as well as the Stuart Kings of England: Charles I, Henry Prince of Wales, Charles II, as well as James II jewelled gun yesteryear Cartier as well as diamonds forming bullet track.
There were lovely gem studded guns, sword hilts glittering alongside diamonds, amazing how a manful soul monarch tin exercise these weapons inward a battle without getting distracted yesteryear all the beauty!!
This is a 400 yr erstwhile Bible.
Now nosotros were off to some other facet of the tower—the grisly side.
There were lovely gem studded guns, sword hilts glittering alongside diamonds, amazing how a manful soul monarch tin exercise these weapons inward a battle without getting distracted yesteryear all the beauty!!
This is a 400 yr erstwhile Bible.
Now nosotros were off to some other facet of the tower—the grisly side.
Bloody Tower as well as the Torture Chambers:
Saw the Bloody tower as well as the torture chambers.
The castle's exercise equally a prison theatre continued inward 16th as well as 17th centuries, when many figures such equally Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls. Seven people were executed within the Tower as well as 112 executions on the notorious Tower Hill to the N of the castle over a 400-year period.
Out of the many prisoners, in that location was a protestant martyr Anne who was tortured on the rack as well as burned at the fourth dimension of Henry VIII.
A jesuit priest during the times of Elizabeth I withal escaped.
Guy Fawkes was a catholic noble who was responsible for the gun pulverization plot to blow upwards the parliament alongside manful soul monarch James. inward 1605, Nov, he was hung, drawn as well as quartered. The 24-hour interval is celebrated equally Guy Fawkes 24-hour interval alongside fireworks.
Poet Sir Walter Raleigh was 1 of the prisoners hither for thirteen years from 1603 for plotting against the king. James I freed him to detect the dry soil of El Dorado—the identify he had claimed to receive got visited which was total of gold. Finally Raleigh was beheaded as well as his married adult woman who had been imprisoned alongside him preserved the caput inward a velvet handbag till her death.
There are similar gory details most the incidents inward the tower but the yeoman warders larn inward all audio funny—for this they said—-Raleigh had the worst prison theatre sentence—his married adult woman was imprisoned alongside him!!! Imagine beingness 24/7 alongside your married adult woman for months/ years on end!!
After the beheading inward forepart of a crowd, the executor volition agree the severed caput upwards as well as say" here's the traitor".Then the caput volition live fixed on a pike as well as paraded along the Thames. This was meant to deter others from attempting treason against the monarch...the victims would pay their executor thus that in that location is 1 construct clean blow.
The Warder said when the cheating married adult woman of Henry VIII Anne Boleyn was beheaded, the French executioner had come upwards upon her from behind when she was addressing the crowds as well as slashed her caput off inward 1 swift stroke— when the caput was held up, the lips continued to motion as well as the eyes were rolling!! The warder said, "Women—- they receive got their terminal words come upwards what may, don't they?? chatter.. chatter..." What a joke!!!
Talking of Anne Boleyn, here's the tale of all the 6 wives of Henry VIII...
Talking of Anne Boleyn, here's the tale of all the 6 wives of Henry VIII...
The first of Henry VIII's 6 wives, Katherine of Aragon (1485-1536) was a Castilian princess ; Katherine had been meaning 6 times but solely 1 daughter, later on Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary), had survived. After xviii years Henry began divorce proceedings to re-marry as well as make a manful soul heir... Katherine had been before married to his xv yr erstwhile blood brother who died, making Henry the heir... Henry later on cited this before union equally the ground his union was void...
The second, Anne Boleyn (c1501-1536) was married to the King for solely 3 years. Instead of the sought after manful soul heir, Anne had some other princess (later Elizabeth I). Anne Boleyn was certain of beingness given a pardon that she had non prepared a coffin for herself. So when she was beheaded, her trunk was buried inward a pocket-size breast that was available—the severed caput was set on the lap equally in that location was no identify to extend the body. The ghost of a headless trunk has been seen riding a Equus caballus through the courtyard asset a caput on the lap
The yeoman warder spin on Anne Boleyn—she wanted to give the manful soul monarch a manful soul heir— thus she tried hard non only alongside the manful soul monarch but alongside many other men equally well. So she was executed at the Tower of London for adultery.
Jane Seymour was the 3rd wife, she gave nativity to manful soul heir (later Edward VI) at Hampton Court Palace but died shortly after— on the funeral 24-hour interval of Katherine, the outset wife. When Katherine died, Henry had ordered celebrations but he savage from a Equus caballus as well as became fat as well as sick thus onward as well as his favorite married adult woman died equally well.
Probably Katherine's revenge!
Anne of Cleves was the fourth of Henry VIII's 6 wives as well as at 24 was half Henry's age when they married. Henry saw Anne inward a ikon but inward the flesh, Henry establish Anne unattractive as well as began pursuing 1 of her maids of honour, teenager Catherine Howard.
After 6 months the union was annulled yet Anne remained inward England as well as on proficient terms alongside Henry VIII. Henry married Catherine, rumours of Catherine's yesteryear as well as introduce love affairs reached him. She was arrested at Hampton Court Palace as well as later on taken to the Tower of London where she was beheaded inward Feb 1542, aged most 21
Kateryn Parr (1512-1548) was the terminal of Henry VIII's 6 wives. Intelligent as well as devout, Kateryn loved Thomas Seymour but Henry's proposal could non live refused. She as well as Henry VIII married at Hampton Court Palace. He was 52, she was 31. After the King's decease inward 1547, Kateryn was costless to wed Seymour but she died xv months later, aged 36, having given nativity to their daughter.
Here's the memorial to all the souls lost inward this courtyard...
Here's the memorial to all the souls lost inward this courtyard...
The Ravens:
Saw the ravens. Legend says that the kingdom as well as the Tower will autumn if the 6 resident ravens ever go out the fortress. It was Charles II, according to the stories, who outset insisted that the ravens of the Tower should live protected. There are 7 ravens at the Tower today ( the required 6 summation 1 spare!) Their names are Hardey,Thor, Odin, Gwyllum, Cedric, Hugine and Munin. Their lodgings are to live establish adjacent to the Wakefield Tower. The ravens eat 6oz. of raw meat as well as plane formula biscuits soaked inward blood each day.
Royal emblem on the gate. From an angle, it appears equally though the crown is sitting on son's head:) ha ha!
Tut tutted at the royal excess of keeping exotic animals inward a menagerie.
Royal emblem on the gate. From an angle, it appears equally though the crown is sitting on son's head:) ha ha!
Tut tutted at the royal excess of keeping exotic animals inward a menagerie.
There is a daily Ceremony of the Keys when the gates of the Tower of London are locked each black before 10.00 pm yesteryear the Chief Yeoman Warder escorted yesteryear an armed guard of 4 men.
The ceremony has taken identify over the same slice of basis for most 700 years. It is heavily booked as well as watched as well as is a pop tradition.
Gift shops are integral parts of all these attractions—they make receive got classy items but priced pretty high. We desisted from buying from them equally far equally possible— bought some lovely magnets at 1/3 rd the toll from a pocket-size store at Westminster surface area later. picked upwards a lovely magnet replica of the crown hither along alongside a ring.
The store had some lovely items as well as playsets.
The store had some lovely items as well as playsets.
There was miniature replica of all the crown jewels crafted alongside gold/silver plate as well as crystals...
note the eagle ampulla flask to agree the holy crude oil as well as the anointing spoon used for coronation.
This is replica of majestic dry soil crown. There were books inward laurels of the 60th anniversary of the coronation as well as the e'er introduce dry soil crown.
nice mug for £50... alongside a spoon having a crown handle—good combo
St George, the patron saint of England, slaying the dragon to rescue a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God's holy truth.
Armoury playset
Nice souvenirs—William as well as Kate are available equally well.
Sevre porcelain set—with the royal crown motif.
We got out as well as were on our agency to our adjacent destination.
We got out as well as were on our agency to our adjacent destination.
Organ recital at St Paul’s Cathedral:
We had planned on attention the organ recital at St Paul’s Cathedral. thus traced our agency dorsum to the metro station Tower Hill as well as got downward at Monument—wanted to transfer to Bank to become onward to St Paul's but a lucky beak alongside a metro staff guided us to become on the same metro line to Mansion identify ... it was an slow walk to St Paul's from that station as well as nosotros were good inward fourth dimension for the 4.45 organ recital—-the recital was slap-up equally expected—how could it non live inward such magnificent surroundings. We shut our eyes as well as soaked inward the ambience.. of a abrupt slumber was creeping in, nosotros shook ourselves out of the jet lag as well as dragged ourselves out after the recital!
Westminster Abbey:
It was 5.20—could nosotros larn inward to Westminster Abbey for their 5.45 organ recital? No cabs inward sight…We rushed dorsum to mansion identify metro station as well as took the district line to Westminster.. out of the metro station as well as Big Ben greeted us majestically… lovely!!
We assault our walk toward the abbey—passed the parliament foursquare alongside all the statues, taking videos all along…
we walked on as well as on… the edifice was magnificent but where was the entrance??
We accosted a passerby who was walking his dog—he told us nosotros are at the Parliament—the Abbey was inward the other direction. OK, nosotros retraced as well as establish the abbey—by thus the organ recital was over but nosotros were correct inward fourth dimension for the evensong. We got inward equally the organ recital audience came out as well as participated inward the service…it was divine when the choir sang—we did detect ourselves nodding off as well as sternly rebuked ourselves to ascent to the occasion as well as bask the rare opportunity.
We assault our walk toward the abbey—passed the parliament foursquare alongside all the statues, taking videos all along…
we walked on as well as on… the edifice was magnificent but where was the entrance??
We accosted a passerby who was walking his dog—he told us nosotros are at the Parliament—the Abbey was inward the other direction. OK, nosotros retraced as well as establish the abbey—by thus the organ recital was over but nosotros were correct inward fourth dimension for the evensong. We got inward equally the organ recital audience came out as well as participated inward the service…it was divine when the choir sang—we did detect ourselves nodding off as well as sternly rebuked ourselves to ascent to the occasion as well as bask the rare opportunity.
After the service, nosotros went dorsum to the Tesco Express close the metro station to stock upwards for our stay—to our disappointment, it had solely ready made items as well as no staples—we munched on a hummus twine as well as made our agency to the metro station alongside the slim pickings nosotros had managed from the shop.
Took jubilee line N to Bond Street as well as transferred to our fundamental line as well as reached our hanger lane station—just a few steps from our hotel… an afghani store beckoned us there—normally nosotros are queasy of the sight as well as odor of meat displays but nosotros walked inward as well as the store had all our requisites alongside a warm assistant trying to speak our language!! We stocked upwards as well as got to the hotel, checked inward as well as crashed into our bed…
oooh… what a 24-hour interval it had been.. . 3 large ticket items on the 24-hour interval nosotros landed… crowns danced inward our dreams, swords swished, lions roared, choirs sang soulfully, headless ghosts rode by…
Day 2 study is here:
http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=london-trip-report-day-2-west-minster
Day 2 study is here:
http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=london-trip-report-day-2-west-minster
How To Conception A Trip To Uk; London, Trip Study Twenty-Four Sixty Minutes Menstruum 1
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