Learning about London
On Friday last week, we started classes. We have class in Hyde Park Chapel which is located in between the Royal Albert and Victoria Museum and the Natural History Museum. It's interesting to go there because there are a ton of tourists and different languages can be heard in every direction you turn. It's nice to have a smaller class size too because it leads to a discussion-type classroom instead of a boring lecture. When we broke for lunch, I found an amazing Crêperie just down the road. I think crêpes are amazing. My friend that joined me had never had one before and was not as impressed as I was. He simply remarked it wasn't much more than a flat pancake. While he is right, there is something about a piece of flat dough, filled with things that are just wonderful.
After class, all the students in my program went to the Museum of London. It takes patrons through the history of London from pre-historic times to modern. I learned that the Romans were a lot more civilized than I thought and even knew that cleanliness is important to good hygiene and health. I also learned that London's modern plumbing system was started by the Romans. At the end of walking through the museum, I treated myself to a classic English snack of tea, a scone, and clotted cream. I think I have a new favourite thing to eat.
On Saturday my roommates and I went on an adventure into downtown London. Taking the Underground to the middle of the city, we hoped off with no real plan and walked around the more tourist centred places. We crossed the Tower Bridge, a victorian feat of engineering the draw-bridge mechanism is the same one that has been used since its construction. Tons of pictures were taken in the beautiful sunshine before we walked along the South Bank of the Thames. Not far from Tower Bridge, there is an old wharf that is now filled with artisan stalls and cafes. Called Hays Galleria, it's not as busy as the walkway, the Galleria is a beautiful stop out of the sun or rain.
One of my friends had a stop that they were dying to see, though it was located on the north side of the town. We crossed over the famous, and altogether not very interesting London Bridge, which thankfully didn't fall down while we were there. Not far from the busy streets and restaurants of Old Town of London is an ancient cathedral. Known as St Dunstan in the East, it's Anglo-Saxon structure with Gothic restorations has withstood the Great Fire, and most of it survived World War Two. During the Blitz, the roof and the center of it was bombed out. The city has since turned it into a garden a sanctuary in the middle of the bustling city. It is breathtaking.
Little did we know, not far from this church is where the Great Fire of London started on Pudding St in 1666. It started in the King's Bakers house and quickly swept the city in an uncontrollable blaze. The baker was never tried for the blaze because someone else confessed to starting it. To remember the disaster, the city built up a monument that takes 311 steps to get to the top. For 5 pounds, you can climb the curved staircase and get an amazing, unobstructed view of the east side of London. In a very smart move, the workers of the monument don't tell you that it takes 311 steps to get you to the top until after you've come back down again. After exiting the monument, we met a man who gives free walking tours around the area on Saturdays. Revealing secret dragons that protect the city, and hidden alleys that only a few pay attention to, he is quite the walking encyclopedia. He was kind enough to show us a spot on the Thames that had an incredible view of the Tower, and Tower Bridge, as well as the Shard and much more.
All in all, after roughly 9.3 miles of walking and 21 flights of stairs, I would say that it was a great day. Each day I fall more in love with this city. Getting lost is so much fun, and well worth it if you have the time.
At the Museum of London, I saw this stone carved sign. Unfortunately, I don't read Latin and have no idea what it says. 
After class, all the students in my program went to the Museum of London. It takes patrons through the history of London from pre-historic times to modern. I learned that the Romans were a lot more civilized than I thought and even knew that cleanliness is important to good hygiene and health. I also learned that London's modern plumbing system was started by the Romans. At the end of walking through the museum, I treated myself to a classic English snack of tea, a scone, and clotted cream. I think I have a new favourite thing to eat.
On Saturday my roommates and I went on an adventure into downtown London. Taking the Underground to the middle of the city, we hoped off with no real plan and walked around the more tourist centred places. We crossed the Tower Bridge, a victorian feat of engineering the draw-bridge mechanism is the same one that has been used since its construction. Tons of pictures were taken in the beautiful sunshine before we walked along the South Bank of the Thames. Not far from Tower Bridge, there is an old wharf that is now filled with artisan stalls and cafes. Called Hays Galleria, it's not as busy as the walkway, the Galleria is a beautiful stop out of the sun or rain.
One of my friends had a stop that they were dying to see, though it was located on the north side of the town. We crossed over the famous, and altogether not very interesting London Bridge, which thankfully didn't fall down while we were there. Not far from the busy streets and restaurants of Old Town of London is an ancient cathedral. Known as St Dunstan in the East, it's Anglo-Saxon structure with Gothic restorations has withstood the Great Fire, and most of it survived World War Two. During the Blitz, the roof and the center of it was bombed out. The city has since turned it into a garden a sanctuary in the middle of the bustling city. It is breathtaking.
Little did we know, not far from this church is where the Great Fire of London started on Pudding St in 1666. It started in the King's Bakers house and quickly swept the city in an uncontrollable blaze. The baker was never tried for the blaze because someone else confessed to starting it. To remember the disaster, the city built up a monument that takes 311 steps to get to the top. For 5 pounds, you can climb the curved staircase and get an amazing, unobstructed view of the east side of London. In a very smart move, the workers of the monument don't tell you that it takes 311 steps to get you to the top until after you've come back down again. After exiting the monument, we met a man who gives free walking tours around the area on Saturdays. Revealing secret dragons that protect the city, and hidden alleys that only a few pay attention to, he is quite the walking encyclopedia. He was kind enough to show us a spot on the Thames that had an incredible view of the Tower, and Tower Bridge, as well as the Shard and much more.
All in all, after roughly 9.3 miles of walking and 21 flights of stairs, I would say that it was a great day. Each day I fall more in love with this city. Getting lost is so much fun, and well worth it if you have the time.
At the Museum of London, I saw this stone carved sign. Unfortunately, I don't read Latin and have no idea what it says. 
The Tower of London (above) is often mistaken by tourists as the London bridge, because they expect it to be a great spectacular thing, and not the simple road and footbridge that it is.
St Dunstan's in the East (below) is a spot I highly recommend seeing if you are sick of the crowds around the more well known sights in London.
At the top of the monument for the Great Fire is a flame that is covered in leafed gold. The eternal flame, if the pillar were to fall over, would fall onto the same spot the blaze started.
I thought this sign was cute. I'm not totally sure what it was advertising but I am a sucker for puns.
Sam!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you're having a great time!