London with Friends!

Among all these posts about my excursions and trips (yes, for those interested, France is coming, if not by this weekend then early next week), I wanted to be sure to put up a post about some of the things I did in London, particularly right before I left for France while my friend was visiting London from Milan, where she is studying. We went to Westminster though it was closed, to the Tower of London, and up the London Eye. She did a lot more but I had some other commitments, like an extraordinary performance of Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes! Also, I was shown around the Greenwich area and university by a wonderful young woman who studies there and works for FIE in London.

Westminster Cathedral was an impressive sight from the outside. Of course to get there we also walked by the shadow of Big Ben and the House of Parliament, which was great for photo opportunities and for my friend to be that close to them. It could not have been a nicer day for those kinds of activities. When we got to Westminster it was beautiful, but unfortunately it was closed even though there were no services going on at that time (and maybe even that day). I wondered whether it might be preparations for Remembrance Day, which commemorated, originally, the armistice of World War I past the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (and as I think of it, at the 11th hour for mankind) but now commemorates all war, veterans, etc. They were hammering in crosses with poppies at the intersection to honor the day, but I don't know if the preparations extended to inside (especially since it was ~10 days away).

Our stop at the Tower of London was quite impressive. I had never really realized how large the place is. Even up close to it, from the outside, it doesn't look so large. Once we got inside of it, though it was clear just how substantial a place it is. (One indication, even from the outside, was my inability to fit the whole thing in a shot with my 18-55 lens.) There was so much stuff it would've been impossible to get it all done while we were there, and possibly even in a full day. I would maybe go back but the tickets were relatively expensive and I feel like it wouldn't be the best use of time for the kind of "random" activities around it since I did the main things. Still, going back for the dungeon might be interesting and I could hit some other things. We did get to see the Crown Jewels, though, which were exceptional. It's almost hard to take all that wealth, glamor, and shininess in just with a pass through (necessarily brief because of the masses and also just because you can't look at the most opulent crowns in the world for too very long). No photos allowed!

The next stop was the White Tower, the keep of the fortress. Because the Tower has such a long history and has had so many uses its elements aren't quite as clear as in some other castles or fortresses. Indeed, the White Tower itself feels like the real "tower" portion, even though the whole thing is called that, including the outer walls. Within the White Tower are all the arms and armor in the collection. This was exciting for the boy in me who has always imagined the life of a knight. Definitely the most impressive collection of its type I have ever seen, even compared against war museums (speaking of which, I visited the Imperial War Museum for class but I'll address that by posting up a paper I have to write for that class).

For instance, here we behold an axe/hammer that also functions as a musket... Seems like an incredibly impractical weapon combining antithetical elements, but quite a piece to behold.

This was outside but since my 7th grade project building a catapult for the Medieval Project at The Catlin Gabel School, something upon which my father and I look back fondly, I've noted them, as well (of course a reproduction):

Being at the Tower also gave a great vantage of the rest of the city of London (the modern bits), and of course the Tower Bridge. It was cool to see some of London's relatively new buildings like the Shard and the Gherkin with an impressive sky behind them and a great viewpoint for photography. My friend also took an incredible photo of me. One of the best photos anyone has taken of me in a long time, if I may say so. It's become my Facebook profile picture and I treasure it, especially since it was somewhat difficult to get. The backdrop of the Tower Bridge helps. I also took some shots of the bridge on its own, of course.

Me!

 The final big attraction we did together before she continued her whirlwind tour and I went off on my various activities was the London Eye. It's definitely a touristy thing and not cheap, either, but I'm so glad I went - a great opportunity to take photos, see London, and be a part of what has become a quintessential London experience. As my British Life and Culture professor said, "When it was put up to celebrate the millennium, people of discerning taste and intellect such as myself cried, 'You can't put that there! It will ruin the façade and that's not how it's supposed to look!' Then in about 2005 they decided it was time to move beyond the millennium and dismantle it and people of discerning taste and intellect such as myself cried, 'You can't take that down! It will ruin the façade and it's supposed to be there!'"

 I was able to get some great aerial shots of London, mostly of Parliament (and Big Ben), Westminster Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace, though also of the city more generally. A good opportunity to break out my 70-300 telephoto lens, which I have used less than I expected on this trip (but been so glad to have when I have used it (I think I'm used to being on a boat where everything is further away than a city!)) It was a lot of fun just to be up there and enjoy the ride. The weather (the light) going up was great, but it got a bit cloudy going down. It was entertaining to look back over photos and judge the elevation and side of the journey (and quite difficult to judge which to keep and which to let go!!)

Me again!

After all this (and the Verdi opera, which happened earlier on and, as I said, was superb), it was off to Greenwich. This was further on the outskirts of the city than I had ever been - a completely different area. It really helped to give some perspective on just how vast London is (although in some ways not nearly so much as a sprawling American megalopolis - but there's more in every inch of London than in those American cities).

The university itself is very historic, which was really cool to see. Even the most historic universities in the United States don't hold a candle to this level of history (though granted Oxford and Cambridge are probably the places for this). The Maritime Museum was also superb, giving me a lot of perspective on the British maritime history that made up so much of the history not only of the country but of the world, especially from the discovery of the New World onward. Nothing was brand new information to me, but it was great to see everything together, supported by artifacts for visual interest and reference. After we were done at the museum we had a wonderful, leisurely lunch with great conversation at a pub nearby. I was talked out of getting some ethnically ambiguous food and into getting a more traditional British meal - a mixed grill. The food was good and I enjoyed my time and the company greatly. Afterward... frantic preparations for France - posts on that trip soon!