Well, I have a special treat for you guys back home... I hope you in for some reading :) ... We decided we would have a bit of a tourist day, and what a day it turned out to be. We seemed to walk and walk and walk, so much so we could have almost been in a Proclaimers film-clip. Anyways, here are the highlights of the day.
Abbey Road... Let It Be!!!
I dare say there wouldn't be too many of you out there that aren't a fan of the Beatles in one way or another. They were way before my time, yet I still believe that some of their songs are timeless. What an awesome feeling it was to finally see where all that magic was recorded, and to walk across the very crossing that they did all those years ago. As soon as you walk around the corner the first thing you see is the famous white wall, decked in Beatles admiration... graffiti of praise and special messages from fans all around the world that have made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road. What a challenge it was to try and replicate the famous photo of the guys walking across the crossing... It is a very very busy street. We took a few photos walking across it, and then finally plucked up the courage to run out and lay down on the road... needless to say we almost got collected by a van and a big red bus. But it was worth it. Here are the pics
British Museum
Chapter two of this saga is the British Museum. What a place... Its been quite some time since I was back in school learning about Ancient Egypt. It was always a favourite subject of mine, and being able to see some of these relics in the flesh (or stone more like it) was absolute AMAZING! I saw the Rosetta stone, I couldn't believe my eyes. I remember learning about it in History, and what a treat it was too stand right in front of it. There were countless other Egyptian treasures on display, far too many to photograph individually. It was even harder still to go through what I did photograph and select a few to put on my blog. Without further adue I give you...
Museum Part 2 - Ancient Greece
Once we were finished with the Egyptian area we moved into Ancient Greece. The statues and wall sculptures were just as amazing as the Egyptian relics. It was sad to see that some of these works of art had been beheaded... such history lost. It was in this section that we stumbled upon an elderly gentleman that was working on a rough sketch on one of the displays. His attention to detail was unbelievable, just as his ability to make his sketch jump out of the paper. Enough of that, here are some of the pics...
Museum Part 3 - Africa / Pacific Islands
The final area of the museum that we went into was the African and Pacific Islander galleries. This was another highlight for me as PNG has a special place in my heart. It was lovely to see that some of their artifacts were on display alongside the more 'famous' civilizations. Mum would have died to see this area, and am dissappointed that she couldn't see it in person. Unfortunately we didn't get enough time in here as the gallery was closing. We only got about 5 minutes in the African section. I will definately go back and spend a day there. The best thing about this place is that entry is FREE! Here are some pics...
Museum Part 4 - The Museum Building and Annex
Just as impressive as the galleries within the museum is the building itself. It is humongous! Once you get inside the mammoth structure you almost require a map so you don't get lost. Another downside of the trip was the Terracotta Warrior Exhibit being sold out. I would definately pay 12 pound to see it, is definately cheaper than a return ticket to China. Once again I am thinking I might venture back to the Museum to view the warriors. I have added a pic of the miniture warriors for a bit of a laugh. Here you go...
In Between Abbey Road and British Museum
Now that you have seen photos of the above 'touristy' places, here are a few photos of the walk from one to the other. Was a fair hike too might I add. The first statue is that of Sherlock Holmes, which is just outside of the Baker St Tube station; which just happens to be the oldest underground station in the world.
Tower Hill
Once we were finished at the British Museum we headed over towards Tower Hill, which is home to the Tower of London. It is absurd to see such a historical landmark surrounded by the 20th century. And even older than the castle are the remains of the original London Wall built by the Romans. There is also is a lovely area just to the right of the Tower Hill called Trinity Square which houses a number of memorials to the men that lost their lives for Queen and Country during the World Wars. A very moving site...
And Finally.... Jack The Ripper
As the title suggests we had another reason to head towards Tower Hill; to partake in the famous Jack The Ripper Tour. This was another major highlight of the day. Our tour guide Dickie was awesome. He seemed to know everything there was to know about Jack and his victims. Even had some handouts of the people involved with the case, and to the horror of both Tam and Jodi some actual police photos of the final two victims. The tour started off at Tower Hill, and through places such as Whitechapel Road, Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane. We even got to see the school that Charles Dickens went too. He hated it so much that he sent one of his most famous characters to the same school... who I hear you ask? Oliver Twist! Here are the photos from the Ripper Tour, and explained underneath...
- Photo 1: St Botolph's Church, otherwise known at the Prostitute's Church where one of his victims was last seen alive;
- Photo 2: entry to the alleyway where Jack's first victim Mary Nicholas was found;
- Photo 3: where Mary's body was found;
- Photo 4: looking down the alleyway;
- Photo 5: Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist's school;
- Photo 6: location of Jack's second victim Annie Chapman. This was the location where they believe that he was actually interupted during the kill but some guy on a horse and cart;
- Last Photo: location of Jack's fourth victim Catherine Edwards in Mitre Square.
