Please Look After This Aggie, Thank You: Tales from London

Just returned from a smashing weekend in London town. I had a great, relaxing experience and really got into the place. It helps that everyone spoke English, but it wasn't quite the same English I'm used to. I love it for that.

So, as usual, here's the day by day breakdown.


Day 1: The Platform, British Museum and Westminster
Upon arrival Catie and I had to endure the awkwardness that is the UK's customs. Customs people always like to intimidate people for whatever reason, probably hired for that reason. But we got our stamp in the passport and got the heck out of there.

The usual transport ticket buying ensued. However, Britain is so special, they still have their own currency as they are not part of the European Union. So...the Pound Sterling is expensive, just plan on that if you visit, especially that its stronger than the Euro.

First thing we did? Oh yeah, King's Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4. This is our first visit.



We made it to the hostel late in the afternoon and rushed over to the British Museum before it closed. Admission was free but the experience merited at least a few pounds admission. The art from Mesopotamia was so much more amazing than anything the Louvre had, no offense to the Louvre. They just didn't have enough Assyrian things to make me happy. The British Museum, of course, did. The Lamassu they had amazed me. These are from Khorsabad in ancient Iraq, excavated during the Ottoman empire.



There was also the Black Obelisk of Shalmanessar. This is another one of the works I had to write a paper about. I was a little miffed that I didn't have such a good look at it from the internet's photos of it. This depicts a procession of ancient Isrealites paying tribute to the Sumerian king. Not a happy procession for them, they just lost their land to Sumer. Happy for Shalmanessar though, he got elephants.



Oh...and Ganesha, hee hee.



Heading back to the hostel, Catie and I stopped at Westminster to see Big Ben and Parliament. We arrived just minutes before 9 pm, in time to hear the famous Westminster Chimes sounding from the clock. Exciting, but the weather was so cold we only spent a few minutes out there.



Day 2: Gaz D Wolfe
After a few escapdes at Baker Street and another trip to Platform 9 3/4, we met up with my friend in the UK, Gaz. Why Baker street you ask? Baker Street is where the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes lived. There is even a statue of him outside the Underground station.



So, Gaz. Gaz is a friend I met through a friend. He visited the US about 4 years ago and now it was my turn to visit him. We dragged him back to the British Museum (we weren't finished yet) and around town the entire day. He witnessed my anguish at the Twinings tea shop being closed for the weekend and the antics of Catie and I when we discovered Fleet Street. We found a barber shop, but no Sweeny Todd.



We ended the day at Camden Town, the coolest marketplace I've been to in quite some time. So many merchants selling the exact stuff I go for: Hippie stuff. It was torture that I couldn't buy a single bit of it save for a cool Celtic tapestry for the couch at my new place (that I will have in the somewhat near future, hopefully). Gaz and I did some jam drawing before he went home, but it was a fun day filled with antics and tom foolery.

Day 3: Tower and Galleries
Catie and I took our time getting to the Tower of London on the third day. But in exchange, we got the chance to travel across the London Bridge.



The tower itself was interesting. It has a history of treachery, murder and execution. It is, after all, the holding place for enemies of the state or as most call it, a prison. We got a tour from one of the Yeoman who was highly amusing. They refer to the Yeoman as 'beefeaters' most of the time. It makes them sound ferocious, but it is mostly because of their big mouths.



Of course, there were the famous ravens. And those of you who watch this blog would know, I am an avid lover of all Corvids. The ravens really had a personality and didn't mind being photographed. Here's a few shots of the birdies:



There were a few exhibits and battlements to walk around, but the tourists started to congest the place. So, as our next stop, we made way to the Texas Embassy. Yeah, you heard me right, Texas Embassy. As we learned in Texas history, our lovely state was once its own country who set up decent relations with Great Britain. The embassy is no longer an embassy, sadly. However, it is now a cantina. Catie and I had never been so excited for chips in salsa in our entire lives. They had an Aggie flag too (a whoop!)



Because the National Gallery was so close, we hit that next, only to find a spectacular exhibition of the works of Paul Delaroche. We paid the extra pounds to see a painting we had only just discovered that morning at the Tower: The Execution of Lady Jane Gray. This woman was one of King Henry the VIII's wives, his youngest in fact. She was only 16 and served as queen just 9 days before she was killed. Delaroche probably felt moved by the story and created this wonderful piece. So glad he did.

The museum also had a few other famous works, but they were not as impressive as Delaroche, even if they were some of my old favorites.

Day 4: Bath and Stonehenge
On our last full day, Catie and I made reservations to see Stonehenge for a memorable Easter. Our trip took us out to Bath so named for the Roman baths I suspect. We left from Paddington station, thus the title of this blog entry. Paddington bear wore a tag on his jacket that says "Please take care of this bear, thank you". Of course, the bear is named for the station and there was Paddington stuff all over the place.

Bath reminded me of one of the pilgrims from the Canterbury tales, but it was so much more than that. The Roman baths, for starters, was very interesting. Photo ops ensued.



Bath Abbey was closed for Easter services, but still proved beautiful on the exterior.


Bath is gorgeous.


On the first part of our tour we traveled to Lacock, a historic town left virtually untouched by industrialization. It is also the site for many movies including some scenes from Harry Potter. We didn't get to see the Abbey here either, but it is a part of Hogwarts. There's also Slughorn's house and rumour that Lily and James Potter's house was lurking around.



Lacock, while beautiful, had to be left quickly as the tour advanced. This left us disappointed, but there was still Stonehenge. On the way to Lacock however, some of the scenery became oddly familiar. When I was a child, I watched a lot of Thomas the Tank Engine, not just for the characters, but for the sets. I loved them! This area looked so much like the Isle of Sodor I began doing double takes. I mentioned this to the tour guide and he told me that the original author of the Railway Series (the books Thomas was based on) live and worked in the area. Go figure. My inner child beamed.

Stonehenge...what to say about Stonehenge. Firstly, yes, it is in ENGLAND and not IRELAND for goodness sake. This may have to do with the Celtic affiliation with the monoliths, but that is not the case. These predate the arrival of the Celts and Druids, but were still used as a site of worship for the pagan societies. Either way, it wasn't entirely impressive, just cool. There were sheep out in the fields surrounding it and a few funny rooks who took advantage of the tourists' food. I had never seen rooks before, so I was thrilled. Oh yeah there were jackdaws here too. Stonehenge, however small, is very photogenic. For that, I had fun.



On the way back to Bath we passed Solsbury Hill. Yeah that Solsbury Hill. The tour guide asked the bus about the song written about it and I went NUTS. I, sadly, was the only person who knew about Peter Gabriel and the song. This after the tour guide mentioned that he didn't expect anyone under 25 to know of it. Well...I'm an odd case. He played the song on the speakers and I had some tour karaoke. But I was the only one who knew the song so it was a lonely karaoke. Funny thing: the scenery made me feel the song. I pulled out my ipod and listened to it well before it was even mentioned on the tour. I feel like a nut, but I had so much fun. Peter Gabriel apparently lives near Bath too. Solsbury hill is special to him and it now holds a special reverence from me as well.



Day 5: Piccadilly, Big Ben, and the platform one last time

Leaving the hostel. My travel partner and I went back to Big Ben for daytime photos. Hurridly, we hit up Platform 9 3/4 once more and Piccadilly circus. Piccadilly isn't that impressive, but it is a neat place anyway. Then we made the long, tedious journey to the airport.



Oh and if you're wondering about Buckingham palace...it was bust. There was no red guards or anything. Better to go in summer so you get to see them.

So there's London. I leave for Berlin on Thursday. I will be one tired little Aggie.