We spent
the last 3 days of our vacation in London. Since we've been there before
I won't say too much about the city here.
We spent most of our time either taking long walks or getting around
on the hop-on hop-off bus. We stayed at the Park Plaza County Hall, near
the London Eye, about 2 blocks from the Thames, a very convenient location..
|
We spent the first full day
just walking along the Queen's Walk on the South Bank of the river. That's
Whitehall on the left and the Charing Cross Railway Station on the right.
|
Jubilee Oracle
There are
a number of pieces of art on the South Bank, Alexander's 'Jubilee Oracle'
being one of them. The bronze sculpture dates from 1980 and is situated
on the walkway between the Royal Festival Hall and the London Eye. The
Oracle stands on a plinth, inscribed with a quote from the artist, reading:
'Mankind is capable of an awareness that is outside the range of
everyday life. My monumental sculptures are created to communicate with
that awareness in a way similar to classical music. Just as most symphonies
are not intended to be descriptive, so these works do not represent figures
or objects'.
|
View of the Victoria Embankment
on the north shore and a river cruise boat called the 'Silver Sturgeon'.
The monument on the shore is Cleopatra's Needle. It was presented to
the United Kingdom in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt and Sudan Mohammad
Ali, in commemoration of the victories of Lord Nelson at the Battle of
the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801.
The building
in back is Shell Mex House. The front of the building is the old facade
of the Hotel Cecil, which stood on the site prior to the new one being
built in 1930-31. The clock, which was known for a time as "Big Benzene", is
the biggest in London.
|
The National Theatre
The
Royal National Theatre (generally known as the National Theatre) is one
of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing
arts venues. Founded in 1963 in Waterloo, the Company moved to this venue,
which contains three stages, between 1976 and 1977.
The Statue in front is called 'London Pride'. It was commissioned
for the Festival of Britain in 1951, and formed part of an artistic program
that featured over thirty sculptures by leading British artists of the
day.
|
Another sculpture near The National Theatre, by Bruno Conrad Max,
which by the looks of it could double as a bench. The inscription
on the right reads:
The Thames will carry her sons forever.
|
Izak and Dina on the Queen's Walk.
|
A contrast to the architecture of Ye Olde London.
|
Apparently, people like to write messages in the sand at low tide.
|
The OXO Tower and Wharf
The
OXO Tower has been a riverside landmark since the 1930s. During its
industrial heyday it was owned by the makers of the OXO brand (think
bouillon cubes) and has had numerous and varied uses since. By the 1970s
it had fallen into disrepair and was largely derelict. In the 1990s it was taken
over by Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) who transformed it into an
award winning, landmark building. Today it is home to some of the UK’s most
innovative and internationally renowned contemporary designers, restaurants,
cafes, bars and exhibition venues.
|
Further along we came to an
open square that housed numerous cafes, restaurants and art venues. What
caught our eye was the faux windows painted on the side of the buildings
- a nice touch. While we were there we indulged in coffee and cakes.
|
Wood carvings for sale in the square.
|
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames between
Blackfriars Bridge and Hungarford Bridge and is named to commemorate
the victory of the British, the Dutch and the Prussians at the Battle
of Waterloo in 1815. Because of its strategic location at a bend in the
river, the views from the bridge are widely considered to be the finest
from any spot in London at ground level.
|
The Hungarford Bridge
The
bridge is a steel truss railway bridge, sometimes referred to as the
Charing Cross Bridge, and is flanked by two more recent, cable-stayed,
pedestrian bridges that share the railway bridge's foundation piers.
The two bridges are known as the Golden Jubilee Bridges.
|
Of course no park area would be complete without a carousel,
the Queen's Walk being no exception.
|
Royal Air Force Memorial
A 1923
military memorial, it is dedicated to the memory of the casualties of
the Royal Air Force in WWI (and, by extension, all subsequent conflicts).
|
International Brigades Memorial
The
statues is situated in Jubilee Park, near the London Eye. It is dedicated
to the various military units, made up of volunteers from different countries,
who traveled to Spain in order to fight for the Second Spanish Republic
in the Spanish Civil War, between 1936 and 1939.
|
Behind the memorial is a children's' playground. I couldn't
resist taking a picture of the sign because I love what it says. It reads:
YOUNG ADVENTURERS THIS WAY
Welcome to Jubilee Gardens Playground
For 11 years and younger - No big kids!
Adults must be accompanied by a child
|
The Clock Tower at night
Okay, call me vain, but I had to include this because its the only
semi-successful night shot I've ever taken.
|
The next day, we took a hop-on hop-off bus to Buckingham
Palace. While on the bus I took some shots of the passing scenery. One
of the things we passed is this entrance way into the London School of
Economics.
|
The Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, built in the late 1800's
and which is commonly called the Law Courts, houses both the High Court
and Court of Appeal of England and Wales.
|
More passing views . . .
|
|
|
The sign of the Sugarloaf Tavern, explaining how it got its name.
In case you can't read it, the area use to house several sugar refineries.
The sugarloaf was the traditional form in which refinded sugar was produced
and sold in the 19th century - a tall cone with a rounded top from which
lumps could be broken off using sugar snips. Now you know.
|
The exterior of the Sugarloaf Tavern.
|
Tower Bridge
|
View of the Tower of London from the south bank of the Thames
|
Traitors' Gate
On the last trip to London, I took a picture from inside the Tower
of Traitors' Gate, well this is what it looks like on the outside.
For
over 900 years, there have been reports of ghostly goings-on at the Tower, including the headless
ghost of Anne Boleyn who is said to wander, while Henry sleeps peacefully
in his crypt.
|
During our walk-about, we decided to go into London City
Hall. The lower lever is accessed by a long sweeping ramp, which you
can see around the edges, and the floor is a map of the Greater City of
London.
|
That's Izak on the left, wandering through the lower lever.
|
Looking up from the lower level. It is rather an interesting building.
|
And this is what it looks like from the outside.
|
Dina and I looking across the Thames outside city hall.
|
|
For a change of scenery, we decided to walk over to the north side
of the river. On the left is Tower Bridge as we were crossing. Above is
the Tower of London from the north bank.
Once we got to the other side, we decided to grab the hop-on hop-off
again bus to go to Buckingham Palace.
|
The Merchant Seamen memorial
The memorial is on the opposite side of the street to the bus stop.
The inscription reads:
1914 - 1918
To the Glory of God
and to the honour of
Twelve Thousand of the Merchant Navy
and Fishing Fleets
Who have no grave but the sea |
A rear view of Boudica and her Daughters
The statue is considered to be the finest work of its sculptor, the English
artist and engineer Thomas Thornycroft. Thornycroft worked on it from
1856 until shortly before his death in 1885, but it was not erected in
its current position until 1902. The statue portrays Boudica, Queen of
the Iceni tribe of Britons, accompanied by her two daughters, mounted
on a chariot drawn by two rearing horses. The chariot is based on Roman
models, not native British or Iceni models.
|
Today the statue sits at a busy intersection above the
Westminster Station.
|
Near Buckingham Palace, there are a series of Gates, each
paying tribute to the Commonwealth countries that were Britain's allies
during WWI. They form part of a vast memorial scheme dedicated
to Queen Victoria
|
Buckingham Palace
The
Palace is the London residence and principal workplace of the reigning
monarch of the United Kingdom and
is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has
also been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing.
Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of
today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in
1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years.
It was acquired by King George III in 1761
as a private residence, after which it has been expanded to become the
palace it is today.
|
The Palace Gates
The original entrance was what is now know as the Marble Arch, which was relocated in 1851
the first time and again following the widening of Park Lane in the early
1960s.
|
A closer view of the front of the Palace.
|
The back of the Victoria Memorial
The
Victoria Memorial was created by sculptor Sir Thomas Brock in 1911 and
erected in front of the main gates at Buckingham Palace
|
The Royal Coat of Arms
The
Royal Arms for short, a version of which is fixed on the entry gate,
is the official coat of arms of the British Monarch. These arms are used
by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom.
|
The Royal Balcony
The balcony, from which the royal family acknowledge the crowds on
momentous occasions and after the annual Trooping the Colour, is one of
the most famous in the world. The first recorded Royal balcony appearance
took place in 1851, when Queen Victoria stepped onto it during celebrations
for the opening of the Great Exhibition. It was King George VI who introduced
the custom of the RAF fly-past at the end of Trooping the Colour, when the
Royal Family appear on the balcony.
|
Canada Gate
The gate was presented to London by Canada (then the senior Dominion
of the British Empire), and acts as an entrance to Green Park, one of the
four Royal Parks. The gate is in the same style as those of Buckingham
Palace and bears the emblems of the seven Canadian provinces of the time.
|
Newfoundland Column
When the memorial gardens were created, Newfoundland was not part of Canada,
but rather a colony of the British Empire, as it did not join Confederation
until 1949. Hence, it has its own column.
|
The
front of the
Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial is a monument to Queen Victoria. It was designed
in 1901 and executed by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock as the centerpiece
of the Queen's Gardens.
|
St. James Park
Instead of hopping the bus back, we decided to walk through St James
Park first. The park has a small lake, St. James's Park Lake, with two islands,
West Island, and Duck Island, which is named for the lake's collection
of waterfowl, a resident colony of pelicans, which has been a feature of
the park since the first gift of the birds from a Russian ambassador in 1664.
The park has several signs asking people not to feed the pelicans, but
that wasn't an issue at the time, because we didn't see any.
|
In addition to a vast number of ducks, all looking for a handout,
we spotted this Great Blue Heron resting quietly on the shore.
|
Tiffany Fountain
The fountain is located on Pelican Rock in St. James Park Lake.
On special
occasions, the jet is illuminated at night in any one of a rainbow spectrum
of colours - See more at: http://www.supporttheroyalparks.org/visit_the_parks/st_jamess_park/tiffany_fountain#sthash.P8Zoks5c.dpuf
On special
occasions, the jet is illuminated at night in any one of a rainbow spectrum
of colours - See more at: http://www.supporttheroyalparks.org/visit_the_parks/st_jamess_park/tiffany_fountain#sthash.P8Zoks5c.dpuf
On special
occasions, the jet is illuminated at night in any one of a rainbow spectrum
of colours - See more at: http://www.supporttheroyalparks.org/visit_the_parks/st_jamess_park/tiffany_fountain#sthash.P8Zoks5c.dpuf
On special
occasions, the jet is illuminated at night in any one of a rainbow spectrum
of colours - See more at: http://www.supporttheroyalparks.org/visit_the_parks/st_jamess_park/tiffany_fountain#sthash.P8Zoks5c.dpuf
On special
occasions, the 20 ft. jet is illuminated in any one of a rainbow spectrum
of coulour.
The new
plume will help aerate St James's Park lake to benefit its wildlife and
has been made possible by a generous gift from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation
to the Royal Parks Foundation (USA), a charity established to enable America
to support the natural history and heritage of London’s Parks. - See
more at: http://www.supporttheroyalparks.org/visit_the_parks/st_jamess_park/tiffany_fountain#sthash.P8Zoks5c.dpuf
The fountain
helps to aerate the lake to benetit its wildlife, and was made possible
by a gift from the Tiffany & Co. Foundation.
|
Horse Guard Parade and Building
Coming out of the park, we came across the Horse Guard Parade grounds
and building. Horse Guards Parade was formerly the site of the Palace of Whitehall's
tiltyard, where tournaments (including jousting) were held in the time
of Henry VIII. It is also the location of the annual celebrations of
Trooping the Colour, which commemorates the monarch's official birthday. The area has been used for
a variety of reviews, parades and other ceremonies since the 17th century.
The Horse Guard Building, which was built between 1750 and 1753, served
as the offices of the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, and later by the
Chief of the General Staff until 1906. The Horse Guards subsequently became
the headquarters of two major Army commands: the London District and the
Household Cavalry,
The building is the formal entrance to St. James Palace,
which only the monarch is allowed to drive through its central archway,
or those given a pass.
|
Old Admiralty Building
A historic
Victorian building it famously provided the offices for Winston Churchill
while First Lord of the Admiralty. The Old Admiralty Building (or Admiralty
Extension) is a Grade II listed building and provides the backdrop to
Trooping the Colour. It is now occupied by the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office of the United Kingdom.
|
The Old War Office
Heading back to the hotel, we passed the Old War Office building.
It is situated
at Whitehall, right across from the Horse Guards. In the past it housed
the War Office, a department of the British Government, which was responsible
for the administration of the British army for over 400 years. The building
continued to be used by the Ministry of Defence until 2013, when it was
put up for sale. It was sold in 2014 and will be turned into a 5-star hotel.
On a lighter note, the building served as the exterior of Bond's office
in Octopussy 1983, and again in SkyFall in 2012.
|
Across from the Old War Office building, at the edge of St
James Park, stood this cottage-like structure, which seemed a little out
of place for the centre of London. It looked so cute I had to take a picture
of it.
|
Statue of Robert Clive, and
the Bali Bombings Memorial
The
statue is located at Clive Steps, near the King Charles Street entrance
of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office building. Robert Clive, 1st Baron
Clive, also known as 'Clive of India', was a British officer and soldier
of fortune who is credited with securing India, and the wealth that followed,
for the British crown.
At the bottom of the steps is The Bali Bombings Memorial, a permanent
memorial to the victims of the 2002 bombings in Bali, Indonesia. Unveiled
in October 2006, it commemorates the victims of all nationalities, with
those from Britain listed apart at the centre of the inscription covering
one side of the wall. In front is a granite globe with 202 doves carved
across its surface. All of the 202 doves are unique, representing each
life lost and symbols for peace.
|
My final picture of the Clock Tower, peeking around the corner
of the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office building, with the Parliament Buildings in back.
|
The London Eye from Westminster Bridge
|