No Place Like London

I am traveling the world, beholding its wonders (Necessary citation) and it was wonderful to be in another culture and hear the different languages.  However, it was relaxing to arrive at a place where we didn't get strange looks for our horrible attempts at translation.

London:

Sadly, Olivia had to go back to the US so it was only Liz, Michelle and I traveling through London.  Being outnumbered by biology majors, Liz tagged along to the free science museum.  After learning about Watson and Crick in almost all biology classes, it was incredible to see their original DNA model.  We all loved it and spent hours in there talking about everything.  The conversations ranged from philosophical to problems we are facing in today’s society regarding energy and limited resources.  Michelle had recently taken genetics and I was reminded of many of the concepts as we strolled through each area of the museum.

When I’m in a "what if?" mood, I tend to think about if everything on earth were obliterated, (not necessarily the people just everything man made) similar to the earth's existence thousands of years ago, would the people on earth today be able to recreate the world we live in now?  Or would it be impossible because over time, we have simply built on other’s inventions and therefore no one individual on this earth today could recreate technology and infrastructure from scratch?  I have a feeling maybe we could, after many many years.  One of the videos featured in the museum was about a man who decided to built a toaster from scratch.  He went to several different mines to get copper (for the electrical plug and various wires), iron ore (for the spring and foundation of the toaster), nickel, and mica.  He purified these raw materials at home first attempting to use a chimney, then resorting to a microwave.  Anyway, he sort of made a toaster but it was amazing to see the amount of effort it took to create an appliance that is worth close to nothing in our society today.

To find out more: Google: “The Toaster Project”

There was an entire section on pain control.  How pain is perceived and how professions such as video game programmers and doctors are working together to create a program that decreases chronic pain.  The perception of pain is incredibly interesting, especially in phantom limbs, which we talked about in psych class.  It is a way to connect our emotional feelings with hard science, two concepts that can seem very different but are intertwined in some way we still don't understand.  They did studies on an individual who could feel no pain and ones in surgery under anesthesia, all in hopes that one day, we will find a better solution than life-time medication.  The field of medicine is constantly expanding and we are finding new creative ways to fix problems we encounter.
Find out more: Pain Less

Fat Tire Bike Tour- highly recommended! To know more, you'll have to take the tour yourself!

So glad we did this!  It was a way to see a lot of the city, much faster than walking and much more fun than riding on a typical red double-decker London bus. 

So here we go (sorry if it's a little dense):

In front of Kensington Palace, there is a statue of William III.  He bought what was previously Nottingham House because he suffered from asthma and felt that the air was better in the gardens away from the polluted city.  A private road was built for the king that connected Kensington Palace to Hyde Park Corner, named the “King’s Road.”  In French that translated to “Rue de Roi” and after a few translation mishaps, the name became, “Rotten Road.”

Kensington Palace

At the beginning of the 1900s, there was an author who enjoyed coming to the gardens for inspiration to write his novel.  This man, JM Barrie, most likely sat across from the statue of William III, writing peacefully.  His novel became quite famous and there is even a statue of his character, Peter Pan inside of the gardens today.  Barrie claimed that the spot of the statue was the landing point for Peter Pan in the story.  While not proven, its conceivable that William III’s statue may have been an inspiration for another character in the novel.  If you look closely, you may notice he seems to resemble none other than Captain Hook.

William III or Captain Hook?

Inside the palace today you will find a museum featuring a royal dress collection.  An infamous garment peice found inside those walls is Queen Victoria’s underwear.  Before she gave birth to her 9 children, she was a slight thing, 59 inches tall (just under 5 feet) with a waist smaller than a size 0.  However, after all those children, she seemed to care less about her physique and let herself go a little.  By the end of her reign she needed underwear measuring 56 inches in diameter, putting her at a US size of 38.  I guess you could say she was determined to get in shape.  With a height of 59 and a waist of 56 inches, I would say she succeeded; that shape was round.

-->"I see London, I see France, I see Queen Victoria's underpants"

Onto our next stop.  Arthur Wellesley was a man with few interests and those consisted of his violin, women, and drinking.  As Rom-Coms will often claim however, all it took was a certain girl in his life to change his errant ways.  He started becoming extremely serious in his job, which happen to be working for the British Army.  He moved up to general in 10 years and that is said to be the fastest promotion of any British general in history.  The two love birds reunited again after 10 years and it is said the first words out of his mouth were, “She has grown ugly, By Jove.”  Not exactly the romantic reunion one would imagine, but they got married anyway.  Well, so happens, some men never change.  After he decided she was intolerable, he went back to being a womanizer with many mistresses.

Statue of Duke of Wellington.  Wellington Arch
can be seen in the background

A Wellington Arch was placed in London to commemorate Britain’s success in the Napoleonic wars.  A statue of the angel of peace was placed above Wellington Arch around the year 1912, in hopes to promote peace at the end of war era.  It depicts her descending on the chariots of war, driven by a little boy.  The story goes that the government decided on this statue, had it made, then realized it was quite expensive.  They even resorted to going from door to door, asking for donations.  They were pleasantly surprised when one man offered to pay for the entire statue in exchange for two things.  1. He was to remain anonymous (not sure if this one happened) and 2. He wanted his 11 year old son somewhere on the statue.  Beggers can’t be choosers.  So that begs the question, who was the model for the Angel of Peace?  Not wanting to use anyone famous, it is said that the sculptor used a woman of streets, or better known as a prostitute, as his model.  It’s the thought that counts though right?

Liz cheesing in front of Wellington Arch

Closer look at the top of Wellington Arch.  Notice prostitute
angel and small boy driving the chariots of war.

On either sides of the Wellington Arch, you will find war memorials for Australia and New Zealand, representing their bonds with England during times of conflict.  The New Zealand War Memorial is made up of tall poles, the tops of which are slanted and face toward New Zealand.  They are interspersed throughout the side walk and grass area.  A metallic rugby ball is even incorporated into one of the poles to commemorate something the two countires share.  The Australian war memorial is a long granite wall listing the names of the towns in which the lost service men and women were born.

New Zealand War Memorial

Australia War Memorial

Buckingham Palace: Gorgeous. Official residence of the queen of England.  Presidents, ambassadors, etc who are in good standing with England and the Queen, can be invited to stay overnight at the palace.  With 775 rooms and a 40 acre garden in the back, I think she has room to spare.  7 year old Mozart was invited to the Palace on a couple of occasions to play for the royal family.  While I cannot find evidence of this anywhere, supposedly Mozart was invited to stay overnight at the Palace also.  This was because post concert, he ran up to the Queen and gave her a big hug.  A big no-no at the time, but the Queen found it endearing.  Walking past, you may wonder whether the Queen is actually residing there at the moment.  Well wonder no further because you simply look up and the flag flying high will tell you.  A Union flag indicates that the Queen is away and the Royal Standard says she is in.

Not my picture but you get the idea

Across from Buckingham Palace is a green park, adequately named, The Green Park.  There are no flowers in this park and a few speculations on why.  The more traditional version claims that Charles II was picking flowers for his mistress in his garden and when the Queen discovered this, he felt guilty and had all the flowers removed.  It is also rumored that there was an old leper colony there.  Flowers were once believed to release toxins from the ground through their pollen so flowers were forbidden in this area to prevent the spread of leprosy. 

During WWII, Hitler wanted to destroy places of importance to the British.  This included Buckingham Palace.  While Londoners attempted to turn lights off at night, etc, Buckingham Palace was in no way hidden.  The Palace was bombed many times but never completely destroyed.  The royal family remained unfazed by these happenings to show courage for their country.  They would not abandon their home, so the family was seen on the media, nicely dressed inspecting the wreckage. So how did it remain virtually intact?  Story goes that while Hitler ordered the Palace to be bombed, the bomb commander was interested in Buckingham Palace as a summer home once Germany won the war,  therefore he did not want to annihilate it.  One man's greed kept the Palace alive.

Queen Elizabeth and King George VI in front of the bombed remains.  Through this
ordeal, they stayed positive and supposedly she claimed that with this new opening,
she was better able to see the East end of the Palace.  Always look on the bright
side of life!  Source: BBC.co.uk.

Not too far from Buckingham Palace and Big Ben you can find Trafalgar Square, the home of Nelson's Column and a George Washington Statue.

Nelson's Column commemorates Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, a brave naval commander during the Napoleonic Wars.  His courage inspired his soldiers and although he lost an eye and arm during battle, he did not step down.  He continued to fight until the end, at the battle of Cape Trafalgar, when he was taken down by a sniper.  He stayed alive until he learned that they had won the battle.  This man was a hero in the Napoleonic Wars so he deserved a proper funeral with the body at least partly intact.  One problem: they were thousands of kilometers away from England but good thing sailors like to drink.  A huge barrel of brandy proved to be an extremely good preservative.  Like I said, sailors enjoy drinking and even though there was a dead body inside, apparently they couldn't resist.  While many argue that this story is not true, I would like to think it is.  It is said that some adventurous sailors drank from that barrel hence the phrase, "tapping the admiral" came into existence.

Nelson's Column

George Washington.  We all know the story of good ol' George and his dislike of English politics during his time.  London, however, felt he was still an important figure in history so placed a statue of him in Trafalgar Square in 1921.  George claimed he would never step foot in English soil again, so to abide by his wishes, his statue was sent to London accompanied with some Virginia soil as well.

Block underneath statue contains Virginia soil

This next area is the sight of the Beach Volleyball 2012 London Olympic event.  Great spot, pretty buildings all around.  What is more interesting about this spot however is what lies underneath is about 40 feet below ground.  This, my friends, was the home of Winston Churchill during WWII.  This bunker, codenamed Paddock was surrounded by cement and acted as a safe house and place to command the army.  It is now a museum but unfortunately, we did not have a chance to go.

Michelle looking lovely on her bike 40 feet above the bunker.

There was a kind of important wedding here not too long ago.  You may remember it.  Anyway, this is Westminster Abbey, the site of 38 coronations, the first being in 1066.  And the think that was over 700 years before the American Revolution.  The Abbey is not only a place for royal nuptials and coronations, it also houses quite a few famous dead people.  These include Charles Dawin, Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer, Isaac Newton, and various royalty throughout the years.  Oliver Cromwell also was privileged to spend a little time in the Abbey after death but not for long.  Oliver Cromwell was famous for fighting in the Parliamentary army against the Royalists.  When the Royalists came back into power a few years after Oliver's death, his body was removed from the Abbey, put on trial, and with no defense, he had little chance of winning.  So in 1661, three years after his death, he received the punishment any person in his situation would have, execution.  His head was then removed and put on a stake outside Westminster Abbey to serve as a warning to the people.  After a storm, the head was thought to be lost.  200 years later however, we discover that it has been in the hands of private collectors the entire time, most of those collectors thought to be Cambridge students.  In 1960, they finally got tired of playing hot potato with a 200 year old head so it was given to Cambridge and buried in the chapel.

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben is not the official name of the oh so famous clock.  The nickname is thought to originate from a man in Parliament or a well known boxer at the time.  This clock tower was built after the previous Parliament, Palace of Westminster, burned down in 1834.

Big Ben, officially known as the Elizabeth Tower.

This was the end of our bike tour! The guide was fantastic and I would definitely say, go on one if you get the chance.  While I tried to look up all of the information on semi-reputable sites before posting it, I cannot say that all of it is true.  However, enjoy it and if anything accept it as a good story.

Notice the street name and recall what city this is in.  If you need
another hint: Not so nice barber

If you are a Harry Potter fan you'll know that at the beginning of the Half-Blood Prince movie the death eaters destroy this bridge.  Harry Potter Clip. When they first show the bridge, you'll see a capital looking building.  Just past that is the Tate museum!  Liz, Michelle and I walked on it at night and it was a really cool experience.  The entire bridge is lined with blue neon looking lights and it kind of makes you feel like Mario on rainbow road, just not quite as colorful.  (Check back in about a week and I'll add more pictures of the millennium bridge!)

Blue line in distance is millennium bridge with the London crest in the foreground

If I were Mario and the millennium bridge were lined with stars instead of blue lights
and it had rainbow colors on the bridge, then it would be exactly like it.  Hence, not
very similar but you get the idea.

I was determined to see a show in London, whatever it may be.  I've seen plenty of shows, good, bad, dramatic, ones that made you cry, ones that made you speechless, funny, crude.  That night we saw, the one and only, Viva forever, featuring songs from the Spice Girls!  I would probably just label this one as fun.  The kind of fun you have in your childhood though, when you can't stop laughing and nothing is wrong with the world.  It was absolutely amazing!  We were singing along in our seats and smiling the entire time.  Yes, I sound like a 12 year old giddy girl.  Well, that night I acted like one and it was wonderful.  I was reliving what would have been a childhood dream but in London.  After the show we skipped down the streets, did some Spice Girl inspired poses in front of the sign, and wanted nothing more than to sing those songs forever, Viva Forever. 

Striking poses!

Then we ventured on to a much smaller town an hour train ride outside of London called Chichester. First, if you call it Chai (like the tea) chester, you will get made fun of.  Pretend the “I” is not there and just make the “ch” sound.  Liz had been studying in France for the semester and one of her friends from her program, Pippa, was from there, so we visited!  London was a great place but in many ways just another big city.  Visiting Chichester was a chance to see the type of England that you see in movies: the rolling hills with castles perched on top that can be seen for miles, the church that doubles as an elementary school tucked away in the quaint town, and the squares of cobblestone streets with live entertainment lined with shops and restaurants.  Yes folks, all of that is true.  Sometimes in Knoxville, I forget how enjoyable it is to simply walk around for the day.  We walked around the square, visited her gorgeous church elementary school with a cute little church garden for recess and small chairs in the church where the kids would gather for assembly.  Throughout the day, we heard an opera singer and a guitarist as the entertainment in the square.  Come to find out, Pippa had played the violin in the square as a child for a school project!

We stopped by a pub with some of her friends who were home for holiday.  It was probably the most traditional pub we could have gone to, therefore, I ordered the most traditional meal I could think of: fish and chips.  They were phenomenal.  We spent our time talking about all the differences between American English and British English.  This ranged from chips vs crisps vs fries, college vs school vs university, top of the que vs front of the line, etc.  Looking around the bar, you'll notice multiple signs scattered about, warning customers to be aware of the tide table.  This is something you'll definitely want to pay attention to if you drove to the pub that day.  They have a parking lot for the pub, but it is only in use half the time.  The other half of the time it is under water.  Therefore, be wary of the tide table because if you park out front, have a little too much fun inside and forget the time, you could walk back out to find your car floating away.

I took an early train the next morning to meet a friend who happen to have a layover in London that day.  We went to pub and I showed him all my newly acquired knowledge of London, learned from my bike tour the previous day.

I have come to love everyone I have met along the way; new friends and old friends.  Leaving them and becoming a part of a Spanish family seemed unimaginable, just as when I left for Europe 2 days after Christmas.  Rewriting this blog after being here for a month, it seems like I know Igualada very well and that I’ve been here for much longer.  It’s a trip I will never forget and its only just begun.