How time flies

Aberdeen University, Hillhead Hostel


Royal Mail reminds me of the good times I had in Aberdeen.

Look harder, and you will see the signature red post-box in this picture. Found it?

Lastly, the date on this photo reminded me of how fast time could fly.

18 Aug 05: Lost 7 hours

(Continuing from my post titled: 17 Aug 05: Farewell London )

18 Aug 05:

Yet I am no longer referring to London's time back then. I am now referring to Singapore's time.

After much wait, I was finally able to check in my luggage at about 6 p.m. London time (about 1 a.m. Singapore time, since it's summer then). There was a sense of relief in me when the staff at the check-in counter confirmed that my flight would be able to depart for Singapore as scheduled. The only problem was that because of the Gate Gourmet dispute, there would be no normal in-flight food onboard. I was told that although no normal in-flight food would be served onboard, the airlines would provide drinks, packed sandwiches and packed processed food. In addition, I was given a voucher of five pounds which was meant for me to get some food at the Heathrow Airport before I board the plane.

Truly speaking, given London's high cost of living, a mere five pounds of dining voucher could only get me a less than average dinner. But I thought it was good for me because even if there was no dining voucher, I would still have gotten myself a dinner at the airport before I board the plane. The flight was scheduled to depart Heathrow Airport at 9 p.m. London's time (4 a.m. Singapore's time). By 7.30 p.m. London's time, I was already feeling hungry. If I were to think of things this way, I should be thankful that I have saved five pounds on food at the airport because of the vouchers.

The plane took off slightly later than it should be. I was told that the connecting walkway-cum-bridge from the airport terminal to the plane had met with some technical faults so some amount of time had to be sent to repair the faults. After what seems to be a long wait, we could finally board the plane.

As I had guessed, I did not feel hungry to eat on the plane. But I did feel my throat dry. About two hours on the plane, I suddenly felt a cramp on my left leg. It took me a while of hesitation before I pressed the button to alert the attention of the crew. One of the air stewardess came over and after understanding my needs, she led me to a seat right at the back of the plane's cabin. She invited me to raise my left leg and placed it on a protruding part of one of the exits. She said this would help the blood flow back the body and ease the cramp. Then she went to get me a cup of water to drink. Raising my left leg and massaging the left leg did help ease the pain. Sitting at that part of the cabin had helped because there were more space for me to stretch my leg. But soon, it was my right leg that got another bout of cramp, though less painful. When both legs were eased of the cramp, I went back to my seat. I was thankful that the air stewardess attended to me when I had the cramp.

I tried to catch up on my sleep during the journey back to Singapore. The cabin was dark throughout most of the journey because the lights were turned off during most of the flight. That had somehow induced one to wish to sleep.

Because of the difference in time zone, I had lost seven hours when I reached Singapore. When I alighted, the airlines personnel passed me two letters which is equivalent to two vouchers each worth $15 Singapore dollars. One could eat a fairly decent simple meal at Singapore's Changi Airport with $15 Singapore dollars. That is the difference in the cost of living between London and Singapore.

I gave a call home and a call to my maternal grandmother soon after I had arrived at the Changi Airport. It was a homely feeling to be back in Singapore, but I had at the same time wished that I could still be back in Aberdeen and the United Kingdoms. I had grown to like United Kingdom's summer and more so, the vibrant culture scene there. The only thing I could take comfort is that the memories of the trip shall stay in me.

17 Aug 05: Farewell London

17 Aug 05 (Wednesday):

So the time had came, for me to leave London.

I did not look forward to return to Singapore. Maybe it was because I had yet to experience enough of London? While I had not a single friend in London, I had enjoyed the space and privacy London had given me. However, I wonder if I would be able to survive long-term alone in a world without friends or family? How ironic this may seem. Maybe it might have been better to have not a single care in the world? Leaving might have been easier.

***

For breakfast, I decided on having the full English breakfast. I savoured every moment of the breakfast.

After breakfast, I walked about the neighbourhood. I decided not to travel too far that day. I walked past the Russell Square Park towards the British Museum.

That day, I must have been fascinated with public amenities. Please pardon me, I took a picture of a public toilet. SH told me before I left for London that the mobile public toilets in London are timed. Firstly, to use it, one has to put in money (I don't really know how this works because I did not wish to use the mobile public toilet). Next, one could use the toilet. As best as I could remember from SH, after about 20 minutes, the door of the toilet would automatically open. While not many would stay in a toilet for more than 20 minutes, the thought of a door that would open automatically did not sound safe.


Public toilet.

****



London's telephone booths have also caught my attention. In many souvenir shops, one can find miniature models of London's signature red telephone booths available for sale. But I must have had been holding myself from entering into one of the telephone booths to use the facility. Maybe this restraint has sometimes kept me from turning each moment of life into simple pleasant moments of adventure for myself?

***
Soon I reached the British Museum. I spent some time there. Hopefully I would still have the chance to return?

Thereafter, I returned to the hotel room to pack up my belongings. I must have been wanting to feel prepared to leave, although my flight was only due to leave for Singapore at about 9 p.m., I bought my tube ticket to the airport even before lunch.

I checked-out. I was told I could leave my luggage at the Concierge, so I happily did. I walked to a supermarket nearby to buy lunch. I decided to buy sandwiches and milk and then have lunch at a nearby park. This, I read, was the lifestyle of many of the people of London.

That day was a bright and sunny day in summer. I could see a few people sun-bathing themselves in the Russell Square Park. They simply lie themselves down on the green grass, had bikinis or simply shorts on, and there they go, sun-bathing.

I found myself a seat in the park, which was not easy at that time of the day. As I ate my lunch, I looked about, watching the world go by. That in itself can be a delight. It was as if the fast-paced city had no effect on me. I remained at my pace, passing through life at my very own pace.

While watching, I found myself amused at how the pigeons flock together. When a few pigeons sighted food, most of the time, the rest of the flock would follow. I realised someone was feeding the pigeons. As for the pigeons, they followed where the food went! One moment we find pigeons at one end of the park; the next moment they are at another end. The lure of food on the pigeons seem amazing.



***
It was not even mid afternoon, but I decided to play safe and left early for the airport. First, I was worried that I might be delayed by unforeseen circumstances on the tube. That morning in fact, while I was purchasing my tube ticket, the staff told me that there was a delay to one of the lines because an unknown item was found. For that, the police had been mobilised to investigate hence causing a delay.

Next, I was uncertain if my flight back Singapore on British Airways would be affected by the Gate Gourmet dispute, so I decided to play very safe by leaving early for the airport. Furthermore, it would take about an hour journey to reach the airport from the hotel.

By about 3 p.m. London time, I was at London's Heathrow Airport Terminal 2. I spent some time and money to use the internet facilites, but the non-user-friendly keyboard made me gave up on using the internet facilities more than 20 minutes. It was quite expensive, 2 pounds for every 20 minutes usage on a keyboard so hard to type and a system that may hang at certain times.

Since I was very early, so I began my long wait in my airport. I was so early that I have to wait till 6 p.m. before I could have my luggage checked in. I used the waiting time to write post-dated entries in my travel journal.

I must have been lucky, I was told that my flight would fly as per normal.

For the photos, visit: 17 Aug 05: all I want is peace found on my other blog.

16 Aug 05: After River Thames

The cruise stopped at Westminster Pier and I stepped out of the vessel after giving tips to the crew as a token of appreciation.

I walked by a bus-stop and decided that I should take a ride on one of the London buses, and sit at the upper deck of the bus. It was fun to entertain such spontaneous thoughts.

I soon found myself on a bus that would take me to Eros, just nearby Piccadily Circus. There was really nothing exciting about being up the bus, except the fact that I could claim that I have sat on the upper deck of a London bus. I had headed for the Eros because I knew that the Royal Academy of Arts is situated somewhere nearby Eros. At that time, there was a exhibition on some of the works by the French Impressionist masters and a group of artists from Boston who paint in the similar style to the Impressionist artists. I wanted to catch it. I have a liking for the art by the French impressionist.

That proved to be a rather expensive and unwise move. While I praise the artists from Boston for their art, I was actually anticipating to see works by the French Impressionists mastes. I saw some of Monet's works. But for the admission price I had paid, I had expected to see more works, so I had somehow cause myself disappointments with my expectations. Furthermore, I must have been feeling tired from the long day to wish to stay too long at the gallery. Well, I think I would have my time better spent if I had travelled a little further to the National Gallery. However, it was quite late in the evening, and I had not much energy to urge myself to walk any further except to return to the hotel.

Along the way back, I saw this street market. It did not catch my fancy, maybe I was not in the mood to do shopping then. But I was told that if you would like to experience London as the locals do, one must find time to check out the many street markets.



***

I took some time to take a rest when I was back in the hotel room. In the evening, I tried to take time to look for a place for dinner. I had wanted to eat in one of the eating places recommended by a food guide, but I ended up not eating in those places. A few were not opened that day, a few did not seem to fit my budget when I got there.

In the end, I settled for Pizza Hut pizza at a food court located within a shopping centre. The food court closes very early on a weekday. It closes at 7 p.m., and when I ordered my food, it was very close to 7 p.m. The counter staff told me that the food court would be closing soon but I could eat my dinner at the premises. I started eating. When it was 7 p.m., one of the cleaners went around telling everyone that the food court was closing. I felt obliged to leave, but I was not even halfway done with my dinner then. I decided to take my dinner out of the food court and leave. Just then, the cleaner realised that I have yet to finish my dinner and he told me to finish eating before I leave. I realised I was one of the last customers to leave the shopping centre.

Actually, without realising, I had walked from Russell Square to Oxford Street. I was once again at Oxford Street. I took some time to buy some gifts for my brothers and a few other friends at Oxford Street.

By the way, I quite like the evening skies of London. I have captured an image of it here:



I must have done quite a lot of walking that day.

That night, I spent time packing my luggage, ready to leave London the next day. I wished I could stay a longer in London.

16 Aug 05: River Thames

When I came out of the exit of the Tower of London, I could not help but notice the river beside the Tower of London. While I was in the Tower of London, I was already contemplating the thought of taking a cruise along the River Thames.

Here's a webpage on River Thames: http://www.riverthames.co.uk/about.htm

Irrestible was the thought of cruising along River Thames. I realised there would be a cruise vessel leaving at about 15.25 p.m. for the Westminster Pier, so I hurried and bought a one-way ticket at 5.60 pounds.

There was no tour guide on the cruise, but we had someone (which I figured was part of the crew) who kindly gave us an introdction of the various landmarks which we saw on the cruise. If I have a good auditory memory, I would have remembered everything he had said. But I do not, as yet.


Setting off for Westminster Pier.

***
River Thames felt as if it was full of charm and full of life. It has seen the history of London. What a pleasure to be cruising River Thames.



A picture speaks a thousand words. I shall not write too much, but shall instead leave you to view the photographs taken on the cruise. Enjoy River Thames. Here's the link: Enjoy River Thames

I dedicate the photographs on this site to Pinkie whose birthday is coming soon. Happy Birthday Pinkie.

***
When the cruise was to reached at Westminster Pier, we were welcomed by famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. Seeing these landmarks bring nice memories of my visits which I had the day before.

I wished I could be on the vessel a little longer, but I was admittedly tired and hoping to head for the hotel room to take a rest.

There was a queue waiting to leave the vessel. What was the queue for? Well, to line up orderly to give the crew some tips for giving us a short verbal introduction to River Thames.

London: The tube

While I was in London earlier this August, I realised that the tube had became my main mode of transportation about London. I took the public bus when I was there too. When one purchases a day ticket from anyone of the tube stations, that very ticket also entitles one to travel on the public buses and trams without additional charges.

This is the homepage of Transport for London: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/. In short, Transport for London is the integrated body responsible for London's transport system. Its services sound comprehensive, doesn't it?

TfL manages London's buses, the Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and London Trams. It also runs London River Services, Victoria Coach Station and London's Transport Museum.

TfL also manages a 580km network of main roads, all of London's 4,600 traffic lights and regulates taxis and the private hire trade.

The people in London seem to have a strong sense of pride in its transport system. When I was at souvenir shops in London, I could see souvenirs such as T-shirts with the map of the tube services in London printed on them. I could also see mini-size models of London buses meant to be bought home as souvenirs. One could also find key chain of the logo of the London's tube.







By the way, when one make transfers from one line of the tube to another line, one is likely to walk long stretches of underground pathway. Sometimes walking along these underground pathways could be interesting.



If one is lucky, there could be a few basking points within each tube station. At these busking points, one may find people performing. If you appreciate the performances of these people, you are welcomed to give them a tip to expresss your appreciation.

I had heard one saxophone player who played reasonably well. There was also a violinist who played one of Bach's works on the violin and he played the violin along with a recorded version of the same work so that one could hear the other instrumental parts of this work. Good idea isn't it? This violinist had managed to have the rest of the ensemble to play with him without the logistic hassles of bringing so many instruments and players along.

London, a place rich in art and culture.

I remember I was wondering how one could make reservation to use one of a busking point? Would people have appreciated it if I were to stand there and play double bass solos? I don't know.

16 Aug 05: Tower of London, part two

...Continuing from 16 Aug 05: Tower of London.

The Bloody Tower



The crowd was pretty noisy when we were at the Bloody Tower, and I could hardly hear the Yeoman Warder who was guiding the tour. My first impression was that the Bloody Tower must have been a place where many have lost their lives.

I was quite close in my speculation. This was what I found:

The tower was originally called the Garden Tower because it was at the corner of the Queen's House garden, but during the sixteenth century its name was changed to the Bloody Tower because of its supposed association with the young Princes in the Tower, who disappeared in 1483.

The princes were supposedly, 12-years-old Edward and his younger brother, Richard. They were sons of Edward IV. They have been lodged in the Tower following their father's death. Edward was supposed to be crowned, but it turned out that their uncle, Richard was crowned in the young Edward's place. For some reasons, the princes disappeared from view after some time, as best as I know. Well, the fight for power seems to have exist since history.

***

The Chapel Royal of St Peter and Vincula

In this chapel, photography is prohibited. Visitors have to take off headwears (i.e. hats and caps) as a sign of respect.

I realised that unless one joins the Yeoman Warder tour, it is unlikely that one could enter this chapel on his / her own. Otherwise, only those attending a religious service will be allowed into the chapel.

This chapel was the burial place of some of the most famous Tower prisoners. Examples are: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey, Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher.

The tour ended and while I did not remember the Yeoman Warder's last concluding words (for I was feeling tired by then), I did remember people forming a line. I thought for a while, and then I saw the Yeoman Warder holding his hat on his hand. I realised why. In Britain, London at least, if you were to join a guided tour (especially one that is considered a free one), be sure to give at least a tip of about one to two pounds to the tour guide. This is possibly general courtesy, or expectation, in Britain?

***

After the Yeoman Warder tour, I went about the Tower of London on my own. In what is considered lousy photography, I shall show you what I saw when I walked down this flight of stairs:



Actually, I don't have my pair of binoculars with me that day, and I can't see too far. It was the music that attracted me.



I saw this gentleman making music by making turns on one of the mechanism of the instrument in his hands, and presto, we have music! Behind him is a dulcimer. This was the instrument that the Chinese's yang qin was adapted from. I knew this because I used to play (the double bass) in a Chinese orchestra. Read this site for more information: http://www.rtpnet.org/~hdweb/


***
Crown Jewels

There are a lot more to be seen in the Tower of London, but I shall end this post with the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels were housed in the Waterloo Barracks when I visited the Tower of London.

When I entered, I could see a series of introduction on the use and history of the jewels. I like the idea that the footage of the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 was shown to the public. It was beautiful, and the ceremony was magnificient.

Since no photograhy was allowed, I decided to buy myself a few postcards containing images of some of the crown jewels.

If you like to see the crown jewels, you should visit this site: http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/jewels/index.html

***

Since I might have bored you with average photographs, I shall put up a few slightly better photographs taken at the Tower of London very shortly to compensate.

***
Sources:

• The Official Guide book - The Tower of London
• http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/tower/index.htm
  

***

16 Aug 05: Tower of London

I shall try not to make life grim for myself. Let me continue share about my UK trip. I keep my fingers crossed that you won't be bored.

***

16 Aug 05:

After crossing the Tower Bridge, I reached the Tower of London. Admission fees was a hefty 14.50 pounds per adult. Imagine if I were to convert to Singapore currency, it would be close to S$45. Anyway, since I did not wish to miss visiting a historic site like the Tower of London while I was in London, the "tourist mentality" in me convinced me that it was well worth it. It was, as I looked back.

The Tower seemed pretty well preserved, considering the fact that it has a long history of about 900 years. Throughout these long years, the Tower has served as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, royal mint, arsenal, menagerie and jewel house.



This site has good information about the Tower of London: http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/index.html.

Since I have not much clue about the Tower of London, I decided to take the free guided tour given by one of the Yeoman Warders. Here's some information that I have extracted from http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/warders/index.html for your convenience. The historical roles and duties of the Yeoman Warders were guard the prisoners and attend the gate. Today the Yeoman Warders are responsible for the security of the Tower and its visitors. They also conduct public guided tours in the Tower throughout the day. The only question on my mind was why were they called "Yeoman" Warders?

I waited for the next guided tour to start. I was lucky, I only have to wait for about 5 minutes. There was at least about 50 people, perhaps more, in the group that came for the guided tour that I had joined. I found myself temporarily shaken with a phobia for crowd but soon I got used to being in a crowd. I listened in as the Yeoman Warder who was our tour guide for that tour group spoke about the Tower of London and its history. I realised at times he had to shout in order to be heard. Perhaps using a loudspeaker would never have matched the Yeoman Warders' uniforms, so it was not used?

The Yeoman Warder who was our tour guide led to various points of the Tower of London. Let me share here with you some of the places that left some impression in me.

***

White Tower

The White Tower is the oldest medieval building at the Tower of London. Built of rough-hewn Kentish ragstone edged with finely cut Caen stone at the corners and around the windows, the design was based on the castle palaces of the Norman dukes of the tenth century, and the work overseen by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester. The White Tower now contains displays from the Royal Armouries' collection.

(See sources found below this post.)

I was impressed with the White Tower. I felt it brought me to medieval times. One does not need a time-machine in order to feel connected with the past.



Inside the White Tower. Part of the Royal Armouries' collection.

***

Traitors' Gate



This river entrance that you see in the photo above is the water entrance that was built by Edward I between 1275 and 1279 to replace Henry III's watergate of the Bloody Tower. This river entrance is now often referred to as Traitors' Gate because of the number of prisoners accused of treason that are supposed to have passed through it.

The Yeoman Warder told us that Princess Elizabeth who later became Queen Elizabeth I, had came through this gate when she was brought to the Tower to be imprisoned and questioned. My first impression then was that politics at those times had a pretty dark side to it.

***
The Queen's House



The Queen's House.


Nearby the Queen's House.

**

The Queen's House is the home of the Resident Governor of the Tower of London and is not open to the public. As such, I could only use my eyes to look at it from the outside. Its present name, Queen's House, dates from Queen Victoria's reign and changes according to whether the sovereign is king or queen. I was attracted to the greens nearby the Queen's House.

***

Scaffold Site



The Yeoman Warder brought us to the scaffold site. This is the site where several famous people were executed. To name a few: William Lord Hastings, Anne Boleyn (Henry VIII's second wife convicted of adultery, beheaded in 1536), Catherine Howard (Henry VIII's fifth wife convicted of adultery too). I could feel a chill in my body when I was there.

You might wish to check out this site: http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/prisoners/index.html to read about the prisoners of the Tower.

***
Sources:

• The Official Guide book - The Tower of London
• http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/tower/index.htm
  

***
More awaits. Stay tuned if you wish to read more about my visit to the Tower of London.

16 Aug 05: Walking from St Pauls to Tower of London

After departing from the St Paul's Cathedral, I tried to figure out how to walk towards the Millennium Bridge. SH had told me that the Millennium Bridge is nearby St Paul's Cathedral and I should try to walk it if I were nearby the bridge.

It took me a while to figure out the right directions to head to the Millennium Bridge. Would anyone believe me if I were to tell them that I could find satisfaction in finding my way about when I am out for walks alone? It is as if a test of one's resourcefulness and sense of direction. Maybe like Mystic have said, I enjoy having the boost of ego? I don't know if she's right anyway, but let her be. I don't think it is such a big matter to be argued over, furthermore with a good friend.



Watching the activities on the streets as I head for the Millennium Bridge. The light of summer seemed to have make everything looks more beautiful.

***


Self-taken photo of myself on the Millennium Bridge. The cathedral in the background is the St Paul's Cathedral.

The Millennium Bridge has a very contemporary and futuristic look. However, it was one of those bridge that I felt shaky on. There was a feeling that the bridge may rock and throw me down if I was not careful.
***

I passed by the Tate Modern museum. Now I regret not visiting it. I had thought that I may not like contemporary art styles, but I realised I do like to see the works of certain artists whose works are being exhibited in Tate Modern. Hopefully I will have a chance to make up for this loss.

As I walked along River Thames towards the direction of Tower Bridge, I passed by the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. As I was not a fan of Shakespeare, I decided to give it a miss. But I know of Shakespeare's fans who would have wish to visit Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

It felt peaceful to walk along River Thames that day. I found myself enjoying the scenes along the river. The water from River Thames seemed to have soothing powers that beckoned one to slow down a bit. Out of the spur of the moment, I decided to walk along the stretch of River Thames, via Tower Bridge, to the Tower of London. This walk proved to take much longer than I had thought, but I decided to see the plan through.

Please refer to: The walk on 16 Aug 05 on my other blog to view the photographs that I have taken along the way.

It felt hungry along the way, and decided to buy myself lunch nearby the London Bridge tube station. I had soup and bread that afternoon for my lunch. It was alright, but I like the food from the Soup Spoon food outlet in Singapore much better. At this rate, I may soon earn myself the reputation of being the most unforgiving and candid food critic.



Tower Bridge.
***

I finally reached Tower Bridge after walking for quite a while and figuring the way to the Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge was completed in 1894, after 8 years of construction. I was browsing online and found out that Tower Bridge is lifted approximately 1000 times a year to allow tall ships, cruise ships, naval vessels and other large craft to pass through. The schedule is available on: http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TowerBridge/English/BridgeLifts/.

The question on my mind was how the traffic would be aware of the times that the bridge would be lifted so that no vehicle nor person would be left stranded on the lifting bridge. I am not joking, it happened before. (Click this link and read the section Interesting facts about the Tower Bridge, under 1952.)

Crossed Tower Bridge, and found myself outside the walls of the Tower of London.

16 Aug 05: St Paul's Cathedral

After having continental breakfast at the hotel, I bought a day ticket from the Russell Square tube station and headed for St Paul's Cathedral. The nearest tube station is St Paul's tube station.



I headed there quite early in the morning. When I reached St Paul's Cathedral, it was so early that there were only a few people around. No photography was allowed within the premises. As such, when I was at the souvenir shop inside St Paul's Cathedral, I bought myself several postcards of the Cathedral.

To have some clues how the interiors of St Paul's Cathedral would look like, you may like to visit its official website: http://www.stpauls.co.uk, and look under "Visit St Pauls".

The history of St Paul's Cathedral could be dated back to 604AD. The first cathedral was built on the same site dedicated to St Paul. The current cathedral is the fourth to occupy the current site. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London.

Because I was in need to visit the Ladies soon after I reached St Paul's Cathedral, my first stop was the toilet that was situated in the Crypt. After visiting the Ladies, I realised that the Crypt has been serving as a burial place for many important and eminent figures. In the Crypt lies the tombs of Admiral Lord Nelson, Lord Wellington and Sir Christopher Wren. It was a pity that I was not able to view the tomb of Admiral Nelson as there were some works going on where his tomb was situated.

After the Crypt, I walked about the Cathedral. The interiors are elaborately furnished. The only disappointment was that I was too early to join a guided tour of the Cathedral. But if I had been patient to wait for a guided tour, I fear I might be too late to walk about other parts of London. I was due to leave London on 17 Aug 05, London time.

SH told me that instead of spending money to take the London Eye, I could walk up to the top of St Paul's Cathedral and take a good view of London. As such, I took the physical challenge to walk up the 530 steps from ground-level to the Golden Gallery, which is the highest point of the Cathedral accessible to the public.

At the entrance, I could see a signage that reminds visitors to respect the Cathedral and its property, and warns visitors that any act of vandalism will not be tolerated upon. It even warns that should vandalism occur beyond control, the authorities of the Cathedral may have to take the painful measure of stopping the public from gaining access to the stairways that leads to the various galleries. It was disappointing to see the walls vandalised by previous visitors. No way would I join their league.

After walking 259 steps up from ground-level, I reached the Whispering Gallery. As its name suggest, the gallery is constructed such that when someone makes a whisper against the wall on one side of the gallery, the whisper will be audible to someone from the opposite of the gallery. It was fascinating. When I was at the gallery, I did not speak. However, a few visitors who were across me at the opposite of the gallery were speaking softly. But be warned, they have been eavesdropped by yours truly unintentionally. I could hear them pretty clearly. From the Whispering Gallery, I looked up the interior designs of the dome. It was beautiful.

More climbing was to be done after leaving the Whispering Gallery. I have more steps to climb before I could reach the Golden Gallery. I hope I could make it there. The first 259 steps were manageable because the stairs were wider and broader. But I soon found the stairs to get progressively narrower and I had to be more careful in keeping my balance as I climbed up the stairs.

When I reached the Stone Gallery which is 378 steps from ground-level, I was delighted by the view. See the post St Paul's Cathedral on my other blog for the pictures. Seeing that there was no religious elements at the Stone Gallery, I asked the security guard who was sitting at the Stone Gallery if I could take pictures of the London city from the Stone Gallery. She said "Yes, you could. Thank you for asking." Yes, those words pleased me. But I realised the weather was not the most ideal for photography so I did not get many good photographs from the galleries.

Now the greatest challenge, to climb up to the Golden Gallery. The stairways was very narrow and much steeper by the time I climbed up to the Golden Gallery. I was frightened that I may slip and fall, but I realised that if I could just stay focused and ignore those imagined fears, I would be able to reach the Golden Gallery. I realised that I was more worried about going down the stairs on the return journey down.


The stairs up from the Stone Gallery to the Golden Gallery.

***
Anyway, I let out a sigh of relief when I reached the Golden Gallery. I saw a security guard there, and I asked him how he manages to walk up everyday to the Golden Gallery. I also told him I was worried about going down the stairs. He assured me it was easier to go down than to come up. If I could come up, it would be easier going down. He asked that I stay focused on walking the stairs instead of looking down at those spaces underneathe those staircases made from metal.



I took this photo after "surviving" the long climb up to the Golden Gallery. Phew.

****
Indeed like SH had said, I could get a relatively good view of London from the Golden Gallery. Thank goodness the Golden Gallery was relatively free from people, so I was able to take my time to walk about the rather narrow corridors of the Golden Gallery. While taking pictures there, I had to be very careful not to have my camera slipped out of my hand, or worse, to have myself fall down from the Golden Gallery. I felt I have to be careful. I was high above the grounds, almost alone and only protected from falling by the railings.

Going down was easier. I suppose the assurances from the security guard whom I had met had helped too. Yes, I have 'conquered' the Golden Gallery of St Pauls.

Below is my best picture of St Pauls which I have dedicated to my friend, Xiaofen, in one of my earlier posts.



For more pictures of St Pauls, please check out St Paul's Cathedral on my other blog.

(References: Please refer to the links on this post.)

London: Russell Hotel

This post flies you to London.

The long days and the darkness of the nights would have made one weary. What would be better than a good night rest. Strange and unfamiliar it may be, it is at least one's bed in foreign lands.


Sweet dreams.

***

Russell Hotel, London, is quite a nice place to be in. It has a nice Victorian-style Facade. The staff are nice and relatively attentive.





I chose to stay there because it was nearby the British Museum. I had hoped to visit the museum as often as I could, but in the end, I had only been inside the British Museum on two occasions when I was in London. This seems to reflect how little time I had in London when I was there this August. Of course, I have to thank the kindness and generosity of my father for sponsoring the accomodation. Otherwise, I might have chose to stay in some budget hotel or hostel.

Since I had spent more time in total in the hotel (sleeping, reading the guide book, eating breakfast etc) than in the British Museum, I should at least show you how Russell Hotel looks like.



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There're lifts, but I chose to walk down the stairs.
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Main Lobby

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I am now thinking to myself: If I have the means, I will like to stay there when I visit London again.

15 Aug 05: Phantom of the Opera

15 Aug 05:

I headed back to the Russell Hotel after my visit to Hyde Park. The most convenient form of transport that I could think of then was the tube, and I took a tube to Russell Square tube station.

I took a shower at the hotel room, got myself ready to catch a musical later that evening. When I was ready, I left for the tube station to take to tube to Piccadilly Circus tube station. With some effort, I found out the directions to Her Majesty's Theatre where The Phantom of the Opera would be shown.

As I walked towards Her Majesty's Theatre, I could see many other theatres establishment along the way. I felt as if I was living in a place called Theatrelands. London is like a cultural hub. Every day when I was in London, I could see posters on the various theatre performances. I suppose people in London are spoilt for choice where theatre performances are concern. I should be thankful that I could find time to attend at least one of these theatres performances.

When I was very near Her Majesty's Theatre, I stopped at one of the restaurants and had Japanese-style ramen for dinner. The sign outside the restaurant clearly stated that service charge was not included. I must have been so obedient to the recommendations written on the guide book (AA Essential Guide London) that I added an extra 10% to the final bill as tips. In fact, it was slightly more than an extra 10%. The guide book said that it is recommended that one adds an extra 10% as tips when one eats in a restaurant where service charge is not included. Dinner was alright though not yet heavenly.

I reached Her Majesty's Theatre at least half an hour before the show started. That allowed me to take my own time to find the seat and to read the programme notes. I brought along a pair of binoculars with me too for the show. That would save me a pound, for if I were to rent binoculars for the show, that would be about a pound.



Her Majesty Theatre

***

Please join me to catch this musical by visiting the official website for The Phantom of the Opera: http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com

In short, this musical is about the mysterious masked Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House and falls in love with the beautiful singer, Christine.

My favourite numbers are: All I Ask of You, The Music of the Night, and The Point of No Return

Some scenes were interesting. For example, Scene 3 of Act One - Christine's Dressing Room, when Christine was drawn by the Phantom into the dark beyond the mirror in her dressing room. I was intrigued by how that illusion was created.

Scene 10 of Act One at the Roof of the Opera House has some nice touching music suited for yours truly's ears. In this scene, Christine fled with Raoul (her childhood friend) to the roof of the Opera House for safety, agreeing to leave the Opera House together that night. When the Phantom heard their conversation, he vowed vengeance. The crashing down of the chandelier at the end of Scene 10 set a dramatic end to Act One of the musical.

Somehow, I was also attracted to the seemingly dark and comparatively more solemn nature of Scene 5 of Act Two - A graveyard in Perros. Here, Christine was visting her father's grave.

For more of the story, click on this link.

The Phantom of the Opera has been quite a captivating production. It was also great to have the orchestra playing the music live. It was good playing.

After the show, I walked along this street called Haymarket before taking the tube back to the hotel. While I was walking back to the hotel, I was humming tunes from The Phantom of the Opera.



Her Majesty's Theatre after the show.

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The streets of London at night. Walking along Haymarket.

15 Aug 05: Harrods and Hyde Park

With the amount of travelling that I had done when I was in London, I certainly think it was a good idea that I bought myself a day-ticket.

After Oxford Street, I took a tube to Knightsbridge tube station. That day, I had to make sure that I was not wearing scruffy clothes, vests, shorts or backpacks. Before I had left for London, my friend, SH, had told me that in several shops and shopping malls in London, people with such attires may not be admitted.

I had intended to take a look at Harrods, but realising that I was not at all fascinated with it, I decided I shall head for Hyde Park which was nearby.

Anyway, Harrods is big. That may be an understatement, since Harrods has been reputated with being Britain's biggest department store. According to the AA Essential Guide London (6th edition) that I have, Harrods has a selling area of over 10ha and some 330 departments. I went to the chocolate and the tea sections and was already impressed with the great variety of selections that Harrods offers.

Now that I re-read the guide book again, I realised I have no quite catch the glimpses of Harrods'cathedral-like portals. Anyway, here are a few photos of Harrods. I decided that not to take photographs inside Harrods for I fear I might end up being mistakened as a commercial spy.





Harrods

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Finding my way to Hyde Park from Harrods was a little trick despite the fact that I had a map on my hand. The challenge was that Harrods was so big, that I did not manage to instantenously determine the exact spot that I was at after I stepped out of one of the exits of Harrods.

Anyway, with the guidance of kind passerbys, a map and some sense of intuition, I finally found my way to Hyde Park. It felt nice to be in the park. Hyde Park is probably the largest and most famous of the open spaces in central London. The guide says that Hyde Park "was once the royal hunting round of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I". It was first opened to the public by James I. But in times of James I, there was only limited access to the park.

Find out more about Hyde Park by clicking on this link: www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/hyde_park/



Reaching Hyde Park

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As the sun that day was nice and bright, I could see many people lying on the grass enjoying the sunlight.

I like the greenery and the flowers in Hyde Park. It was a nice change from the scenes of the concrete and busy city streets of London.

For more photos, refer to the post titled Hyde Park and its neighbourhood found on my other blog.

15 Aug 05: Oxford Street

After my visit to the Houses of Parliament, I decided to head for Oxford Street to get something for a friend. I have found the tube to be a convenient way to travel about London. I remember that I took the tube to Bond Street station which is situated along Oxford Street.

Oxford Street is quite a long stretch of road. According to AA Essential Guide London (6th edition), Oxford Street is described as "London's most frenetic shopping street (which) presents a cacophony of global styles and noises..."



Walking along Oxford Street

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When I walked out of the tube station, I saw a food outlet selling bagels. I decided to eat a bagel for lunch. That was filling enough to keep me away from feeling too hungry.

Since there was hardly any place for me to dine in, I asked for a take-away order of the bagel. While I ate, I also tried to look around for building numbers!

I have the exact address of the building that I was looking for. The challenge would be to find out where it is. It became a challenge because the building number on every building have not been clearly displayed. I had to try to look around for the building numbers on the various shops and buildings and then to make clever guesses as to the approximate location of that building I was looking for.

While I was looking for that particular building, Selfridges Ltd, I saw several souvenir shops along Oxford Street. I spent some time there to get souvenirs for my colleagues.

Of course, not forgetting I have a mission to be accomplished, I headed for what I had determined as the right direction towards the building. The only problem is that since the building numbers are not clearly stated out, I had no clue how far I had to walk to get to the building. So I remember the wise saying that goes "Ask and you shall receive".

I asked a passerby, but she was actually a tourist! But I must have been lucky, even though she claimed that she did not know Oxford Street well, she did know that I was just a few buildings away from Selfridges Ltd. That seemed to make my day, and I headed in excitement to the building to purchase the item. I was quite pleased with myself for not ending up lost in Oxford Street which is in the foreign lands.

Photos taken along Oxford Street taken on different days: Oxford Street

The next stop after this was Harrods. I am not quite into shopping, but the guide said that "even the most reluctant shopper should venture into its cathedral-like portals."

15 Aug 05: Houses of Parliament

More about my short stay in London:

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After the historic Westminster Abbey, I headed for the Houses of Parliament which was just across the street.

I had to purchase the ticket at a counter located just behind the Abbey. Thereafter, I crossed the road and walked towards the Sovereigns Entrance at the Victoria Tower for the guided tour. It was a good thing there was a guided tour, I have generally find most guided tours that I have attended to be informative and enriching.

For those keen on the history of the Houses of Parliament, here's some background (Taken from: http://www.aboutbritain.com/HousesParliament.htm)

The Houses of Parliament, otherwise known as The Palace of Westminster, stands on the site where Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the first half of the eleventh century. In 1547 the royal residence was moved to Whitehall Palace, but the Lords continued to meet at Westminster, while the commons met in St. Stephen's Chapel.

In 1834 a fire broke out which destroyed much of the old palace. The magnificent Gothic Revival masterpiece which we see today was built between 1840 and 1888.

(Please refer to: http://www.aboutbritain.com/HousesParliament.htm for more.)

The tour started at 12.30 p.m. I remembered the exact time because I kept the ticket stub. As no photography was allowed in the Houses of Parliament, except in the Westminster Hall, that leaves me with limited photos to show you. If you would like you may have to use your imagination.

Houses of Parliament

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After much search, I found a site that could give one a virtual tour of the Houses of Parliament. Visit http://www.explore.parliament.uk/Parliament.aspx?id=21 and join in as I write about my tour about the Houses of Parliament.

When I entered through the Sovereigns Entrance, I was told that this entrance is the one that the king or the queen would enter the Houses of Parliament. I also got to see the seat that the king or queen would sit on while waiting to enter the House of Lords. If I remember correctly, this seat was placed in a room which should be the Royal Robing Room. This is where the Queen puts on her ceremonial robes and crown before the State Opening of Parliament. Since the existing Houses of Parliament was built in the era of Queen Victoria, one could notice that the height of the seat was set to a height comfortable for her.

Thereafter, one would walk through a passageway that leads to the House of Lords. This walkway is known as the Royal Gallery. One could see portraits of past kings and huge frescos of famous battles on its walls.

Next is the Prince Chamber. Here one gets to see the portraits and reliefs of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs. If you could imagine, I was starting to feel fascinated with the history of the British monarch as the tour went on. Here's the official website of the British monarch: http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp

Then one would enter the House of Lords. The House of Lords has elaborated furnishing. I remember the guide telling us that this is where the State Opening of Parliament by Her Majesty the Queen would take place. During this ceremony, the Queen's Speech which is written by the Government would set out the Parliament's working agenda for the coming year.

When one leaves the House of Lords, one would pass the Peers' Lobby, the Central Lobby and the Members' Lobby.

Then one finds himself at the House of Commons. The seats in the House of Commons are green in colour. By the way, I was told that if all doors that lead from House of Lords to the House of Commons were open, the king/ queen who sits on the throne at the House of Lords would be able to have direct (but very distant) eye contact with the speaker who is seated at the Speaker's Chair at the House of Commons. How interesting. Part of the House of Commons was under some works on that day when I was visiting the Houses of Parliament, so I had to use my imagination to work out how the entire House of Commons should look like.

Thereafter, the tour guide led us to the St Stephen's Hall. Then one would enter the Westminster Hall, which is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster. The roof looked impressive.

For those of you who wishes to find out more about the UK Parliament, please visit its official home page: http://www.parliament.uk/

I started feeling hungry by the time I was at the Westminster Hall, so I left the Houses of Parliament. My next stop, Oxford Street. I intended to have my lunch there.

15 Aug 05: Westminster Abbey

Confession time: I have no more entry in my tour journal to fall back on starting this very moment. I have only managed to log in entries up till the morning of 15 Aug 05. As such, whatever you read from now about my trip to the UK will be based on the best of my recollections.

Special thanks to the loyal patronage from readers like Mistipurple. It makes me feel more motivated to continue writing.

***
In the morning of 15 Aug 05, I visited the Westminster Abbey.

As I have said in my last post, I was glad that I requested to join the verger tour. That was an extra 4 pounds but was well-worth it. I might have missed the important highlights of the Westminister Abbey if I did not join verger tour.

Now, what is a verger? "A verger is a committed lay minister within the Church who assists the clergy in the conduct of public worship, especially in the marshalling of processions." Source: http://www.vergers.org/default.php?page=whatis

The verger gave us a brief account of the history of the Westminster Abbey. By the end of the account, I know that there are two important persons I should associate with the Abbey: King Edward III (later known as St Edward the Confessor) and King Henry III.

In short, the historic Abbey was built by St Edward the Confessor between 1045-1050. Its construction originated in Edward's failure to keep a vow to go on a pilgrimage; the Pope suggested that he redeem himself by building an Abbey (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey). The Gothic style part of the Abbey which we now see was rebuilt between 1245-1517, with the first phase of the rebuilding organised by King Henry III. To find out more of the history of the Abbey, you may refer to the following URLs:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey
• http://www.westminster-abbey.org/

The north entrance of the Westminster Abbey
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After gaining insight to the history of the Abbey, we started the tour proper. If it helps, here is an online floor map of the Abbey: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/tour/.

For now, we have to count on our imagination. No photography is allowed in the Abbey, as such, I have no photograph of the interior of the Abbey to show you. But if you check out the Westminster's offical site, you should be able to view some pictures of the various parts of the abbey.

The Edward the Confessor's Chapel was under conservation works when I was there, so I did not get to view the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor. The tour group also walked past and paid respect (I wonder if this was the right word to use?) to the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I.

We also visited the Lady Chapel. It is a magnificient piece of architecture. To view and read more about the Lady Chapel, go to http://www.westminster-abbey.org/tour, and click on "The Lady Chapel".

We also saw the Coronation Chair, and I stood pretty close to it. It is such a shame to see that the Coronation Chair shows signs of being vandalised. In the past, the security was loose, and people could even sit on it. Some vandalised it by carving their initials on it. While we were looking at the Coronation Chair, the verger also gave us an account of the Stone of Scone. I have this conclusion: it is the meaning that we have bestowed onto a piece of object that would make it invaluable. What may seem an ordinary stone to a layperson is transformed to an object of great significance because of the story that man has told of it.

One should not miss The High Altar when one is at the Abbey. If I have remembered correctly, a platform known as the theatre of coronation would be extended from near the High Altar of the Abbey during the rare occurrence of a coronation. The verger told us we were standing very close to where the coronation would take place. The Choir which was nearby the High Altar was beautifully too.

The Abbey is not just about Kings and Queens. There is a Poets' Corner. Some of the most famous to lie and rest in the Abbey include the poets John Dryden, Tennyson, Robert Browning and John Masefield. Many writers, including William Camden, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy are also buried here. (Source: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/tour).

The tour ended, if I am not wrong, with the grave of the Unknown Warrior. Thereafter, we could choose to continue following the verger to the Abbey's Museum. I did. He led us through the Cloisters and to the Museum.

A rewarding trip to the Abbey, I must say. I felt I have learnt a lot about the Abbey in the few hours that I was there. I spent a little longer than I had wanted to, but that was fine. It was slightly past lunchtime when I left the Westminster Abbey. I chose to eat a piece of muesli bar to keep myself from feeling the hunger pangs.