Day 6: Here Comes the Sun

Do do do doooooo......... (a little George Harrison is always a good idea)

What a beautiful sunny day in London today! Since sleep has been optional the last few days we took this morning to sleep in a bit. I have never slept so well in my life. Walking will do you in! This morning we got up around 10:00am and went on the Magical Mystery Beatles tour. Our tour guide is known as the Beatles Brain of Britain and owns the Beatles Coffee Shop. It was so cool!! We saw Paul McCartney's business headquarters, the studio where they recorded Hey Jude and Dear Prudence as well as a slew of other famous songs. Next was the original building where Apple Records was housed with the rooftop they played their final live performance from. Th last part of the tour was the iconic Abbey Road zebra crossing and Abbey Road Studios. I took my shoes off to walk across the road because when you walk where John, Paul, George and Ringo walked- you must do as they did. Traffic very much flows through the Abbey Road crossing so getting a good picture was a challenge and there was tons of other people trying to do the same thing. I think we are going to go back early one morning when there is less traffic for more pictures. We also wrote on the wall of Abbey Road Studios with notes for our moms and significant others.

McCartney Productions Limited owned by Paul McCartney

Must have been quite a studio to have those songs recorded there!

The building that first housed Apple Records and where they gave their final live performance off the rooftop

Abbey Road Studios

Writing on the wall of Abbey Studios.... sending some love home to mom, dad and Zac

ABBEY ROAD barefoot of course... just like Paul. 

Our life is now made. 

After the tour we headed for the Camden Street Markets. So busy but so cool! The little shops were everywhere. Part of the market was in the old horse stables so that was pretty cool for me :) Since it was such a beautiful day and everything was packed with people we decided to come back to the flat and relax for the night and get another good nights sleep so we can start the week out fresh and rested. (Not to mention everything closes super early so there was honestly nothing to do tonight)

These Street performers were awesome. Perfect Alice in Wonderland

Leftovers from when it was stables

Street art is amazing here. Hey John

This upcoming week is going to be a great one! Being in London is just so incredible. I am really getting a feel for the city and starting to understand it. This morning on the Tube I got super annoyed by some tourists standing on the wrong side of the escalator and blocking the traffic flow (you do NOT do that in tube). I love the Tube system- it is so simple and works like a well oiled machine (literally). Getting around the city is much easier then I was expecting.

As I am ending my first week in London, I have taken some time to reflect on how my perceptions of London have either been true or completely wrong and how I feel living in a big city for the first time in my life.

What I expected:

• The accents are just as wonderful as I knew they would be
• The city is beyond beautiful
• There is so much old stuff
• The history is literally everywhere
• Everyone always dresses nicely
• Tourists who don't try to fit in are obnoxious
• Trench coats are necessary 
• Waterproof shoes are necessary

What has been a surprise:

• The tube is way easier then I expected
• The people are very polite
• There is more new buildings then I was expecting
• The groceries are very cheap
• The food is all so good and whole and natural
• There are so many free options for activities
• Things aren't sketchy, they are "dodgy"
• Your not sleepy, your "knackered"
• Oyster cards are amazing but guard it with your life

I have been having a blast with the other girls! There is 4 of us that have been doing things together and just having the time of our lives! Such a fun group of girls to explore this city and I am glad we share the idea of seeing everything we possibly can and making the most of this time by getting the true London experience along with the tourist experience. We come home exhausted every night but we have already seen so much and it is that good exhaustion knowing you filled your day with wonderful things and it was worth the blisters on your feet and sore muscles. 

I can't describe how amazing this experience is. I just want to take a moment to wish a Happy Mothers Day to my amazing mom from 4,000 miles away and say a huge thank you to both of my parents for allowing me to make this dream trip a reality. I know it is a once in a lifetime experience and I am doing my best to make the most of it and put your investment to the best use! Thank you mom and dad- you truly are the best! Sending all my loving home to you...

Day 5: Other Activities

Day five was so full of activities that I chose to split it into two posts: one specifically regarding my World War 2 research (previously posted) and one just on the general sightseeing and experience. We started the day by getting the tractional tourists picture out of the way. 

Next for the morning was a walking tour of the East End. This is such an interesting part of London- it has had such a diverse history with so many changes. Originally it wasn't even within the city walls. The streets of the East End reflect their history with names such as "Bishopsgate" after one of the ancient city gates and :"Houndsditch" after the ditch beyond the wall where the dead dogs were thrown. The area was eventually integrated into the city though it was a poor slum full of immigrants and migrants. One of the biggest immigrant groups to move into this district was the Huguenots from France who fled persecution in France for their protestant religion. In 1687 alone, 13,000 Huguenots immigrated to London and settled in the East End to begin weaving patterned silken clothe- their famous trade. The silk became the height of British fashion and they prospered until the fashion changed. They eventually abandoned the area and the next group to move into the area was the Jews- once again fleeing persecution for their religion. Our tour guide is from the area and her great grandparents settled in the area throughout the Jewish immigration in the late 1800's. As I stated yesterday in my blog, her father was a part of the World War 2 evacuations. The Jew's have since moved out and now Asians have settled in the area as well as hipsters and artsy people. The homes once occupied by the poor immigrants have now become million pound homes owned by bankers and lawyers. Quite the change from earlier times.

The old homes of the Huguenot immigrants

We also saw a building in which the first every trade union meetings took place and where Annie Bassant planned the first strike for match stoke makers in the East End to protest the working conditions that caused most of the women who worked in the factories to lose their lower jaws to "Fossies" within 5 years of working in the factories. This was the first major step in the direction of improved work conditions and unions. Another interesting thing we saw on the tour was the remains of the Truman Beer Factory. This was established in 1666 and was open and working until 1989. At one point it was the biggest beer factory in the world. Beer was popular in the 1700-1800's because doctors often encouraged people to drink beer instead of water to avoid the spread and contractions of Cholera (a water based disease). Truman Beer Factory is now a bustling street market and art destination. Our tour ended at a small handmade bagel shop still run by the Jewish descendants of the earlier immigrants. 

Truman Beer Factory

Also related to the East End was a walking tour we took earlier this week revolving around the Jack the Ripper murders in 1888. 5 prostitutes were brutally murdered in the East End and the killer was never caught. Our tour took us to each of the locations where the women were killed. Some places have been changed drastically and others have remained virtually unchanged. Seeing the actual house where the final victim was killed was quite creepy. It was very cool to do both tours and see two different parts of this diverse part of London.

The final home of Mary Kelly (the final victim)

After the tour we headed off the to Victoria and Albert Museum. Wow is about all I can say. The amount of art, history and fashion was just mind boggling. The 3 of us just walked around with our mouths hanging wide open taking in everything we could. There were replicas of the statue of David, a notebook belonging to Leonardo Di Vinci, a ring from 1500 BC and so so so so much more. We didn't even make it all the way throughout the museum and we still spent hours there. The most incredible thing: it was completely FREE. That is the true greatest thing about exploring London, so many things are free including all the national museums and galleries.

Leonardo Di Vinci's Notebook

Ancient Armour for a horses head

Imitating the ancient catholic statues

After the V & A, we went to the Natural History Museum briefly. What a gorgeous building. The giant dinosaur right when you walk in certainly makes for quite the impression. It was very crowded so we only saw the mammal exhibit but the whales were HUGE! It was super cool. 

Next we decided to release our inner nerds and headed to Kings Cross station. They literally have platform 9 and 3/4 set up in the station with a trolley heading into the wall. We waited in line for a good 15 minutes (happily) before getting to pick our house scarf, put our hands on the trolley handle, pick up the wand and smile for the picture as the helper throws your scarf so it appears you are running! I was like a kid in a candy store- the nerd alert was on high. Such a fun little experience that was COMPLETELY FREE. They also had a small gift shop with typical Harry Potter themed things. I bought a chocolate frog and got the Snape card :( 

Kings Cross Station

THE Platform 9 and 3/4

Bye muggles, I am going to Hogwarts

Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin heading to Hogwarts

After dragging our very tired selves back to the flat, we made a nice pasta dinner together and watched the VE Day concert on the telly before crashing for the night. London is exhausting and wonderful and exciting and beautiful all wrapped up in one. I can't believe the first week is already almost over.

Day 5: WW2 is Everywhere and VE Day Celebrations continue!

VE Day Continues today! 

Another big day with lots of great events and tons of history. This morning we went on a walking tour of London's East End. This area has undergone an amazing and diverse history. It started out as the outskirts of London housing the slums and immigrants. Eventually the Huguenots from France came over to London to avoid persecution for their protestant religion and began a thriving silk weaving trade in this area of town. The buildings they lived in still survive. This area underwent many ethnic changes as groups moved in and out based on the economy. Eventually the Jews replaced the French and then the Bangladesh replaced the Jews. More about this tour in my other blog post. This area was heavily bombed during World War 2 since it was a hub of industry. Evidence of this bombing was noticeable on buildings such as the building below.

Our tour guide's family is Jewish and they lived in this area. Her father was born in 1938 and was evacuated to the countryside during the Blitz Bombing of London several times, as were many children from London. The evacuation was called operation Pied Piper and began on September 1, 1939 and 3.5 million people (mostly children) were evacuated during the war time conditions. Not just children were evacuated to the countryside for safety- art and national treasures were also moved.  Those who were not evacuated retreated to bomb shelters built in backyards throughout London and evacuation locations. Some children were evacuated as far as Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. A famous representation of the WW2 evacuations is in C.S. Lewis' famous book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe were the 4 Pevensie children were evacuated to a country manor house where they found the magical wardrobe that led to Narnia. 

Children being evacuated to the countryside in 1939

The Pevensie children at the train station after evacuation to the countryside. Notice the tickets on their jackets with their information and destination.

After the East End tour, we headed for the Victoria and Albert Museum. The museum was awe inspiring and more will be told about that in my next blog post. However, there was a nice exhibition about the style of WW2. Cloth was rationed along with everything else and the result was a very plain and functional wardrobe called "Utility" wear. It was rationed to the point that no pleating or folds were allowed in skirt because it was an unnecessary use of fabric and skirts could only be knee length. Jackets could only have 3 buttons. This wardrobe is undeniably English and I recognized it immediately from photos and history books. 

Utility Outfits

Utility Womens shoes

Also in honor of VE Day's 70th Anniversary, there was a 1940's themed concert at Horse Guards Parade Grounds tonight. I was not able to go but I did watch on the telly and the celebration was so cool. It felt like the celebration was truly taking place 70 years ago. Tomorrow morning there is a special VE Day service in Westminster Abbey and I will be in the area and hopefully will see some of the happenings. Overall, being in London for this 70th Anniversary of VE Day has been so incredible. To be a part of the ceremony at the Cenotaph yesterday, witness the memorials city wide and feel the pulse of national pride and see veterans who gave so much honored so wonderfully is an unforgettable experience. Upcoming on the blog will be how the Tube was used in WW2 and what the original 1945 VE Day celebration was like. Stay tuned!!

Day 4: Victory in Europe Day 70th Anniversary

Victory in Europe 70th Anniversary 

Today was VE Day here in London. I had the privilege to be in Westminster during the 70th Anniversary of the Victory in Europe Day Ceremony at the Cenotaph (Britains tomb of the unknown soldier essentially) and the laying of the wreaths. It was so incredible- I cannot even describe the feeling of that moment and how lucky I feel to have been in London for this monumental moment in history. I literally stood on a fence to be able to see some of the ceremony and caught glimpses of Prince Andrew and all the party leaders of Britain including newly elected Prime Minister David Cameron. I was able to go and view the wreaths up close after the ceremony. What a moment. There were also many WW2 veterans there for the ceremony and I stood beside one at the Cenotaph and I was just in awe of what he lived through and helped to do. What an event and I am just so grateful to have witnessed it in person amidst a giant crowd and sing God Bless the Queen with them (because when in London....) as they celebrated the biggest Victory their country may ever see.

Standing on the fence to see it all happen!

Look at that crowd!!!

The Cenotaph

There was also a collection of World War 2 vehicles and artillery showcased in St. James Park today. There were men and women dressed in period uniforms and it was like stepping back in time to the war. War memorials all around London had wreaths placed on them as well. 

A bit rainy today. Always wear your trench coat with a hood when in London. Always

We also visited the Banqueting House today. This is one of the only surviving architectural pieces from the banqueting era and was designed by the famed architect Inigo Jones in 1619. It is also famous for the ornate ceiling by Ruben's painted in 1635. This is the only remaining part of Whitehall Palace and is famous as the site of King Charles I's beheading in 1649.

Wow. 

Next up was the Household Cavalry Museum and Horse Guards Parade area. There were the classic mounted cavalry outside the museum and of course I had to get a picture. The Horse Guards and Horse Guards Parade have barely changed over time. They retain ancient practices and keep the traditions of Britain alive.

I would find the horses in London

Also visited Trafalgar Square for the WW2 memorials featured there today. While standing in Trafalgar, this old style London double decker bus with 1940's advertisements and the people on the bus were dressed in period 1940's outfits and waving newspapers flashing the famous VICTORY headline. I thought this was such a fun touch. 

Back in time 70 years

In Trafalgar Square, the change the far right statue regularly. Right now it is "Gift Horse", a large skeletal horse with a bow on its front leg that reads the daily London financial market. Of course I was excited about another Equestrian thing in London.

Gift Horse

Trafalgar Square

Another aspect of the VE day celebration was these informational points all throughout Trafalgar. They each had photos and information and even an audio speech from Winston Churchill about what happened on VE Day in 1945 in London. People crowded Trafalgar then and jumped in the fountains, danced in the street and celebrated in a way they had not celebrated in years. To glimpse that through photos in the place it happened on the day it happened was so incrediable.

VE Day Remembrance

Overall, what a day. I am so grateful to have been in London for the 70th anniversary of VE Day. To have it coincide with my project and add so much to my understanding of the war and the people who survived it is just beyond amazing. Everywhere I turn I see something else I want to do or see and I know my 3 weeks will go too quick but I am enjoying every second. I am off to bed, walked 8 miles today. Tomorrow we have a walking tour of the East End and then because it is going to rain (surprise, surprise) we are planning to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum. Fun fun fun!!!

Day 3: Green in the City

What a day! Today was voting day in London which was pretty cool to see. We logged 13.5 miles today walking around the city. We had class this morning and went to a cute little Camden farmers market and had the best hamburger and apple juice ever.

We hit the parks today because it was absolutely beautiful- sunny, mid 60's and just gorgeous walking weather. Getting there was a fun challenge, lots of Tube platform changes but we are really starting to get the hang of the Tube. The parks are amazing. We did St. James Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and started exploring Kensington Gardens (more time for that later). The parks are so nicely landscaped and there are so many amazing memorials and statues. I even saw a paint horse being ridden in Hyde Park and it made me very happy.

I did not realize how many World War 2 memorials there were in the parks. Every time I turned around there was a different one. My favorite was the Bombing of Britain Memorial in Green Park. The statue was so awe inspiring and just stunningly gorgeous from every angle. Since it is the 70th anniversary of the end of World War 2 in Europe tomorrow, there is a ton of memorials and wreaths all over the memorials which adds an extra element to the experience.

Other memorials in the parks included the Canadian Forces, Australian forces, Asian and Indian Forces and the Cavalry.

British Version the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from my understanding

Memorial to the Royal Calvary 

My favorite element was this personal memorial placed on the base of the Battle of Britain Memorial for Sgt. Nobby Clark who lost his life in the skies of Austria in 1944. It was placed there by his crewmate and friend Mike McGrory. It's the things like that that bring the war to life for me and give me a feel for the amazing people who lived through it and allowed for the victory achieved on May 8, 1945, now know as Victory in Europe Day. 

RIP Sgt. Clark. Thank you

Tomorrow is the 70th Anniversary of VE Day and there are many events happening around the city tomorrow and this weekend. I will have more about that in tomorrow's blog as I am trying to attend as much of the VE Day celebration as possible.

For now, I am going to rest my aching feet and hit the sack. It was a big day and I am just ready for more tomorrow! What an experience of a lifetime this has been so far and it's just the beginning.