Day 8-11: On Top of the World

"I can see the rolling fields of green and fences made of stone. I am reaching out, won't you take my hand... I'm coming home, Ireland" - Garth Brooks Ireland 

I felt like I was on top of the world!

IRELAND!

I can't even describe how amazing it was. I have always wanted to visit Ireland for several reasons: I am Irish by heritage, green is my favorite color and every picture I have ever seen just makes me drool. When my London trip became official, I knew Ireland had to be a small part of the trip. I planned a 2 day bus tour hitting the major sites with 2 days of travel there and back. I went for the full European travel experience by staying in a hostel, only carrying my backpack and eating as cheap as possible. Overall the experience was amazing. There were ups and downs but everything was worth it to see the rolling fields of green and fences made of stone.

We arrived in Dublin around 7pm after a train and ferry ride from London. We had a nice dinner, did some shopping and then hit the sack in preparation for our bus tour. Day one of our tour was to see the famous Blarney Castle. On the way there we also stopped in the port city of Cobh, famous as the final port of call for the doomed Titanic. This was such a cute city and features the third deepest port in the world. Given that I had family who went down with the Titanic, this was rather moving for me. Next was the main event....

Blarney Castle did not disappoint. The grounds were immaculate and stunningly landscaped. You walk through a grove of trees before it clears and the castle looms above you in an intimidating feat of raw beauty. It was breathtaking. We took a million pictures before climbing up the winding, tiny, ancient spiral staircases to the top. The view was amazing and you could see for miles. We waited in line before laying on our backs and hanging down in a hole at the top of the castle to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. It is said that one kiss to the stone gives you the "gift of eloquence" for 7 years. (sorry Zac, I will talk even more now). After some further exploration of the grounds, we found the Poison Garden which features a variety of poisonous plants including Mandrakes and Wolfsbane..... if you have read Harry Potter you will recognize those plants. Pretty cool. I wish we had more time to explore but just to see it was worth it. Our second night was in a cute little hostel in the city of Cork. 

Kissing the stone!

What a view!

Not your average flowers...

Day two of the tour took us to the mystical Cliffs of Moher. First our guide took us to the Mini Cliffs to see the former Coral Reef that is now exposed and features a strange rock face. That was just a warm up. After a quick lunch in the small city of Doolin, we were on our way to the Ciffs of Moher. Breathtaking is about the only word to describe it. Words do not have enough effect so I am just going to let the pictures do the talking. By far the most beautiful place I have ever seen. 

On top of the world!

Our last stop was Bunratty Castle and we only had enough time to take some pictures and use the toilet at Durty Nellies, the oldest pub in Ireland. Then it was back to Dublin for one more night and then back to London this morning. Our train was delayed on the way home due to a fatality on the track.... That was a sad and bizarre experience and we made it home 2 hours later then expected. Granted, that was the biggest hiccup in the trip so I can't complain considering it was my first trip abroad planned 100% by myself. 

It was an amazing trip overall. I am so glad to have seen the home of my ancestors finally after years of yearning. I can cross one more thing off my bucket list thanks to this trip and I know I will be back someday... it's the kind of place you could never stay away from. 

Ireland.... Until next time

Day 7: The Tower of London

The White Tower

The Crown Jewels Building

Today we visited the Tower of London. Wow. My favorite thing so far this trip by far. It is such an imposing fortress with the huge moot, 15 ft thick walls of stone and the White Tower plunging into the sky in the center. We got in as soon as it opened and were able to follow along with the Yeomen Warder tour in the beginning of the castle. Yeomen Warders are the caretakers and protecters of the Tower of London and also the tour guides. They must serve in the royal military for 22 years of active service before even being eligible for this post. It is a highly revered job and they have the honor of living inside the tower of London.

Our Yeomen Warder tour guide- he was awesome!

Through our tour, he told us of the beginning of the Tower of London. It was established by William the Conquerer in 1078 to protect himself against the english people. He was a Norman (French) and had taken over by sheer force and brutality. The White Tower was the original structure and throughout the years, the rest built up around it. The moot around the Tower was an engineering feat in it's time and stayed a working moot until 1848 when the Duke of Wellington ordered it to be filled in.

He also told us of the Royal Menagerie of exotic animals that were kept on the Tower property until 1835 for the viewing pleasure of spectators and visitors as well as the entertainment of the royals. There were a variety of exotic animals such as Lions, Elephants, Bears, Kangaroos, Snakes and Monkeys, just to name a few. During the reign of James I (1603-25), the animals were made to fight each other as a gladiator type of "royal games" to entertain the royals and their friends. After a serious of animal attacks in the mid 1800's the zoo was moved to its current home in Regents Park.

Recreation of what it was like when there were exotic animals living at the Tower

Another famous role of the Tower of London was as a Prison. This may be it's most famous occupation. It was a horribly unpleasant prison and the walls of some towers still bear the scars of the prisoners who carved upon them while waiting for their fate. Many of the priosoners held there were later executed. 75 noble men met their end on top of Tower Hill right outside the gates in front of a horde of people. They were beheaded and the head was displayed after as a gruesome example. The first person beheaded was the Archbishop of Canterbury; it was actually peasants who broke into the prison and took him out and executed him but the tradition stuck after that. The last execution on the hill took place in 1748.

Some prisoner carvings

Some other famous executions took place inside the walls of the Tower. Included in these were the three queens- Anne Bolyen, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey. They were all three beheaded in the courtyard and buried in unmarked graves inside the church on the grounds. Their bodies were not found until the reign of Queen Victoria. Anne Bolyen and Catherine Howard were both executed as fated queens and wives of Henry the VIII. Lady Jane Grey was queen for only 8 days before she was killed by the bloody queen Mary in order to obtain the throne. She was only 16 at the time of her execution and was forced to stand over the headless body of her husband the day before her own execution. In an effort to maintain her families name even in the face of death, she practiced laying her headed upon the block the night before and the day of her execution she strongly walked to her fate and gave the signal for execution herself. What a strong woman. Another sad story of an execution in the Tower courtyard was that of an 80 year old woman, the mother of a Catholic priest. The sole reason for her execution was her sons status. She was never sentenced for anything but was led to the scaffold anyway. She was able to run away before the executioner swung the axe and proceeded to run around the courtyard before the executioner caught her and chopped her to pieces on the cobblestones.

Memorial to the 3 Queens executed here

Reproduction of the block and axe used for executions

Another bloody scar in the Tower's illustrious history was the 1483 disappearance of the two princes- aged 9 and 12. Their uncle, Richard of Glocouster,  sent them to stay in the Tower of London following the death of their father for their own protection until they could take the throne (so he said). They were last seen in a tower room inside the walls of the Tower of London. In 1674, workers were fixing some stairs inside the tower and uncovered a small box. When opened they found bones of 2 bodies- a boy of 9 and a boy of 12. It is assumed that Richard killed them in order to take the throne and hid them in the stone steps. The tower where they were last seen is now called the Bloody Tower. Their bones now rest in Westminster Abbey in the Corner of Innocents monument.

Bloody Tower

On a brighter note, the Crown Jewels of England have been housed in the Tower since 1333. We were able to view the jewels but not take pictures. All I can say in BLING BLING! They were breathtaking.

Another interesting aspect of the Tower of London is the official Ravens. There is a quote that said "If the 6 Ravens ever leave the Tower, England will fall". This is taken very seriously as 7 Ravens (6 plus a spare) live on the grounds with their own Ravenmaster. They are well fed on a diet of raw meat and bird biscuits soaked in blood and have mates for life as well as considering the Ravenmaster to be a part of their group. They were roaming while we were there... they are as big as cats!

The HUGE Ravens

I still found some project relation inside the Tower. Rudolph Hess, a Nazi official was imprisoned here for a time during World War 2. This shows the longevity of the Tower as a prison.

The Tower of London was truly an unforgettable experience. To be surrounded by so much history, in the place where Kings were crowed, queens were beheaded and exotic animals lived was just indescribable. It was certainly not an experience I will forget anytime soon. I got a nice Tower mug to remember the place once I am home in Ohio drinking my morning coffee... everyone wants to be reminded to executions and ravens first thing in the morning right??

The handle is even an axe...

**Sorry for the delay in getting this posted- the evening of this day I was given the sad news that my Uncle Darrell lost his year long battle with cancer and the next morning we left for Ireland. Ireland post coming up next. Also coming up is a special tribute to my beloved Uncle- he was a kind and wonderful man who will be so greatly missed.

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!!