Fatigued we were after that Marathon Monday, so a Plan of Moderation was put into effect for Tuesday. We decided to take the HOHO (Hop On/Hop Off) Double Decker bus around town. We chose the loop that would show us the most sights, some of which we had seen the day before. First we had to get to the stop that best suited our needs, which was Piccadilly Circus, which I am positive that you have all at least heard of. I remember when I first heard of it I envisioned it to be exactly what it said….. a Circus. Little did I know that the term, circus, come from old Mr. Bruchalski’s favorite subject….. Latin, and it means circle or a larger open circular area. I guess that’s where circuses were first held? (And they have a ring?) Anyway, when you think of this section of London, think Times Square, NYC. Both have theaters, multiple roads intersecting, large graphic gaudy signage, and peeps, lots and lots of peeps.
Well Donny, what about the Piccadilly part? That just sounds like a silly name!
I’m glad you asked that Mr. Etymologist!
It comes from the word for a type of collar that was popular in the 16th century (think Sir Francis Drake or Billy Shakespeare) and the guy who made a ton of them (piccadills) lived nearby. He did so well that he built a house and called it Piccadilly Hall. (Now you have another word for Connections!)
When we exited the Piccadilly Station up onto the streets where we did in fact encounter tons of those peeps because we were still in a Rush Hour(s) sort of situation. Waited we did for the Big Red Bus and were greeted rather grumpily by the driver, which to be honest had a souring effect on the morning. We jammed the new sanitized earphones into our ears and listened to the running commentary while seeing what we could from up top. Our plan was to run the entire route and then circle back to where we wanted to get off. More later.
Traffic being what it is in London, using this mode of transportation is not the most efficient, and that quickly became apparent. London’s streets are laid out according to the way that one may drive a herd of cats. It is absolutely fascinating to examine a map of London. It immediately brings you back to those Roman and Medieval times when paths were the custom, which eventually turned into regular throughfares, and then official roads. One-way alleyways connecting larger lanes and roads are the norm. Now try and install some needed traffic lights and then try to make sense of their sequencing! Those cats are looking a bit easier in comparison!
No ‘Grid System” here! The heavier black lines are one thing….. just check out those smaller streets in between!
Trafalgar Square with Admiral Nelson’s Column in the middle came into view, past Whitehall’s government and military buildings, down towards the Thames and Parliament with the tower that holds that big clock and the bell named Big Ben, across the Thames, the London Eye on the left , over through Elephant and Castle (yes, that is the name of that section of town) past where Shakespeare’s The Globe Theatre was/is located (reconstructed) and the back across the Thames via the Tower Bridge and then back up towards Westminster. It was at that point we decided to press our Ejection Seat buttons and exit forthwith near Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Cathedral. The Cathedral was really our goal, but we did not know what condition the Line of Admission was going to be in.
(Actually, I have NO IDEA if he was a relative or not…. but…. my paternal grandfather was English (Hall) and maybe, just maybe, Sir Benjamin is in the “tree” somewhere. I will need to check!)
Ta Da!!! Yes!!! We were fortunate to find that there was no line to gain entry. To be certain, there were folks all round us, but not crazy busy! Complementary headsets were provided and obviously added to the depth of knowledge during our visit.
Pronounced West-minster, not minister. We Yanks make that mistake all the time!
To visit the Abbey is to visit the history of England herself. This is where all of the Monarchs have been coronated, and this is where a great many of people that are importantly interwoven in the tapestry of that history are immortalized and buried. The Tower, Westminster Abbey, and Windsor Castle are, in my opinion, essential visits to understand everything in context. This site has had a version of an Abbey since the Benedictines were installed here in the 900’s by King Edgar. He (and his) preceded William the Conqueror, who was coronated here in 1066. The present church uses the same foundation and floors as its predecessor. The current building dates from the 1100/1200’s and was started by King Edward the Confessor as a fit burial place for himself. He obviously succeeded
This was the first church built in Britain using the cruciform layout. Note where Edward the Confessor’s Chapel is located, right where it should be if this was supposed to be his tomb.
On with our visit.
The route is circuitous as you may imagine. It brings you past small side chapels, important graves and memorials, into little side chambers that hold worship space or tombs, down in front through the nave, choir, and both north and south transepts. The route is on the main floor only, nothing up or down. There is the famous Poet’s Corner where the Big Guy, Mr. Chaucer is interred. The other Big Guy has a memorial there, but he is buried in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. You do know who I am speaking of.
Who?
You know…. Arthur Stanley, the Dean of the Abbey in the 1880’s.
Oh… that Arthur Stanley!
This proves that if you have enough money and know the right people even us regular folks have chance to be viewed by millions!
It was re-opened in 1103 by Henry I thirty-seven years after his death and his body was found to be in perfect condition further proving his holiness. He was canonized in 1161.
There is the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior here also. It is the only Tomb on the floor that you may not walk on.
Here is a partial list of some of the notable folks that can be found interred within:
17 former Kings and Queens including Mary, Queen of Scots and her feuding sister Queen Elizabeth I,
Sir Issac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking
Chaucer, Dickens, and Kipling
Churchill, Attlee, and Chamberlain
Fredric Handel and Lawrence Olivier
This Cathedral was also the site of Diana’s wedding and her funeral.
Please see the next photo for the explanation
The Coronation Chair has been used for every coronation since 1308. King Edward had this made to hold the Stone of Scone which he brought to England in 1296. It has since been returned to Scotland but will come back for future coronations.
I showed you the two photos because the second uses the newer technology of being able to detect and eliminate pesky reflections from photos. But…. the first one isn’t so pesky as the majority of the refection’s are of the stained-glass windows of the Abbey!
By the by, the admission charge is for Tourons only as this is a working church and there is never a charge for Worship Services or to attend the Evensong practices and presentations. We left the Abbey in time for a nice lunch between there and Buckingham Palace. The Palace is rather unimposing as Palaces go, there is nothing on it that resembles a castle, but then it was only constructed in the 1800’s and thus adheres to that style. It is rather large as we could view it from the outside. It was not open to the public that day and is only open during the summer rush from early July to late September. We missed it by two days!
The afternoon was wearing on, so we ambled across St James Park and Green Park heading for Green Park Station, which is on one of our favorite’s, the Piccadilly Line. This would bring us down to Leicester Square on Charing Cross Road (mentioned yesterday?) and then the short stroll to Cecil Court, my favorite street in the world. This lane has been closed to traffic since the late 1890’s which means that it has probably never been open to traffic! Cecil Court began back in the mid 1600’s and has had several iterations since. The current one, starting the 1930’s, has been one of rare and used books, maps, manuscripts, etc. Since I was here last, there seems to be a few antique dealers making inroads into this book sellers’ realm. I showed Paula some of my favorite shops and then we headed back Underground and popped up in Russell Square, our Home Station. Tomorrow is Windsor Castle!
