London, England!!

London, England!

It has been awhile since I have posted anything about my trips in England, but I have been doing a lot of traveling throughout the last two weeks and have been very busy with the first week of school! I hope those of you are excited to see that I am finally posting my pictures and adventures from my trip to London, which was enjoyable and amazing to see so much history, beautiful architecture, and experience so many new adventures in England! I stayed in London for two full days, October 23rd and 24th. While in London, I not only visited many different historical places, but I also enjoyed seeing the musical, Wicked, at the Apollo Theater in London, which was truly amazing! I had never seen it before and got the chance to see it in London, which I will never forget!! From the rest of my adventure, each picture below has a description of the building/event that I got to see and discover, I hope you enjoy all the pictures from my adventure!

Our study abroad group in London's Trafalgar Square!

 Taking a picture with the fierce lion at Trafalgar Square.

The National Gallery, sits in the middle of Trafalgar square. The Blue Rooster(called a cockerel in Britain) seen here is a sculpture by the German artist Katharina Fritsch. It was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square on 25 July 2013, and will only stay for 18 months, until a new sculpture is unveiled. 

Getting eaten by the lion!!

St Martin-in-the-Fields Church is an English Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since the medieval period. The present building was constructed in a Neoclassical design by James Gibbs in 1722–1724.

At Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament, made the police officer take a picture with me! :)

 Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament (All Above)

Queen's House, beautiful restaurant and hotel in the heart of London!

M&M London Store! The entire place smelled of sweet chocolate, so enticing!

The Hippodrome Casino is a building on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survivors.

After doing a little therapeutic shopping (and gift shopping!), we stopped in Piccadilly Circus, where London was hosting the NFL International Games, in which football(not soccer!) was going to be played in London. NFL is trying to build more enthusiasm for their sport in other countries, to branch out of North America and try to get more views during sports games. Piccadilly Circus was full of people, but from the opinion of my host dad, football will never be a very popular sport in England because it is an American sport! I agree that I found it unusual to see this in London!

Anteros by Alfred Gilbert, 1893; from the Shaftesbury Memorial in Piccadilly Circus 

True Scottish man playing the bagpipes in Piccadilly Circus in London!

Picture of one of many underground subway signs in London!

Princes Arcade is a boutique shopping center in Piccadilly, London, dating back to the Victorian era.

Fortnum & Mason, Fortnum & Mason is recognized internationally for its high quality goods and as an iconic British symbol. It has held many Royal Warrants over the past 150 years.

History: Founded as a grocery store, Fortnum's reputation was built on supplying quality food, and saw rapid growth throughout the Victorian era. Though Fortnum's developed into a department store, it continues to focus on stocking a variety of exotic, specialty and also 'basic' provisions. William Fortnum was a footman in the royal household of Queen Anne. The Royal Family’s insistence on having new candles every night meant a lot of half-used wax which William Fortnum promptly resold for a tidy profit. The enterprising William Fortnum also had a sideline business as a grocer. He convinced his landlord, Hugh Mason, to be his associate, and they founded the first Fortnum & Mason store in Mason's small shop in St James's Market in 1707. In 1761, William Fortnum's grandson Charles went into the service of Queen Charlotte and the Royal Court affiliation led to an increase in business. In March 2012, the Queen, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge made their first official joint visit to Fortnum & Mason. The Queen opened on the top floor the Jubilee Tea Room. Today Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Catherine are well known visitors of Fortnum and Mason's and can be spotted picking up new items and specialties for events and personal preferences.

Front door of Fortnum and Mason

Inside Fortnum and Mason, so much candy!!! :P

Tea Set & Doll House for sale inside Fortnum and Mason

Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in London. It was originally a private Palladian mansion, and was expanded in the mid-19th century after being purchased by the British government. The main building is at the northern end of the courtyard and houses the Royal Academy, while five learned societies occupy the two wings on the east and west sides of the courtyard and the Piccadilly wing at the southern end. Burlington House is most familiar to the general public as the venue for the Royal Academy's temporary art exhibitions.

The Shard, only one block from the youth hostel we stayed in during our stay in London! 87-floor glass skyscraper with a jagged peak, with restaurants, offices, hotel and viewing platform, as London's highest viewing platform at the top of Western Europe's tallest building, we are the only place to take in over 1,000 years of the capital's history all at once.

The George Inn is London's only remaining galleried coaching inn and has been serving thirsty Londoner's for over 300 years. Owned by the National Trust the George was a haunt of Charles Dickens and is mentioned in 'Little Dorrit'.

Street way post, near the Tower of London, this post was labeled as built in 1994, very beautiful painting of the dragon above its label "City of London."

All Hallows Church, oldest standing church in London, built in 675 AD. It is an ancient Anglican church on Byward Street in the City of London.

Inside picture of the organ in All Hallows 

Tower of London and garden of poppies, a beautiful sight in London, only seen in late October and early November, in remembrance of all the brave and fallen soldiers of World War I and II.  Remembrance Day in Britain is November 11, in which schools and businesses, families and tourists will all celebrate the bravery and courage of those who fought for their country. Schools hold a one-two minute silence to thank of remember those who have fallen. Description of the poppy garden below. 

The Tower of London at night!! Beautifully lit up and magnificent sight at night!

Front entrance of the Tower of London!

Side-view of the Tower of London, you can see the four tower corners from this view, all around this castle you can catch a glimpse of these towers of the castle! 

British mini car in one of the London souvenir shops!

BUCKINGHAM PALACE!! I was so enthralled in the beauty and awe of the palace! It was the fist palace I saw in England and was so excited to be at the front gates, seeing my first site of how magnificent this building was! i also got an awesome video of the guards at the front of the palace, showing their strength and posture in looking over the grounds of the palace! One of the first sights I saw in London after getting off the train from Eastbourne, East Sussex.

History: Originally known as Buckingham House, the building which forms the core of today's palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site which had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was subsequently acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and was known as "The Queen's House". During the 19th century it was enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who formed three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace finally became the official royal palace of the British monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front, which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal family traditionally congregates to greet crowds outside.

More information about the history of the palace and facts, go to 40 Facts About Buckingham Palace

(Front gates of Buckingham Palace)

The forecourt(behind the gates) of Buckingham Palace, where Changing the Guard takes place, was not created until 1911, when it was added as part of a scheme to commemorate Queen Victoria. The gates and railings were also completed in 1911.

Selfies and pictures at the front gates!

Down the block towards St. James Park, there is a memorial walk that starts from Buckingham Palace all around the park. These beautiful monuments are on the sidewalk as you walk through the park with the palace behind you.

The Victoria Memorial is a sculpture dedicated to Queen Victoria, sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock in London, placed at the center of Queen's Gardens in front of Buckingham Palace.The Memorial was dedicated in 1911 by George V and his first cousin, Wilhelm II of Germany, the two senior grandsons of Victoria.

Police officer on horse, leading the Horse Procession to begin the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace!

Horse Procession leading towards Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard!

What is that? Oh Ya! The British flag...taking pictures on the way to the Admiralty Arch!

Admiralty Arch is an office building in London, which has five arches providing road and pedestrian access between The Mall and Trafalgar Square. It was designed by Sir Aston Webb and completed in 1912.Admiralty Arch adjoins the Old Admiralty Building, hence the name.Admiralty Arch was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria, though he didn't live to see its completion.A famous feature of Admiralty Arch is its 'nose'. On the inside wall of the large central arch (on the right as you look down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace), there's a life-size nose. The nose sits at waist height for someone riding through the arch on a horse. Tradition apparently states that the nose is there in honor of the Duke of Wellington, who was reputed to have a large nose. Soldiers would rub Wellington's nose for good luck as they rode through the arch.

Read more about Admiralty Arch- at Famous Wonders

Selfie in London by Admiralty Arch!

A mounted trooper of the Household Cavalry on duty at Horse Guards.

 The Household Cavalry Museum is a living Museum in the heart of Horse Guards, Whitehall, London. It celebrates the history and accomplishments of The Household Cavalry offering a unique 'behind the scenes' look at the work that goes into the ceremonial and armored reconnaissance role of HM The Queen's Mounted Bodyguard.

While taking my picture next to this horse guard, there is a sign that warns people about going up and getting too friendly or being too hasty about touching the horse, in which it clearly states, "Warning, horses may bite!" While taking my picture (which had to be done twice) a man comes right up to the horse's face and the horse bites him! I just laughed because he is standing right in front of the sign! After taking my picture again (the one you see here) I calmly and carefully petted the horse, thanking him and the guard for the picture and giving a clear example to those who don't know how to pet a horse on how NOT to get bitten! I couldn't help but laugh at the man because obviously the horse didn't want him in his face and didn't appreciate the surprising encounter with the man. 

Memorial for the women of World War II, situated on Whitehall in London. It was sculpted by John W. Mills, unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II and dedicated by Baroness Boothroyd in July 2005, symbolizing the change in history when women became more involved in the working force that supported their country during the horrific war. This monument honors the women who not only supported the war and kept their families safe, but those who worked in many jobs and careers that women had not been allowed to or thought of working in before this war. Its symbolizes how the country prospered and survived through rough times in World War II. 

Monument of Abraham Lincoln for his accomplishment in abolishing slavery, sits only a block from Westminster Abbey.

Front view and clock tower of Westminster Abbey(above and below)

Westminster Abbey, side entrance of church hall.

Pudding Lane, only a few blocks from All Hallows Church. Took this picture to remind myself of the nickname I had when I was young, 'Puddin'

London Tower Bridge, the Shard in the background. Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London which crosses the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name, and has become an iconic symbol of London. In the second half of the 19th century, increased commercial development in the East End of London led to a requirement for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge. A traditional fixed bridge could not be built because it would cut off access by tall-masted ships to the port facilities in the Pool of London, between London Bridge and the Tower of London. A Special Bridge or Subway Committee was formed in 1877, chaired by Sir Albert Joseph Altman, to find a solution to the river crossing problem. It opened the design of the crossing to public competition. Over 50 designs were submitted, but it was not until 1884 that a design submitted by Sir Horace Jones, the City Architect was approved. Construction started in 1887 and took eight years with five major contractors and employed 432 construction workers. The bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), and his wife, The Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark).

Harrods(night view) is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The store occupies a 5-acre site and has over one million square feet of selling space in over 330 departments making it the biggest department store in Europe. 

Harrods founder Charles Henry Harrod first established his business in 1824, and was recognized only as a draper, mercer and a haberdasher, but from 1831-1851, Harrod grew his busniess into a variety store, adding himself as a grocer and salesman of special made teas. Harrod took over a small shop in the district of Brompton, on the site of the current store. Beginning in a single room employing two assistants and a messenger boy, Harrod's son Charles Digby Harrod, built the business into a thriving retail operation selling medicines, perfumes, stationery, fruit and vegetables. Harrods rapidly expanded, acquired the adjoining buildings, and employed one hundred people by 1880.

Youth Hostel room we stayed in during our weekend in London. It was very interesting to meet some new people and try to communicate with them. There were two ladies from Turkey, who barely spoke English, but one girl that I had breakfast with that I met from my room was from Seattle, Washington. She had also been on a study abroad program in which she was traveling through 18 different countries in  8 weeks, her last stop being England. She was by herself, a brave choice, but seemed to enjoy her trip from our conversation. It was interesting to meet some people different from me but sharing a similar experience, learning about the city of London.

Christine and I enjoying a drink as we wait to go into the auditorium of the Apollo Victoria theater to enjoy Wicked!!

Stage view of the set for Wicked at Apollo Victoria.

Outside banner for the Wicked musical at Apollo Victoria theater in London!

Taking a picture just before the show! So excited to see Wicked, in all places LONDON!! It was a fabulous musical, one of the best I had seen before. It was such a treat and the inside of the theater was so elegant!

Taking a picture with my supervisors to say goodbye and a big thank you for giving us a tour through London before leaving us to explore freely! I love these two women, they are so much fun, smart, and so kind to us! 

Can't wait until our next trip, to the Bodiam Castle and town of Rye! Don't forget to keep following along with me as I discover England and all its wonder! Until next time, Cheers mates!!