Landmark London

Dear Grace,

When we moved to London and I bought our little blue book at an old school book store on Fullam Road, I decided to wait and go on the first adventure walk with our first visitors. They happened to be Mr. and Mrs. Elpers. The weather was perfect and it was a nice way to see most of the London landmarks. You couldn't get enough of the Elpers while they were here. You were constantly staring, smiling and laughing with them. Enjoy.

Cheers! Mummy 

Adventure Walk #1: Landmark London: the best sights in the shortest time

The Adventure: For those of you who have just arrived in London or haven't done the tourist thing for years, we've created a quick taster (or refresher), get your bearings kind of walk that will take you past as many of London's most famous landmarks as possible in a couple of hours. 

The walk starts at St. Paul's Churchyard and Cathedral. We didn't start our walk here with the Elpers, but you and I have already been here with Daddy. If you need a reminder of the London Fire adventure walk, click HERE. Come to think of it...we didn't start, end  or walk past some things in the middle. Once you are done reading this walk, you decide if it should even count as completing adventure walk #1.

We didn't go to St. Paul's Cathedral with the Elpers, but we did stop by the Monument. They climbed all the way to the top and were handed their certificate upon their exit. You and I were patiently waiting; listening to tourists read about the London fire and the Monument in their languages. French, Italian, and of course English from groups of loud and crazy Americans. :)

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down...

At one point on this trip, Mrs. Elpers and I were singing the London Bridge nursery rhyme to you and you loved it. 

I made our friends stop at a red phone booth to take silly touristy photos.

 

Grace, do you remember doing this with me when we first moved to London? In case you need a reminder, click HERE.

We saw this friendly chap as we were passing the Tower of London. Little did we know there were many more interesting street performers in our near future...

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down...

Just kidding. We were walking across Tower Bridge. London Bridge is not this cool in person.

Grace, Mr. and Mrs. Elpers were our friends who Daddy and I went out to California for their wedding when I was pregnant with you. 

There was a cool art display along this part of the River Thames. The artist traveled all over the world taking pictures of different ceremonial events. He went to all the continents, and photographed all the major religions and all stages of life including both traditional and modern events. "Irrespective of our culture we are all basically the same- and we all share a need to manifest our steps along the path of life." - Anders Ryman 

For more information go to Rites of Life.

Old and new

Many years ago this used to be filled with water for horses to drink instead of beautiful flowers for a photo opp today. It is called a horse's troff. 

Who wants to check out this museum? It's on the other side of the River Thames as the Tower of London.

We are finally starting our adventure walk. "Ahead of you is the towering chimney of the Tate Modern art gallery in the old Bankside Power Station. To its left is the reconstruction of Shakespear's timber-framed Globe theatre." 

"Cross over to Doggett's pub and hop down the stairs towards the river. Head west along the Thames Path, passing the Oxo Tower, the National Theatre, the National Film Theatre and the Festival Hall."

I saved the best for last.

"There are often street performers and free events along this stretch, as well as skateboarders and bikers, pavement artists and musicians." Boy, was the little blue book right...

I look so determined to find old school leather bound books. It must have been the teacher in me. The Elpers and I also found some cool antique maps.

I spy an action photo of somebody spray painting the wall.

The street performers made me feel back home in Chicago, except for this interesting fellow. Look closely at the man whose head is exposed but his body is hidden under the table. This is probably one of the weirdest things the Elpers and I have ever seen. 

"Pass under the Waterloo Bridge, heading for the London Eye, the great wheel where you can ride high over London." Mr. Elpers took a cool photograph of the London Eye. 

"When you reach Westminster Bridge, cross back over the river. Big Ben and the House of Parliament are on your left."

"Turn right into Whitehall. Quite soon you'll pass the bottom of Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives. Peer through the railings and see who you can see: there is always a policeman on the doorstep of No. 10. Walk on until you get to the guards on horseback at the entrance to Horse Guards Parade." The Elpers took pictures on their camera, but these are the pictures we took on ours the first time we walked by here.  

"Turn left between the guards, crossing over to St. James's Park."

These chairs are all over the royal gardens in London. This was the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a coffee for a moment. 

Just taking in our surroundings...

"Run through the park all the way to the end to see Buckingham Palace. If the flag is up, the Queen is at home."

Just around the corner from the palace people were "tailgating" in their fancy clothes (proper dressy hats included). We later found out the Queen was having a biannual garden party. To attend the garden party, you have to receive a personal invitation from the Queen herself. The majority of the guests received some type of recognition for their service to the country. (ie military or philanthropic) This group was even drinking champagne. I took this picture as I was walking past them so it's a little fuzzy. You get the idea.

"Walk all the way back down the Mall, through Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square. Look out for the ships on the top of each lamp-post, representing Lord Nelson's fleet, and head for the the 170 ft high Nelson's Column dominating the centre, the stone lions at each corner, the fountains and the National Gallery. The columns here were taken from one of George IV's old palaces. Trafalgar Square is the very centre of London." 

We skipped St. Martin-in-the-Fields church and the London Coliseum, which is home of the English National Opera. The walk ends in Covent Garden, but we didn't go that way with the Elpers. Instead we headed back toward Old Brompton road to meet Derik and Martha at a pub for dinner.

If we would have continued to the rest of the walk we would have "headed down King Street, to the cafes, bars, street entertainers and shops where we could have had something to eat or drink, or just stop and take in the free entertainment." You did this with Daddy and me on one of our first weekends in London. We don't have a picture of Covent Garden, yet because we didn't have our camera with us the first time we checked it out.

The end. What do you think? Should we be able to tick this off as completing the first walk from the list of adventure walks through London?

Street Life

Dear Grace,

Since this adventure took us through busy markets and off the beaten path, it was a perfect day for Daddy to come along with us. We found a couple treasures while shimming through the bustling markets: cool antique map of the tube lines, iron crown for a bookshelf, and a British box thing (sorry, best way I can describe it). We tried some gross traditional British candy and met some very nice local Britts. One of whom reminded me of Uncle Matthew's best friend, Nick Kuc. (The friend who recommended the lovely spots while we were in Oxford). He gave you his bracelet which had fit into our conversation. It represented the British soldiers. We rushed home after talking to these fellows, longer than planned, to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Elpers to the UK! Talk about good times with GREAT people. We had so much to talk about and celebrate while they were here! Mommy and Daddy are SO happy they made the trip to visit us on their way home from Monaco, the French Riviera and Barcelona. Enjoy!

Cheers, Mummy

Walk #14. Street Life: London's Coolest Markets

"The adventure- The bustle of Spitalfields and Brick Lane is rich with the cultural history of London. Jewish bagel bakeries, Indian curry houses, artists and artisan shops and hip markets make it one of the most exciting parts of London. Old Spitalfields has been turned into a covered market for records, clothes, music and food. Brick lane has one of london's best street markets and on Sundays Columbia Road, to the north, is London's great flower market. The area is home to London's artists, with Tracey Emin and Gilbert and George living here, the White chapel Art Gallery at the end of Brick Lane and the art galleries of Hoxton nearby.

It has always been a place for immigrants new to London, just outside the walls of the old city. Many of the streets are characterized by the elegant Georgian houses built by the French Huguenots, Protestants who came to live here when they were forced out of Catholic France. Many of them were silk weavers. They built large, simple, shuttered houses with vast attic spaces for working the silk looms. As they became wealthy, they moved away, making way for the next generation of immigrants to Spitalfields. The Huguenots were followed by Irish weavers, and, in turn, by Ashkenazi Jews, escaping from Russian persecution in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Most recently, people from Bangladesh settled here in the mid-twentieth century. Spitalfields is now a thriving, regenerated part of London. "

We started our adventure on Brick Lane. "This street has the highest density of Indian restaurants in England but was once more famous for its silk weavers and shops. As you walk up Brick Lane, look out for the mosque on the corner of Fournier Street. This little building captures the history of these streets. It began life in 1742 as La Neuve Eglise, ad Huguenot chapel. By 1809 it was known as the Jews' Chapel, built to promote Christianity to Jews. By 1898 it had become the Spitalfields Great Synagogue. Finally, in 1976 it became a mosque, the London Jamme Masjid."

"Turn left and admire the best preserved Huguenot houses in London, with their beautiful painted wooden shutters in reds, purples and greys, several still forlorn and neglected with peeling paint and faded colors, others rescued and restored. Note the shutters are, in French style, on the outside of the houses."

"No. 19 houses the Museum of Immigration and Diversity, with a hidden synagogue dating from 1869. You can stay at No. 13 through the Landmark Trust."

"Turn right toward Spitalfields Market and the impressive spired Hawksmoor Christ Church. Built by Queen Anne for the 'godless thousands of the East End between 1714 and 1729, the church is worth stopping in for a few moments if only to admire its grandeur. Virtually derelict in 1960, it has recently been beautifully restored."

The people working inside the church were beyond warm and welcoming. They handed up this letter from the Reverend and offered us a cup of coffee. 

"Leaving the church, walk down the side of the market on Brushfield Street. Pass a row of tempting cafes, pasing at the last, A. Gold, to buy sweets from a jar (sugar mice, fudge, licorice, sherbert fountains) or have a coffee in the cramped, charming shop surrounded by delicious jams, elderflower wines, fresh bread, and seven- day marmalade. The cafe is owned by the writer Jeanette Winterson."

In the last two years, this cafe has split into two separate businesses, but they still sold the traditional British treats. We met the kindest man at A. Gold who explained the history of the shop and was very excited and surprised that his store was in my travel book. He wrote down the information is said he is going to buy the book for his family and friends. Ahhhh....the stories we have to tell you, Grace, from our little blue book. 

Sugar mice- It's exactly what you would expect. They taste like sugar and come on a rope! :)

Sherbet fountains- This was a little trickier. When you open it up there is one thin strip of black licorice inside what looks like the sugar powder of Fun Dip. Either we didn't understand what to do (no directions) or the fountain concept is nonexistent. Paul Hawkins- can you help us out on this one?

"Cross to the other side of the Brushfield Street and explore the market as much as you like (stalls open Monday-Friday and Sundays)." Why didn't the book just say everyday except Saturday? :) 

"Turn left down Folgate Street and walk to No. 18, Dennis Severs' extraordinary restoration of a Huguenot weaver's house, authentic to the last detail. Note the gas lamp burning outside, peer through the windows for a taste of the atmosphere inside."

"Turn right down Blossom Street to Fleur de Lis Street." But not before stopping in this random pub for a proper pint. 

Hmmm...does anyone else find it strange to be in a room with leather couches, a chandelier, a doll house, a skeleton on the wall, and a rocking horse?

Grace, what do you think of the decor? 

"The famous Truman Brewery chimney dominates this part of the street. Back in 1683, Joseph Truman established the great Black Eagle Brewery here on Brick Lane, drawing water from deep wells beneath it."

"Explore the unusual, arty and trendy smattering of shops, with vintage clothing, t-shirts, interiors, children's clothes and toys. There is a tat market here on Sundays, with clothes and junk for sale." By the time we were in this part of town, the markets and shops were starting to close. :( We were told by local Brits that it is worth coming back to the famous Petticoat Lane street market which sells end of season fashions everyday but Saturday.

In the middle of this historic part of London was an American bar, complete with a Bears and Colts flag and Coors Light. (Blossoms...we looked up Lite vs Light)

I thought the addresses on these doors were interesting. Eleven and Eleven and a half. Why not 11 and 11 1/2?

As we were heading back toward the tube, we stumbled across this pub. Spitalfields lies just outside the old City walls. It is where the dead were buried and dead dogs were thrown (Houndsditch). All of Jack the Ripper's victims lived in Spitalfields. Two were murdered here.