Day 12- London
We were supposed to depart from York with train to London but due to the general train Strikes all over UK we had to chose travelling by bus. It delayed our arrival to London but gave us an extra day travelling with our great bus driver Kevin. Upon our arrival we immediately for to the St Paul's Cathedral.
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. There is evidence for Christianity in London during the Roman period, but no firm evidence for the location of churches or a cathedral. The cathedral, generally referred to as Old St Paul's, was begun by the Normans after the 1087 fire. A further fire in 1135 disrupted the work, and the new cathedral was not consecrated until 1240. During the period of construction, the style of architecture had changed from Romanesque to Gothic and this was reflected in the pointed arches and larger windows of the upper parts and East End of the building. The Gothic ribbed vault was constructed, like that of York Minster, of wood rather than stone, which affected the ultimate fate of the building.
There are so many artworks, tombs and memorials inside the cathedral.
Day 13 - Tower of London, Churchill's Room and Westminster Abbey
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.It was founded toward the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new Norman ruling class. The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times, and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England. The castle was used as a prison in the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures who had fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Elizabeth Throckmorton, were held within its walls. This use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower".
Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, popularised by 16th-century religious propagandists and 19th-century writers, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period. In the latter half of the 19th century, institutions such as the Royal Mint moved out of the castle to other locations, leaving many buildings empty. Anthony Salvin and John Taylor took the opportunity to restore the Tower to what was felt to be its medieval appearance, clearing out many of the vacant post-medieval structures.
The Ravens of the Tower of London are a group of at least six captive ravens resident at the Tower of London. Their presence is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall.
The tradition of housing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London probably dates from the reign of Henry III (1216–1272). The Jewel House was built specifically to house the royal regalia, including jewels, plate, and symbols of royalty such as the crown, scepter, and sword. When money needed to be raised, the treasure could be pawned by the monarch.
Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London
The 'Beefeaters', as they are nicknamed, have long been symbols of London and Britain. It is thought their nickname is derived from their position in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table.
Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, popularised by 16th-century religious propagandists and 19th-century writers, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period. In the latter half of the 19th century, institutions such as the Royal Mint moved out of the castle to other locations, leaving many buildings empty. Anthony Salvin and John Taylor took the opportunity to restore the Tower to what was felt to be its medieval appearance, clearing out many of the vacant post-medieval structures.
The Ravens of the Tower of London are a group of at least six captive ravens resident at the Tower of London. Their presence is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall.
The tradition of housing the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London probably dates from the reign of Henry III (1216–1272). The Jewel House was built specifically to house the royal regalia, including jewels, plate, and symbols of royalty such as the crown, scepter, and sword. When money needed to be raised, the treasure could be pawned by the monarch.
Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London
The 'Beefeaters', as they are nicknamed, have long been symbols of London and Britain. It is thought their nickname is derived from their position in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table.
Visiting Churchill's War Room was one our favorite places as we both are very interested in World War II history. These historic rooms once buzzed with planning and plotting, strategies and secrets. We enjoyed exploring the underground headquarters , seeing where Churchill and his War Cabinet met, sometimes late into the night, and looking through the lens of history into the Map Room, where the books and charts have remained exactly where they were left on the day the lights were switched off in 1945.
After Churchill's War room we strolled around the streets of London and then headed to Westminster Abbey to attend the beautiful Evensongs. Unfortunately taking pictures inside the Abbey is strongly prohibited.
Day 13-
It is finally here the last day of the RSE tour and time to say good bye to our dear Lorrain and all the tour members and wish everybody a bon voyage back home.
After Breakfast and farewells , we left our Hotel and moved to Windsor and spent 2 nights there visiting the town and also Windsor Castle.
It is finally here the last day of the RSE tour and time to say good bye to our dear Lorrain and all the tour members and wish everybody a bon voyage back home.
After Breakfast and farewells , we left our Hotel and moved to Windsor and spent 2 nights there visiting the town and also Windsor Castle.
It is always sad that great moments and trips are coming to an end and we had to say good bye to Beautiful Great Britain but we both had missed our son and our Kitty cat and family and home were ready to be back.