I had an amazing but bittersweet last day in London, as I am so thankful for my experience but am sad to leave such a wonderful city. Today we rode the tube to South Kensington and visited the Natural History Museum, which is another mammoth, statuesque structure. It is sometimes known as the cathedral of nature and is famous for its exhibition of dinosaur skeletons.

Natural History Museum (outside)

Natural History Museum (inside)

We saw an impressive, realistic model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that moved its body and roared. Poor T-Rex with its disproportionately tiny arms. According to a blurb I read at the museum, if the dinosaur ever tripped, the fall would most likely be fatal because its inadequate arms could not lessen the impact.

T-Rex and its itty bitty arms

Next we walked over to The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the largest museum of decorative art and design in the world. It contains over 4.5 million objects, transcending all cultures and spanning throughout thousands of years of history. The museum was originally named the South Kensington Museum and has been at its present location since 1857. In 1899, Queen Victoria expanded the main entrance of the museum and it was renamed The Victoria and Albert Museum to honor and memorialize her late husband, Albert.

Queen Victoria ruled England for sixty-three years and seven months, the longest reign of any monarch in British history and of any female monarch in world history. Her great-great granddaughter is the current Queen, Elizabeth II, who now has the second longest reign in British history at sixty years.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Queen Victoria, reigned from 1837-1901

Inside the V&A Museum

Once inside the museum, we viewed the Medieval, Renaissance, Rococo, and British galleries and walked through the Ballgowns Exhibition (Click here: Ballgowns Exhibition).

Medieval & Renaissance Galleries

Music room in the British Gallery

There was also an activity that allowed you to design your own coat of arms. Here is mine:

My coat of arms, "Peace and Plenty"

After touring the museums, we met up with Caitlin's boyfriend Kevin at a pub near my hotel where we ate and relaxed for a couple of hours. I was sad to say goodbye to Cait but we had such a great time this week, it's not an experience I'll forget.

There are many things I will miss about London. I will miss the extravagant architecture and how you can walk past buildings that were constructed over a thousand years ago; how you are in the presence of King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Charles Darwin, Sir Christopher Wren and countless other influential figures; how people spill out of pubs to enjoy beers on the streets with friends on every night of the week; how you can step into a sea of Londoners and hear hundreds of different languages and accents; how everyone takes a short respite from their hectic daily lives between 2:00 and 5:00 pm each day for afternoon tea; how waiters and waitresses let you sit at a table hours after you've finished eating and don't bring you the check until you ask for it; how history is embedded into every aspect of the city, and how important tradition is in the sense that people still engage in customs and practices not necessarily because it makes sense but because that's how it's been done for thousands of years.

I figured I'd conclude my blog with a quote, because usually someone else said it better. Thanks to all who read my blog throughout the week. I hope you enjoyed it!

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
-Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784

I took a sight-seeing hiatus today and spent the afternoon briefly walking around the city and relaxing in two of the grassy squares near my hotel (first Bloomsbury Square and then Russell Square). It was nice occupying my day with ordinary activities (sitting in a coffee shop, reading outside, etc.), because it made me feel like less of a tourist and more of a Londoner.

For being the most populous city in the European Union with over seven million residents, London has an impressive number of grassy squares and parks. In fact, London is taking strides to clench the title of world's greenest city by the end of 2012. Berkeley Square, Russell Square, St. James's Square, Bloomsbury Square, and Green Park are a few examples of grassy areas in London. These "green lungs" of London are constantly filled with people reading, playing soccer, listening to music, chatting, or simply taking a brief respite from busy life. Generally speaking, people will occupy any grassy area they can find.

Grassy patch in front of the British Museum

Bloomsbury Square

Russell Square

Speaking of green, London has bicycles available all over city for anyone to use. When you "check out" a bike, the first thirty minutes of use are free and any additional time costs a fee. You can return the bike to any one of the bike rack stations around the city. This is one of the solutions to reducing congestion during the Olympic Games. 

Go Green

Since I don't have much to report today, I figured I could conclude this post with a hodgepodge of pictures and information that I was unable to integrate into my other posts. I apologize for the randomness that is about to ensue.

The day we went to St. Paul's Cathedral and the Globe Theatre, I caught a glimpse of The Shard - a skyscraper currently under construction that, upon completion, will be the tallest building in the European Union. It will contain offices, an observatory, restaurants, a spa, and residential apartments. You can easily see The Shard from the Tower of London, and it was interesting to see the stark contrast between these two structures - the former, a modern glass skyscraper to be completed in 2013, and the latter, a castle-like fortress founded almost one thousand years ago. 

View of The Shard from within the Tower of London

The Shard

While we were inside the Tower of London, I noticed a cage of large ravens (and I mean large - apparently they are fed raw meat). According to legend, Charles II decided to rid the Tower of London of ravens (who were most likely attracted by the smell of corpses). However, a soothsayer said, "If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it." As a result, Charles II not only changed his mind, but decreed that six ravens must be kept in the Tower of London at all times. Today, seven ravens (an extra is kept just to be safe) call the Tower of London their home.

Ravens guarding the Tower of London

When we were near the Tower Bridge, I caught a glimpse of the Mayor of London's office and residence. Although at first glance, I wasn't sure if it was the mayor's residence or Spongebob's pineapple residence. 

The Mayor's office and house

Throughout our travels, we passed the St. Pancras (or as some people erroneously say, Pancreas) Renaissance London Hotel next to the St. Pancras railway station. It was originally called the Midland Grand Hotel, which closed in 1935. The building was subsequently used as railway offices until 2011 when it reverted back to a hotel. Not surprisingly, it looks more like a castle than a hotel. 

St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel

St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel

As I've mentioned before, I love the incredible amount of history in London. If you look closely at some of the buildings, there is often a small blue circle with the name of a famous person who once inhabited the residence. 

While in London, I also learned that striped lamp posts signify an area where you can cross the street and cars/bicycles must stop to yield to pedestrians. However, I would not recommend blindly crossing the street since these lamp posts don't mean you still can't get hit by a mode of transportation. 

That's all for today. Only one more full day in London before I have to get back to the U.S. I am sure going to miss this city. 

Today we went to the British Library to view the exhibit, "Writing Britain: Wastelands to Wonderlands." It featured over 150 literary works and demonstrated how Britain's physical landscape influenced English literature from past to present. We saw the manuscript of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (written at the end of the 14th century!), Lewis Carroll's first handwritten version of Alice In Wonderland (originally called Alice's Adventures Under Ground), J.K. Rowling's manuscript of Harry Potter, letters written by Charlotte Bronte and William Wordsworth, and much more. (For the complete list, click here: Literary Works). 

The British Library

We then went to King's Cross Station to catch the Hogwarts Express. Ok, ok we went to catch the tube. But all of you Harry Potter fans know that King's Cross Station is where students go to board the train to Hogwarts at Platform 9 3/4.

Headed to Hogwarts, no big deal

Next, we visited the Tower of London, which was less of a tower and more of a castle than I had originally envisioned. It was both a beautiful and imposing structure that I learned is less commonly called "Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress," which better aligns with its appearance. The more common name, the Tower of London, is derived from the White Tower, one of the central towers within the structure.

The White Tower, circa 1080

The Tower of London

The Tower of London was originally encompassed by a moat, which was eventually replaced with grass when the stench of the water became unbearable.

The grassy area was formerly a moat

Once inside the fortress we went to view the Crown Jewels, which have been stored in the Tower of London since 1303 and are still used for various royal ceremonies. In fact, one of the rings was missing and was replaced with an "In Use" sign - most likely for the Queen's upcoming Diamond Jubilee. We saw the Anointing Spoon (from the 12th century - the oldest piece of regalia still used in the Coronation Ceremony), the Sovereign's Orb and Scepter, the Imperial State Crown, the Koh-i-Noor diamond, large gold dishes, several swords, and much more (see Crown Jewels). 

The Crown Jewels are protected by armed guards, who stand outside the tower in which the jewels are housed.  I really cannot fathom how the guards stand there all day with ramrod-straight posture. Clearly, they were not former swimmers (swimmers have notoriously bad posture). I'd be slumped over after about ten minutes. That would be a quick job interview. Interviewer: "Can you stand up straight?" Me: "Nope."

The Crown Jewels are housed in here

Guarding the Crown Jewels

Next, we entered the "Fit for a King" exhibit, which displays arms and armor that English kings used and wore. We saw armor worn by King Henry VIII and his son King Edward VI, King Charles I, King James I, and many others. The picture below depicts the armor of King Henry VIII. Look closely and you will see "HK" in gold letters along the bottom of his armor. This stood for Henry and Katharine of Aragon, his first wife. I wonder if he needed to continuously have new armor created with the initials of his second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth wives.

Last, we entered The Bloody Tower, an eerie place where people were imprisoned and sometimes tortured and killed. 

King Henry VIII's armor

Right near the Tower of London is the Tower Bridge, a brightly-colored, ornate bridge suspended over The River Thames. I could not get over how beautiful it was!

The Tower Bridge

Overall, it was another great day in London. Oh, and I finally ate one of London's staple meals: fish and chips. Delicious. 

I feel like all of my mornings begin with some adventure at the YMCA. I was confused when I walked in today because the lane I normally swim in was divided into two lanes (the lanes in this pool are double the width of the lanes in American pools). A woman approached me and explained that three lanes were reserved for the masters team's swim practice and asked if I'd like to join. Since today was my rest day, all I had on my swim agenda was to do about 1,500 meters so I decided to swim two warmup sets with them (and make new friends, of course). Before I jumped into the water, a guy in my lane pointed to another young guy who was already swimming and said half-jokingly, "Can you please beat him if you're able? He is fast, but he knows he's good." Geez! Three days in London and I'm already getting in the middle of the London masters team's business! I swam with them for about forty-five minutes and I have to admit, the guy's "front crawl" was pretty good. As I was getting out to leave, one of the women in the group hopped out of the water and told me when the rest of their practices were this week and asked me if I wanted to join the masters team. I told her I would love to if it was plausible, but since I live in the United States, it probably wouldn't work out. She said if I'm ever in London again to make sure I swim with them. I'm actually going to miss some of the people at the YMCA when it comes time to leave!

Today, Caitlin and I went on one of the many walks London offers (really, it's amazing how many they offer. They even have a Harry Potter walk! Check them out here: London Walks). We chose "Shakespeare's and Dickens's London - The Old City," which was fantastic. We toured the city for over two hours and visited historical buildings and landmarks that were present when William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens roamed the very same streets we walked today. Our tour guide, Dave, was an American who moved to London forty years ago. He was enthusiastic, intelligent, (he has his Ph.D. in Dickens studies and was quoting both Shakespeare and Dickens from memory throughout the entire tour) passionate, and incredibly entertaining. Below is some of what we learned and saw today:

You can usually deduce the age of a window in London by simply looking at it. The window on the right is in line with the wall of the building, whereas the window on the left is set back a couple of inches from the brick. Typically, windows like the one on the right were constructed before 1709. The ones that are recessed back into the brick were built after 1709, once new building regulations were enacted after the Great Fire of London. In the event of a fire, only the narrow wooden ledge is exposed to the flames with a recessed window, as opposed to the entire wooden frame of the flushed window.  

Left: post-1709 window. Right: pre-1709 window.

One of the best parts of the tour was when we arrived at the house Charles Dickens referenced in his novel, Martin Chuzzlewit. At this point, our guide pulled out his Kindle and read us excerpts of the book, detailing the very house we were viewing. It was amazing to be able to see the structures Charles Dickens was describing in his novel. I felt like we suddenly transcended the limits of time, and it was a strange feeling to think of both of us staring at the same building, separated by 150 or so years. 

"The room in which he had shut himself up, was on the ground floor, at the back of the house. It was lighted by a dirty skylight, and had a door in the wall, opening into a narrow covered passage or blind-alley, very little frequented after five or six o'clock in the evening, and not in much use as a thoroughfare at any hour. But it had an outlet in a neighbouring street." 

In the picture below, you can see the alley he references. There is a small door on the right side of the wall. Our tour guide said one time he was reading this excerpt aloud and was startled by a man who walked out of the side door. Our tour guide didn't miss a beat and asked, "Do you have a dirty skylight in your house?" to which the man replied, "Why, yes I do!"

Building and alley referenced in Martin Chuzzlewit

We also visited St. Lawrence Church on our tour. It was originally built in the 1100's, but was destroyed in the fire and was rebuilt by none other than Sir Christopher Wren. On the top of the church is what appears to be a weather vane of some sort. Our guide informed us the structure that sits atop the church is actually a gridiron, which is now the symbol of St. Lawrence. The greedy Prefect of Rome asked St. Lawrence to bring him all of the Church's treasure. St. Lawrence brought the Prefect all of the poor and sick people and proclaimed that these were the Church's treasure. Disturbingly, the angry Prefect condemned St. Lawrence to death by cooking him on an iron grill. 

St. Lawrence Church 

The Gridiron

Below are more snapshots of some of the sites we visited. 

Entrance to the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great

Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, founded in 1123

Believe it or not, this building in London's financial district used to border the arena where Roman gladiators competed. In fact, all of the streets in this area start off straight and then bend, because they were once bending around the arena. 

This is the London Wall, the first defensive wall built by the Romans in Londinium. It is believed to have been constructed in around AD 200!

The building no longer exists, but this is the plot of land where William Shakespeare lived. 

Shakespeare was here

Remember the scene from Mary Poppins where the homeless woman feeds the birds? These are the steps (in front of St. Paul's Cathedral) where this was filmed. 

Feed the birds

This morning during my swim practice, I got some reassurance and support from the lifeguard at the YMCA. He asked me if I was American and then asked if I was a professional swimmer. Because of his heavy accent, I first thought he asked me if I was a proficient swimmer so I was about to say "yes, I'd say so," but at the last minute decided to ask him to repeat his question. I am glad I did, because he probably would have started telling everyone that I was a professional American swimmer, which is clearly not true. In any case, he told me I was "doing brilliant." I love how everyone here uses the word brilliant and am trying to incorporate it into my vocabulary.

Anyway, today my swim practice involved using a parachute. For those of you who aren't swimmers, we sometimes do sets where we pull a parachute behind us in the water to increase the resistance. I felt it was necessary to forewarn my lane mate that I would have an odd-looking object dragging behind me as I swam. I was trying to prevent him from pushing off right after me and getting tangled in my chute. Wouldn't that be a mess. Anyway, he was very understanding and was intrigued by the parachute. Of course, right after I warned him, all of the other swimmers and the lifeguards wanted to view this weird object. I think I've made some friends at the YMCA.

Today was another beautiful day in London (26 degrees Celsius and sunny). Now that it's the weekend, London is especially bustling with life and I loved soaking in the energy of the city.

Put money on the flag of your home country

Sand castle building on the Thames

While we were walking, we passed Seven Dials, a road junction where seven roads converge.

Seven Dials 

Once we reached Trafalgar Square, we decided to go into the National Gallery. We walked through endless rooms of paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Raphael, Renoir, Seurat, Rembrandt, and many more. One of my favorite displays was William Hogarth's "Marriage a-la-mode" progress - a series of six paintings that chronicle the progression of an arranged marriage between the son of a bankrupt Earl and the daughter of a wealthy merchant. I won't go into too much detail here, but click here if you're interested: Marriage a-la-mode

The National Gallery

We then walked to St. Paul's Cathedral, which is one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen. The inside of the church was absolutely breathtaking, and I cannot adequately use words to justly describe what I saw today. Amazingly, the original church that was erected on this site dates back to AD 604. The church as it exists today was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who was tasked with redesigning the cathedral after the Great Fire of London in 1666. It only took me about thirty seconds inside the church to realize that Wren was a genius. The elaborate mosaics and designs on the ceiling and the domes in the center of the church were unbelievable. My neck started getting sore because I could not stop looking upward in awe. One of my favorite facts about the church: Wren made the distance from the ground to the top of the cross 365 feet, which is meant to represent the number of days in a year. Wren is buried in the church he brilliantly designed, but for some reason Caitlin and I had trouble finding his tomb in the crypt!

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral

After touring St. Paul's cathedral, we walked over to the Globe Theatre. We walked through the exhibit somewhat quickly because we were both starving by this time. It's hard to focus on the Globe with a hollow stomach!

The Globe Theatre

For dinner, we ate at The Wharf, which overlooks the Thames. The food was delicious and the view was incredible. We couldn't forgo dessert tonight. Caitlin got the chocolate cake and I got apple pie with a warm cup of mocha.

After dinner, we watched the sun set over the River Thames. As I watched the sun reflect off the side of Big Ben, I could not think of a better way to conclude the day.