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London, England Destination Unknown
Milk!
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F
Right outside the Westminster Underground station was a tiny supermarket, Tesco Express. Tesco is all over London and they seem to be a very popular chain of supermarkets. I went inside and got some milk to drink. I haven't had any milk to drink since we've left America and I was really missing it.
I was surprised that the portions of milk, and basically everything Tesco sells, was very tiny. Buying a gallon of milk here, or the metric equivalent seems to be unheard of. The biggest size container of milk that I saw in stores was a little less than a quart. Strangely, all the milk is sold in what looks exactly like a gallon container but it's shrunk way down. I feel like I'm a giant holding a jug of milk there!
Even though it was small, it was so good to be drinking milk again. It's one of my favorite foods and so delicious to me.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
A Stroll on Downing Street
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
I'm not sure why our tour guide had us meet at Westminster Station because it was quite a walk to get to the first thing she wanted to show us. I'm guessing that Westminster looks more impressive with Big Ben right there and it's a place that everyone could find easily.
This is Downing Street, where most of London's government buildings are located. Their prime minister lives here too, at 10 Downing Street. Their home was pointed out to us as we walked past but we didn't stop. I would have liked to take a look at it but I'm guessing that the tour guide thought that she should only show us Harry Potter related sites, since this was a Harry Potter tour. I wouldn't have minded if she mixed things up a little, especially when we are going right past these places anyway.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Great Scotland Yard
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
Our first real stop on the tour was Scotland Yard, headquarters to the world famous police force of England. Apparently, the Scotland Yard building was used as the Ministry of Magic building in the Harry Potter movies.
Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the territorial police force responsible for policing most of London.
The name derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became the public entrance to the police station, and over time the street and the Metropolitan Police became synonymous. The New York Times wrote in 1964 that just as Wall Street gave its name to New York's financial district, Scotland Yard became the name for police activity in London.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
At the Ministry of Magic
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
This was right across from Scotland Yard. In one of the Harry Potter films, there was an important scene of Ron Weasley peeking around a corner before they sneak into the Ministry of Magic. This is the actual corner that he peeked around. I should watch the movies again, because I honestly don't remember this scene at all. It must have been memorable though because some of the people on the tour with us were taking pictures of themselves peeking around this corner, reenacting the scene from the film.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Over the Rooftops
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
Looking up, I'm very surprised to see how run down and old fashioned the building housing Scotland Yard is. I can easily see why this building was used as the headquarters for the Ministry of Magic. It's got the same style of architecture that's been in all of the Harry Potter movies. It's just a bit strange looking for a British government building. Perhaps Scotland Yard has moved somewhere else and this is just the old location? I'll need to do some research about this.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Where is Everyone?
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
I’m puzzled as to why the center of all police business in England looks so deserted and empty. Is there another, newer, Scotland Yard somewhere else in the city?
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London, England Destination Unknown
The Red Bus
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
After our brief stop at Scotland Yard, we were off walking again. Like last night, this tour guide also walked very, very fast. I wish that we could have just rode on this bus that we past.
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London, England Destination Unknown
Fares? Fares?
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
I really like these red British double decker buses. I'm hoping to ride one at least once before we leave.
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London, England Destination Unknown
Trafalgar Square
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
Trafalgar Square was the next stop on the tour. Not only were several scenes from the movies shot here but it was also the site of the London premier of some of the Harry Potter movies. It had one of the longest red carpets ever and it stretched all around Trafalgar Square and then down the street to the theater. I can only imagine what the crowds were like for those events!Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Lions
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
Several of these big lion statues are sitting in Trafalgar Square. We learned that these statues were actually modeled after dogs since the artist didn't have any lions available for reference. A big problem, that people didn't discover until later is that, while dogs are able to sit like this, it's impossible for a lion to do it due to their anatomy. Rather then get rid of the statues, they just kept them as-is and they still sit there, incorrectly, today.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Nelson’s Victory
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
The centerpiece of Trafalgar Square is Nelson's Column, which was built to honor Admiral Horatio Nelson, who led the British to Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson's Column is 169 ft 3 Inches tall.
Although the rain has stopped, that sky still looks quite threatening but, from what I understand, this is the usual weather that people expect in England.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Mermen
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F
The two fountains in Trafalgar Square in London commemorate Admirals Jellycoe and Beatty, and include elaborate sculptures of mermaids, mermen, tritons and dolphins. The sculptures were created by William McMillan and Sir Charles Wheeler for the fountains designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
The fountains were originally created in 1845, but without the sculptures. At the time the fountains were intended to simply take up space in Trafalgar Square, so that there would be less space available for demonstrators and rioters.
In 1935 plans were approved by parliament to add memorials to these fountains, and also these sea-creature sculptures by McMillan and Wheeler. The bronze statues were completed in 1939, but due to the war all work on Trafalgar Square was suspended at that time.
Work on this did not resume until after the war in 1947. The finished memorials and the fountains were unveiled in October of 1948.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Cramped Quarters
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Trafalgar Square is home to, what I'm told, is the world's smallest police station. This place looks so small and cramped. I'd feel so claustrophobic having to be stationed here. It would be like trying to work inside a closet! Does the police officer even have enough room to turn around in there?Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Mixed Signals
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
The crossing signals in Trafalgar Square are all like this, with the symbols for men, women and everything else in between. No two are alike although they are the traditional red and green lights. They look strange. I'm not even sure what this particular symbol is supposed to mean. Strange!Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Walking in London
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Walking is a great way to stay healthy, see the city and it's probably quicker than you think. Walking is a great way to get around London. It's free, healthy and green.
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London, England Destination Unknown
The Palace Theatre
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
The next place we went was the Palace Theatre. This is where they are showing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, currently London's hottest theater ticket. I'd love to see this play but right now the tickets are impossible to get. Hopefully, one day, the show will come to Broadway and I can see it here in New York.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
A Closer Look
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
This theater looks so beautiful! It must be such an experience to see a show here. I wish I could see the inside of this place. It must be breathtaking!
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London, England Destination Unknown
Palace Theatre Details
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Here's a bit of the details of the Palace Theatre. I've always been a big fan of stained glass but I usually only see this art form in churches and cathedrals, not theatres. This place is fantastic! Seeing a show here would be such an event!Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
The Cursed Child
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Here's a closer look at the display over the theater marquee. Something about this looks disturbing to me. I haven't read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child yet but, somehow, I don't think that this show is going to be a happy story.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
The Mousetrap
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Not all of the theaters in London are as elaborate as the Palace Theatre. St. Martin’s Theater, despite looking somewhat plain, has been playing The Mousetrap for 64 years. I’d like to see that show. It must be very good to have lasted so long.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Cecil Court
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Our next stop was Cecil Court. This is a pedestrian street with Victorian shop-frontages in Westminster, linking Charing Cross Road and St Martin's Lane. Since the 1930s, it has been known as the new Booksellers' Row.Read more
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London, England Destination Unknown
Daigon Alley?
November 9, 2016 in England ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
Cecil Court is lined with some wonderful and curious old shops that sell antiques, antiquarian books and other things. It's widely believed that it was Cecil Court - which is "just off Charing Cross Road" - that provided the inspiration for Diagon Alley. This was a nice stop on the Harry Potter tour.Read more
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Trip end
November 14, 2016