The Traveller's Bones: Independence Day Abroad

Today was my first full day of sightseeing in London, but I must admit it felt very odd to be spending Independence Day in a foreign country. Never before have I spent July 4th away from my homeland; ironically, the first time I did so was in the country we won our independence from! While I did not find any stars & stripes or fireworks, I did manage to find Abraham Lincoln, which I took as a very good sign!

However, before I get to Lincoln, I need to start at the very beginning of my day. As I stated yesterday, I had paid for a hop on, hop off two-day bus tour of London with Golden Tours. I left my flat early this morning, wanting to roam a little before meeting my bus near the Globe. After taking the Tube to the London Bridge station, I walked across the bridge to snap a few shots of Tower Bridge. Lovely weather made for some good early morning photos.

I then walked through the Borough Market, where you can buy any kind of food imaginable, strolled along the banks of the Thames, and finally caught a glimpse of my entire reason for being in London: the Globe Theatre! Oh, I forgot to mention that on my way to the Globe, I saw a dead body hanging over the street; no biggie.

Moving on from the Globe, I wandered around the area and managed to find the apartments I will be staying in after my sightseeing week is over and I have to get down to work. I must say that I'm excited about the location of the Bankside House! After my rambling, I met my bus and began a full day of hopping on and off.

Taken from the top of my tour bus

The London Eye!

Catching a glimpse of Big Ben for the first time was amazing! I alighted from the bus to get a closer look at the clock tower and explore the statues near Parliament. While perusing the statues, I found Honest Abe, accompanied by Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Winston Churchill. After taking several pictures of and with Big Ben, I moved on to a wonderful tour of Westminster Abbey.

I could probably write a novel about all the information I gathered at Westminster Abbey. Suffice it to say, it was a tad overwhelming. I have been in cathedrals in Spain, but there was something special about Westminster. Even though it just happened this morning, the events of my tour already seem almost dreamlike: viewing the tombs of Elizabeth I and the other early monarchs of England; seeing the Coronation Chair which has been used for every monarch since 1308; standing where Will and Kate exchanged their vows in 2011. For me, though, the crowning moment of the tour was Poets' Corner. Chaucher, Tennyson, Dickens, Spenser, Samuel Johnson: I saw them all today. As someone who has loved literature my entire life, this was an unforgettable experience. However, the most poignant moment happened as I stood at Robert Browning's grave. Who would have thought that this girl from tiny Pippa Passes would one day stand at the grave of the man who inspired the co-founders of Alice Lloyd College to give our city such an outlandish name? It was one of those full-circle moments which can hit you hard when you least expect it. I wish I could have taken pictures of all the tombs, stones, and memorials, but photography was not allowed in the Abbey. However, I got a pretty good picture from outside the building.

After hopping back on the bus, I made a quick stop at Hard Rock London to pick up a shirt. I already have one from Madrid, and, hopefully, I will pick up one from Paris later this week. After making my purchase, I rode to Buckingham Palace. While not open to the public at the moment, I was able to get some good pictures outside, including some interesting shots of the tribute statue of Victoria.

The sun and clouds made the angel look very "divine."

The angel is actually VERY gold!

Moving from Buckingham Palace, I did a whirlwind tour of the Tower of London. Once again, there was a lot to take in, but it was an amazing experience. The Crown Jewels were absolutely stunning! Too bad no pictures were allowed!

As you can see, this has been a very busy day! I'm going to close this blog with a few other photos I took around town. Enjoy them, and be ready for another installment tomorrow!

Long days and pleasant nights!

**Good night, Mrs. Hall, wherever you are!**