Expensive England

We have had a couple of lazy days and need to start getting motivated again. Although it gets a bit depressing when the price of everything is so prohibitive.
I will give an indication in the equivalent of NZ dollars. For us to get to the city costs $5 each, each way. The 20 bed dorm averages $20 each / night and if you want to do any sights you are looking at $30 per person for most but the "exciting" ones like London tombs will set you back $46 / person. Just about the only thing you can do cheaply is eat, and then only if you cook yourself. Anyway, enough whinging better go make it worth while being here.
Here's some photos from the other day from around the tower bridge and the Tower of London.

Old London city wall.

I realy feel sorry for the families

Judging by the queue they must make a killing on entry fees.

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Beer and guns

At the supermarket you can even buy 4 packs of house brand beer. Less than 50c / can, no intention of finding out what it tastes like.

Possibly the coolest looking paintball gun ever!

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Windsor castle

Yesterday we went with Sharon's cousin Ngaire and her husband Paul to look around the Windsor area and Windsor castle. We started with a great pub lunch then a look outside the castle. The buildings are a lot bigger than we expected and at the same time the grounds are smaller. On one side there's not much more than a huge wall and a road between the castle and the local McDonald's, Starbucks etc.
Afterwards we went over to Eton college where prince's William and Harry went to school, a short 10 minute walk across the Thames.

The crooked house and the shortest street in the UK.

Eton college

Not Eton college but nearby.

What would this place cost to buy.

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The 0.000000 line

16-02-11
We went to walk through the under the Thames tunnel from the aisle of dogs to Greenwich but sadly its closed for renovations to the stairs. So we got back on the light rail to go across instead.
There is a good information building with models and interactive presentations. After a quick history on the area Greenwich area we proceeded toward the royal observatory on top of the hill. About half way up I got out my got and went looking for the 0.00000 longitude line. After finding what I thought was it we continued to the top of the hill to the observatory buildings. I started searching again and found the GPS reading 0 about 30 - 40 meters east of where it should be. Sharon also had a similar reading. I discussed the finding with one of the observatory workers and he informed us that it was due to the earth not being a perfect sphere and also the USA introduces a margin of error into it. So basically the GPS is reasonably accurate but due to fear and imperfections in the creation of the earth its not exact.
After the nerd episode with the GPS's we had a look through and saw the actual line and many clocks including the ones built to try to solve the problem of finding longitude at sea.

The 0 line

The red observatory ball which was dropped at (i think) 1pm so the boats in the harbour could set their clocks.

The gate clock and measure standards.

Part of the cutter head used for cutting the Thames rail tunnel.

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Natural History Museum 2

15-02-2011
We went back for the second day to explore further and go on the spirit tour. As the name hints at it has many specimens preserved in alcohol including a giant squid and many of Darwin's first of type specimens collected on the Beagle voyage. The tour guide was excellent and very patient with the 4 airheads that also came along, their sole mission was to see and get a photo with Archie the giant squid. We also went to a talk about flightless birds which was quite interesting.

Some museum shots

Shark skeleton.

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Natural History Museum

Yesterday afternoon we visited the natural history museum, the place where Nick Baker got his inspiration for the weird creatures show on the tv.
It is housed in a fantastic building which I think was purpose built a bit over 130 years ago to house the collections, now some 70 million specimens. We haven't seen them yet but they hold collections from the great Sloane, Wallace and Darwin.
The information on each specimen is good but I would like more detail, then again too much might be overwhelming for the average audience, school children, many of whom rush about madly with excitement taking photos on their mobile phone cameras.
Ok, a couple of photos then off to do more exploring.

A living fossil

Whale skeleton showing baleen plates

The inscription reads
" Freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds, which follows from the advance of science.
Charles Robert Darwin (1809 - 1882)"

Awesome spiral staircase in the underground metro station

Random train photo of the route

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Westminster Abbey

Yesterday we re-attempted to see the grave of Charles Darwin with whom my brother Anthony and I share our birthday.
Unfortunately we were too late for the sightseeing session, again, for which incidentally they want to extract £16 from you. Weather or not they would just let you visit the grave without paying I don't know, but, fortunately the afternoon choral service was about to start and is of course free to the faithful. So for my birthday as well as being able to visit the grave of the father of fact of evolution I was treated to some fantastic church chorus music in probably one of the most famous churches in the world. The sound was amazing inside the building the whole experience was quite medieval.
I had taken a picture of the grave but was asked to delete it, which I sadly did, but a miracle happened, by the power of the great lord God it was restored, I am sure it is a sign so I have reproduced it here for you to see.

Afterwards we met up with our friend Em who we met in Delhi and she showed us around a bit, then we went to a pie restaurant for dinner followed by an English beer in a 400 year old pub, the Lamb and Flag. Then a walk and another beer, so I guess it was a 2 beer pub crawl. Hmmm, must be getting old.

Also I can't believe it has been 12 months since leaving NIDS. So much has happened and still so far to go. I'm loving it being away, And at the same time I want to be home. Reminds me of a saying about cake and eating, hmm, eating. Ok time for lunch, ketch yourlye morla.


Westminster Abbey

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Seeing the sights

We started out on the bus this morning, its only £1.30 instead of the £2.50 each way for the tube and takes us to the city centre just the same except on the bus we get a better view along the way.
We walked from oxford st to the Thames passing many nice old buildings along the way, including the Australian high commission, then along the Thames to Westminster parliament building and Big Ben then around to Westminster Abbey before going back up to Chinatown for dinner.

London eye

Big Ben is bigger than it looks in the photos and I didn't realise its attached to the parliament building.

Iraq war protesters outside parliament, Westminster Abbey in the background.

Chinese all you can eat. The food was terrible and those of you who know me know I'm not fussy about eating. The beef and black bean should have been called chili beef, the vegetables should have been called cabbage in brine, the sweet and sour pork had a lot of fat and under cooked coating, the fried rice was barely fried, we didn't even bother to try the greasy chips. ** If you come to London Chinatown do not eat here, no matter how good the deal looks, you will regret it, possibly with the exception of "it don't have enough chili yet" Wilson, and then only if you stick to the black bean **

Final thought for the day. Singapore had a problem with chewing gum, maybe there is a solution to this mess that you see everywhere.

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Clearly this boat doesn't move far

Walking along the Thames.
Compare the plaque to the scene.

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Photos that didn't seem tu upload from the acropolis post a few days back.

Giant lego

Smallest church in the world

On top

The other building on top

The temple on the lower north slope

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