London (part 2)

Day Three

After satisfactory breakfast at the hotel, my colleague and I headed to our first sight of the day: St. Paul's Cathedral.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Dating back to the 17th century, St. Paul's Cathedral is one of the most famous and recognizable sights in London. Rising up to 108-meters to the cross at its summit, this church is the tallest in London and second largest in whole UK (left photo below). The cathedral is built of Portland stone in late Renaissance Baroque style (right photo below).



Probably is the iconic ident of Thames Television that left me with great impression of this church, especially its impressive dome (left photo below). Inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, it is one of the largest Cathedral domes in the world, with a height of 111.3-meters tall and weighs about 65,000-tonnes. The heavy dome is supported by 8 pillars.

Important services still held at St. Paul's, including the funerals of Lord Nelson, Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill, as well as Golden Jubilee and 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. At the forecourt of the cathedral stands a statue of Queen Anne (right photo below) sculpted in 1886, which is a copy of an original made in 1712.



The nearest underground to the cathedral is St Paul's station. The cathedral is open for sightseeing at £ 14.50 per adult from 0830 to 1700 hours (Monday to Saturday), and do note that last admission at 1600 hours.

Paternoster Square

Located next to St. Paul's Cathedral, it houses London Stock Exchange and several other investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.

The main monument in the square is the 23-meters tall Paternoster Square Column (left photo below). It is a Corinthian column of Portland stone topped by a gold leaf covered flaming copper urn, which is often referred as pineapple by locals.

The only surviving gateway into the City of London, the Temple Bar (right photo below) marks the boundary between liberties of London and City of Westminister. It was erected in 1672 at the behest of King Charles II to replace a previous timber structure which had survived in the Great Fire of London but was falling into disrepair. The Temple Bar was renovated and moved to its present location - Paternoster Square on 10 November 2004.



Tooley Street

Took the underground to London Bridge station and walked towards the direction of London Bridge. However to our disappointment, the London Bridge is not the one that we wanted to see. Perhaps it's the nursery rhyme 'London Bridge is falling down' that misled us to believe that it is the "Tower Bridge". We realized that the actual Tower Bridge we know is the next bridge downstream, thus we had to walk along Tooley Street towards it.

Along the street, I noticed that The London Dungeon (left photo below) is located there. This is a place featuring the various tortures from the Medieval Age with live actors, shows, rides and interactive special effects. Perhaps this is a place for visitors with a strong and young heart. The dungeon is located at No. 28 – 34 of Tooley Street.

For visitors who like World War II history, then the Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience (right photo below) will be an interesting place to visit. This museum creates the London Blitz in all its fury with special effects highlighting the sites and sounds, the artifacts, and even the dust and smoke of an air raid. The museum is located at No. 64 – 66 of Tooley Street. Opening hours daily from 1000 to 1700 hours (Apr to Oct) or 1000 to 1630 hours (Nov to Mar), and last admission is an hour before closing.



Tower Bridge

Finally we reached the famous Tower Bridge (left photo below), which has become an iconic symbol of London. Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge (right photo below) in London over the Thames River. As it is close to the Tower of London, thus it gives its name.



The bridge is 244-meters in length with two towers each 65-meters high, built on piers. The central span of 61-meters between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimize the force required and allow rising in five minutes. The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 82-meter long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments (left photo below) and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways (right photo below). The pedestrian walkways are 44-meters above the river at high tide.



Following is a video taken when the bridge is closing its bascules, which took less than one-minute.

The nearest underground is the London Bridge or the Tower Hill station with about 10-mins walk from either station. For visitor who likes to learn more about the history of Tower Bridge, do visit the Tower Bridge Exhibition. The exhibition cost £ 8 per adult and opening hours from 1000 to 1730 hours (Apr to Sep) or 0930 to 1700 hours (Oct to Mar). Last admission is an hour before closing.

Other sights along Thames River

The HMS Belfast museum ship (left photo below) is a retired battleship that permanently stationed at Thames River. First opened to public in 1971, this museum allows visitors to understand the rich history and technology of British Royal Navy. Admission applies to visit this museum. Opening hours daily from 1000 to 1700 hours (Nov to Feb) or 1000 to 1800 hours (Mar to Oct). Do note that last admission is an hour before closing.

Another interesting building is the City Hall for the headquarters of Greater London Authority (right photo below), located near to the Tower Bridge. This modern building has an unique bulbous shape with aim to improve energy efficiency. However it is often referred as a misshapen egg, woodlouse, motorcycle's helmet and even "glass testicles" by London's former mayor. Parts of the City Hall are open for public visit; do click on the link above to find out more.



Tower of London

Also known as Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, the Tower of London is a historic castle located at the North Bank of Thames River. 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 of London was listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 1988.

The Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions (left photo below) and it speaks for itself from the queue outside the ticket office (right photo below).



The Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and moat (photos below). Founded in 1066 due to the Norman Conquest of England, the White Tower in the middle of the fortress was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However it was used a prison from 1100, with the peak period at the 16th and 17th centuries. In the First and Second World Wars, the Tower was again used as a prison, and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage. After the wars, damage caused during the Blitz was repaired and the castle reopened to the public.



One of the highlights of the Tower includes the Yeoman Warder Tour, Prisoner's Exhibition (left photo below), Medieval Palace and of course the Crown Jewels exhibition (right photo below).



As it was a packed itinerary for the day, I had to give this famous tower a miss.

Nearest underground to the Tower is the Tower Hill station. Opening hours from Mar to Oct is 0900 to 1800 hours (Tue to Sat) or 1000 to 1800 hours (Sun to Mon), or from Nov to Feb is 0900 to 1700 hours (Tue to Sat) or 1000 to 1700 hours (Sun to Mon).

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the London home and primary residence of the British monarch. Located in London, this palace is the building for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focus for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

Admiralty Arch

This was the first building we saw before reaching the palace. It is a large office building that incorporates the archway providing access to the Mall. The building was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria. A Latin inscription along the top reads:


: ANNO : DECIMO : EDWARDI : SEPTIMI : REGIS :
: VICTORIÆ : REGINÆ : CIVES : GRATISSIMI : MDCCCCX :
which means: "In the tenth year of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria, from most grateful citizens, 1910".

The building has almost the same façade both front (left photo below) and rear (right photo below).

The Mall

It is actually an approximately 1-km road that runs from the Admiralty Arch to the Buckingham Palace. The color of the Mall is red which gives the effect of giant red carpet leading towards the Palace.

Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial is a sculpture located at the centre of Queen's Gardens in front of Buckingham Palace. This memorial is dedicated to Queen Victoria and completed in 1911. Standing at 25-meters all, it has a glided Winged Victory sculpture on top (left photo below), and a large statue of Queen Victoria facing towards The Mall (right photo below).



At the four corners of the monument are massive bronze figures with lions, representing Progress - a nude youth holding a flaming torch (left photo below), Peace - a female figure holding an olive branch (right photo below), Agriculture - a woman in peasant dress with a sickle and a sheaf of corn and Manufacture - a blacksmith in modern costume with a hammer and a scroll. These bronze figures were given by the people of New Zealand.

Palace Building

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building was built for Duke of Buckingham in 1705 and has been privately owned for at least 150 years until King George III acquired it in 1761. The Buckingham Palace (left photo below) finally becomes the official royal palace with the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837. Since then it has become a royal residence. In recent years, the balcony (right photo below) at the front façade was used by the Royal Family to acknowledge the crowd during momentous occasions, such as the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.



The palace gates (left photo below) are beautifully decorated, especially with the Royal Emblem (right photo below) mounted on the gates.

Changing of Guards

Changing of Guards occurs daily from Apr to July at 1130 hours, or alternating days for the rest of the year at 1100 hours when weather permitting. Both Old (handing-over) and New (taking-over) Changing Guards would carry standard percussions and brass instruments (photos below).

The Palace can be reached by alighting at the Charing Cross station and with about 10-mins walk towards the Admiralty Arch. Although other stations seem nearer on the map, we didn't take the risk but took the "grand" route of entering via the Arch. The interior of the Palace is open for public visit and it cost £ 17 per adult.

Trafalgar Square

This square is a popular public area and many tourist attractions are located there. The square is used for political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration of New Year's Eve.

In the middle of the square stands the Nelson's column (left photo below). This column is built in 1843 to commemorate Admiral Nelson, who died in 1805. The four bronze lions located on the base of the column were added in 1867.

The National Gallery (right photo below) is located at the Northern side of Trafalgar Square. Founded in 1824, this museum houses a collection of over 2,300 Western European paintings dating from mid-13th century to 1900. The Museum opens daily from 1000 to 1800 hours, with extension till 2100 hours on Friday.



The nearest underground to the square is Charing Cross station.

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum (photos below) houses some 70 million items within five main collections: Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, Paleontology and Zoology.



The Geology gallery is situated at the upper floor of the building and interestingly saw an Earth model (left photo below) built through the escalator. The reason for this design is many visitors are reluctant to visit due to its location, thus this rotating model was added in 1996 to 'pull' visitors up to the gallery. Another pulling factor is the exhibits consist of many interactive models with computer-enhanced exhibitions (right photo below) to attract young children.



Many animal specimens (photos below) can be seen within this museum of excellent restoration techniques.





The museum is particularly famous for its exhibition for dinosaur skeletons (left photo below), for example the large Diplodocus cast (right photo below) that dominates the vaulted central hall. Also not to forget the fossils that played an important discovery in Paleontology, such as the famous Archaeopteryx lithographica (bottom left photo) and fossilized primitive fishes (bottom right photo).





Besides the "dead" skeletons, the museum also incorporates animatronic dinosaur models (photos below) in the dinosaur area to attract more crowds.



Here's one video to illustrate how popular this T-Rex in this museum is based on the background noise:

The mineral hall (left photo below) located on the top floor contains many important rare and precious gems collected by the museum over the years. Known as the pride of the collection, the three emeralds (right photo below) are the best among all gems from Columbia and Russia.



The Large Mammal Hall is another popular hall with the famous model of a 28.3-meter Blue Whale (left photo below). Specimen of dolphins and elephants (right photo below) can also be found inside this large hall. Due to the exhibition space, large hoofed mammals are on open exhibit, while smaller hoofed mammals can be found inside the glass panel (bottom photos).





Another interesting gallery is the 'Spirit Collections' of Darwin Center where tens of million of preserved specimens are kept in alcohol and partially displayed (photos below).





Souvenir-hunters definitely won't be disappointed by its large souvenir store (left photo below) selling from books, toys to documentaries. As the museum is run on publicly collected funds, therefore many donations boxes (right photo below) can be found inside the museum foyer.



Personally felt that the Museum was huge but rather disorganized with many exhibits scattered in various locations, and many of the specimen were displayed individually instead in a diorama. Perhaps it's due to long history of the museum.

The Natural History Museum can be reached from South Kensington station. Admission is free and the opening hour is daily from 1000 to 1750 hours with last admission at 1730 hours.

Buildings along River Thames

We took the underground and alighted at Westminster station. Once we walked out of the station exit, the London Eye (left photo below) can be spotted across the Thames River. Another attraction in proximity is the Sea Life London Aquarium (right photo below) located at the ground floor of the County Hall.



Palace of Westminster

Also known as the Houses of Parliament, it is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It is located at the north banks of Thames River and close to the Westminster Abbey (photos below).



Properly the most famous clock tower in world is this 'Big Ben' (photos below). It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. In May 2009, it celebrated its 150th anniversary. The four clock dials are 55-metres above ground and its interior volume of the tower is 4,650 cubic meters.



The Victoria Tower is the most conspicuous feature of the New Palace of Westminster design. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest secular building in the world (photos below).

The Palace of Westminster, together with Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church are listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Westminster Abbey

The Westminster Abbey, also known as 'Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster', stands just west of the Houses of Parliament (photos below).



The Westminster Abbey is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for British Monarch. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs and a burial site for 18 English, Scottish, and British monarchs. At least 16 royal weddings have taken place at the abbey since 1100. On 6 September 1997 the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, was held at the Abbey.

In 1987, the Westminster Abbey, together with Palace of Westminster and St Margaret's Church are listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its historic and symbolic significance.

The façade of the North Entrance of Westminster Abbey is impressive with the design of three porches and include the rose window and flying buttresses above it (left photo below). The central porch features an elaborately-carved tympanum (right photo below).


The interior of the Westminster Abbey is also exquisitely decorated based on a picture outside the abbey (left photo below). As it was summer during my visit, many locals were relaxing on the grass patches outside the abbey (right photo below).



Entrance to the Abbey cost £ 16 per adult. Opening hours is 0930 to 1630 hours (Mon to Fri) and 0930 to 1430 hours (Sat) but closes on Sundays and ceremonial events.

Dinner at Chinatown

Went to Chinatown for the second time to have our dinner, and this time we patronized this HK Diner (left photo below). Ordered a Singapore Bee Hoon (right photo below) at £ 5.50 and a milk tea at £ 3.30. Taste was good to me especially in Europe compared what I can get in Switzerland.



After dinner, my colleague and I went to Paddington Area for some souvenir-hunting before heading back to the hotel.