Tuesday Garden Party - Contrasting Views

For today's Garden Party, I thought I would contrast my own garden with a couple of the gardens we saw on vacation.

This is one of the gardens at Kensington Palace.  One of the Queen's many residences.

We fit in well, don't you think?

We also visited some of the beautiful gardens at Hampton Court Palace.  This is another of the Queen's official residences.

Some of the gardens were more relaxed - daffodils and crocuses everywhere.  Lovely.

Mostly, however, they were beautifully groomed and very precisely organized.

They have a lot of space, so can have gardens with quite different atmospheres.

That would be nice, don't you think?

They've even got the oldest and largest known grape vine in the world at Hampton Court Palace.

Overall, not bad I think.

Contrast my garden so far this year.

I've managed to remove the weeds from the beds, in preparation for planting.

I kept last year's tomatoes and a bunch of upcoming volunteers just in case the seedlings we planted never actually turn into plants.

The peas, hot peppers and strawberries are actually growing really well, so I don't want to do too much with them.

The same with the lemons and oranges.

Outside of that, not much progress.  The weather is starting to shape up, so I'm expecting a lot from this week.  ;-)

I love my garden.  And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want the upkeep of the gardens at the palaces.

But still, I think it is good to be the Queen.

Hoping to show some progress in the next week - you'll have to stop back to see if I  have!


In the meantime, check out An Oregon Cottage for her weekly Garden Party.

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"Secret" London - Not to Be Missed

Most people have a list of things they want to do when they visit a particular city. 

Today I'm taking a few of the top 10 or so places to see in London and giving you some "insider" information.

Certainly one of the most popular tourist spots in London is Westminster Abbey.  And rightly so.  The Abbey is incredibly rich in history, and a sight not to be missed.

St. Paul's Cathedral is also right up there in terms of history and architectural beauty.  And the views from the top are breathtaking!

If you happen to be visiting on a Sunday, get up early and go to the 8:00 AM services at Westminster or St. Paul's.  In fact, stay for two Sundays and go to both.

You'd think that those services would be crowded, but you'd be wrong.  At Westminster, we had 32 people, including the two ministers.

32 people!  And you are sitting amongst all of this history.   Right at the foot of Isaac Newton's tomb.  If you've seen "The DaVinci Code" you'd recognize it.  We snapped this shot from outside as you can't take pictures inside.

And St. Paul's was even more intimate.  18 people.  We sat in the quire, looking at the altar where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married.

And if you are at St. Paul's, make sure to take a walk across the Millenium Bridge to Tate Modern.

You'd don't have to actually go into Tate Modern.  It is free, but not worth even that much.  In my opinion.  I could be wrong.  But I'm probably not.

Anyway, walk across the bridge and turn around.  The view of St. Paul's from this side of the bridge is amazing!

Between St. Paul's and the Millenium Bridge you might want to stop at Knightrider Street (Kitt!  Come here - I need you!).  ;-)

A walk in Hyde Park is worth the time and effort.  And if you are there - be sure to visit Kensington Palace. That is where William and Katherine live.  And has beautiful gardens.  Have tea at The Orangery while you are there.  Delicious!

Just across the park is the Royal Albert Hall.  They give facility tours there  - very much worth your time.

And if you don't have children with you and can get there between 9:30 and 10:00 AM, take a little break at the Princess Diana Memorial Playground.

If you are visiting London you'll almost certainly go to the Tower of London.  The Tower is definitely not to be missed.

But right across the street, outside of Tower Hill underground station you will find the best-preserved remnant of the Roman wall which once formed part of the eastern defences of Roman Londinium. Built c. AD 200, the wall defined the shape and size of London for over a millennium.

You are likely to hear a lot about the War when you visit.  If you want to know more about it, visit the Imperial War Museum in South London.  Free, and definitely worth seeing.

You will probably see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  (If you have the time, head to Windsor to see the Changing of the Guard - it is the same ceremony, except you can actually see it up close).  While you are at Buckingham, take in the Mews.  The Royal Mews is where the Queen keeps her state cars and coaches, and where most of her horses spend most of their time.

Her beautiful Rolls Royce Phantom.

One of the beautiful state coaches.

And you can see the Royal horses.  

If you'd like some fabulous views, head to the top of Monument.

The Monument was built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London and to celebrate the rebuilding of the City. You can see at the top that it is surmounted by a drum and a copper urn from which flames emerge, symbolising the Great Fire. The Monument is 202 feet high - the exact distance between it and the site in Pudding Lane where the fire began.

It's not for the faint of heart, or those with a fear of heights (and I speak from experience here).  You've got to walk up to the top of this.

311 of these narrow spiral steps.  Inside a stone column.

Well worth the effort, once you get past the heights.  Well, once I did anyway.  Most people don't have my crazy issues.  You can ignore the death grip I have on the railing in the picture below. 

If you've got just a little extra time, these are all worth the effort.  

Hope you are enjoying my London memories.  I'm nearing the end of them for those who are tiring of vacation.  Tomorrow I've got some incredible gardens.  Hope to see you then!

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What We Saw At Southwark Cathedral - Way Off the Tourist Path

Early one morning we went to the south bank of the Thames to visit Southwark Cathedral.

It is believed there has been a church on the site of Southwark Cathedral since AD 606. There may well have been a church there even earlier. Southwark Cathedral is the oldest cathedral church building in London, and archaeological evidence shows there was Roman pagan worship there well before that.

This is a really beautiful cathedral.  

We were there early in the morning when no one else was there except the organist, who was practicing.  Definitely moving.

We also went to the cathedral after hours, had a bit of a private tour and got to see what was behind this rather disturbing figure displayed for the Easter season.  Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures.

The reason we went after the cathedral was closed was to see what was behind this door.

This door leads to the Bishop Fox Tower, where the cathedral bells are housed.  Here's a little about the bells from the cathedral's website:

The bells of Southwark Cathedral are rung regularly for the major services, and for other special occasions and practices by the Southwark Cathedral Society of Bellringers. The Society is very enthusiastic, and membership is strong and on the increase. As well as other social activities, the Society enters the annual National 12-bell Striking Competition, and in 2006 reached the final of that contest. 

 The heaviest bell, or "Tenor", at Southwark is in the top ten of the heaviest change-ringing bells in existence. It weighs in at 48cwt - that's nearly two and a half tons.
The weight of the bells, and the age of the installation make them fairly difficult to ring. However, the superb tone of the bells makes the effort very worthwhile, and Society members are justifiably proud of the bells.

Although there are records of bells in the Cathedral from the early 1400s, the present ring of 12 bells dates from 1735. They were one of the earliest complete sets of 12 bells to be commissioned. The massive wooden frame which holds the bells dates from the same time.
The English style of change-ringing for which the bells are designed, was itself only around one hundred years old at that time. Ringing on such high numbers of bells was a new phenomenon. The bells of Southwark Cathedral were involved in some of the most advanced ringing then, and have continued to be so ever since. A thirteenth bell was added in 2005 to enable a lighter ring of eight bells to be rung. 

 Visiting ringers are welcomed on practice nights and for Sunday morning ringing.

When I read that last sentence, I knew (as The Mr and I both play bells - though not quite this way) that we had to go to see them practice.

The Mr and I play handbells, and are part of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.  Handbells were created  to give folks who played the bells in church towers a way to practice without annoying the neighbors.  ;-)

The people who play at Southwark Cathedral don't play handbells.  They practice on the real thing.  And they don't mind if they bother the neighbors when they practice.  After all, they were there first!

We went through that door and up 135 steps (rickety, old dark steps.... quite challenging if you are not a fan of heights) and across a catwalk (yikes) and up some more steps to the bell tower. 

And we watched them practice playing.  Wow.  Quite an experience of sight and sound and of feeling - those bells make the tower really move!

One of the players took us up another flight of stairs to see the bells themselves - some of them are HUGE - and we watched as they played for a bit. 

We purchased this print to help the bell players raise money.  It is a print of a watercolor of the cathedral.  Do you see the top windows of the tower?  That's where we were!

Seemed like a good idea at the time, though we didn't think about the fact that we would need to carry it on the Tube, around the City and on the plane.  We also didn't expect to leave it at the pub after our rather late dinner and have to go back to said pub to collect the print and then carry it around the rest of the next day as well.  A good story though, and a good cause.

For musically inclined folks, this was an unparalleled experience.  So glad I did my research ahead of time!

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The Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames.  It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose.

A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.

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 has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

Under the Tudors, the Tower became used less as a royal residence, and despite attempts to refortify and repair the castle its defences lagged behind developments to deal with artillery. The peak period of the castle's use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures who had fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls. This use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower". Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, popularised by 16th-century religious propagandists and 19th-century writers, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period.

In the latter half of the 19th century, institutions such as the Royal Mint moved out of the castle to other locations, leaving many buildings empty. Anthony Salvin and John Taylor took the opportunity to restore the Tower to what was felt to be its medieval appearance, clearing out many of the vacant post-medieval structures. 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 Second World War, damage caused during the Blitz was repaired and the castle reopened to the public. Today the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions.

Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress. 

It was Charles II, according to the stories, who first insisted that the ravens of the Tower should be protected. This was against the wishes of his astronomer, John Flamsteed, who complained that the ravens impeded the business of his observatory in the White Tower. 

Despite their having one wing clipped, some ravens do in fact go absent without leave and others have had to be sacked. Raven George was dismissed for eating television aerials, and Raven Grog was last seen outside an East End pub.

They are fun to watch and seem to always have something to say!

You can also see a fantastic armory at the Tower, which houses armour from throughout British history.

And you can see some of the spoils of war.

And of course, the Crown Jewels!  Wonderful and worth the wait.

If you've been to the Tower of London, you've probably seen most of what I've shown here.

I managed to obtain tickets to something yo probably have not seen - the Ceremony of the Keys.  We arrived at the Tower at about 9:45 PM and waited outside near this sign for the Yeoman Warder to come meet us.  About 20 people see this each day.

Yeomen Warders are the colourfully-dressed bodyguards on duty at the Tower of London. While a Royal Guard provided by the Foot Guards mounts on Tower Green every day at noon, the Yeomen Warders provide a ceremonial guard for this ancient Royal palace and fortress.

One of their main ceremonial functions is the daily Ceremony of the Keys. In this ceremony the gates of the Tower of London are secured each night shortly before 10.00 pm by the Chief Yeoman Warder escorted by an armed guard of four men.

 After locking the gates, the Chief Yeoman Warder is challenged by a sentry bringing his rifle into the on-guard position. He allows him to pass after recognising the Chief Warder as the bearer of Queen Elizabeth's keys by saying 'Pass, Queen Elizabeth's keys, and all's well'.

 The Chief Yeoman Warder and his escort are met by a ceremonial guard on the Broad Steps near the White Tower, which then presents arms. The Chief Warder concludes the ceremony by raising his Tudor bonnet and proclaiming 'God preserve Queen Elizabeth', to which all present reply 'Amen'. The keys are then carried by the Chief Yeoman Warder to safekeeping, whilst the Last Post is sounded. The ceremony has taken place over the same piece of ground, in war as well as peace, for about 700 years.

What a great experience - we couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to our Tower of London experience.

Tomorrow I'll show you something interesting we saw at a cathedral that I bet none of you have ever seen.

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