London Calling: The London Pass

I got an early start on Sunday since most things close at 5pm here, especially being a Sunday. I rode the Tube (by myself might I add) from the flats to Shakespeare's Globe along the northern bank of the Thames. The building was built in 1997 to be a replica of the original Globe Theatre from the 1600s. Shakespeare's original building burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666 and was never rebuilt. Today's Globe sits about 250 meters from the original location but still puts on productions of Shakespeare's classics. The interior dimensions of the Globe are an exact match to that of the original; 20 sides and 100 ft in diameter. The stage comes halfway into the yard as did the original. When excavating the site of the original theatre, they found an arc of foundation from which they were able to deduce the width of each side and the depth of the audiences' seats.

A timeline of Shakespeare's works along with the theaters they were performed in.

Pages from Shakespeare's First Folio

A copy of Shakespeare's Will

The stage of the Globe. The design of the original Globe's stage is completely unknown since it was never recorded or drawn. This stage is a replica of the one that would have been seen at the Swan Theatre of that period. The stage of the Swan was descriptively noted in a traveler's journal.

The Globe's exterior

After the Globe, I met up with a girl from my group and we wandered through Tower of London. I saw the Crown Jewels but no photography was allowed. So here are some of my other favorite parts.

Traitors' Gate

The White Tower

Carving left by Prisoners of Salt Tower:

Here is a wounded hand, a Catholic symbol that reminds us of the wounds of Christ

An inscription that reads:

Fear fortune's flattery

Frail of felicity

Despair not in danger

God is Defender

A carving of a wounded foot, another Catholic symbol as a reminder of Christ

And of course the Crown Jewels:

After Tower of London, I went off on my own to Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience. The museum was designed to look like the Underground during the Blitz which was converted to air raid shelters. There were also clothing, gas masks, newspapers, rationing stamps, toys, and more all from WWII era.

Finally, I met Mike and Andrew at Tower Bridge for the Tower Bridge Exhibition. This self-guided tour allows you to walk across the upper walkways of the bridge, which holds a small museum. Unfortunately, the bridge closed early because they were hosting a special event. Luckily that event was FREE, but we had some time to kill so we went for a drink at the pub, allowing me to complete another Bucket List item (well ... half complete ... I ordered a half pint of Strongbow)!