London, Part I

Kaylyn and I ended January with a bang by spending the last week in London!  We had way too much fun for one post, so I'm going to break this trip up into a few.

Kaylyn and I left after our classes on Tuesday, so we didn't get to London until around 5:00 pm.  We had quite a bit to carry, so trying to figure out the London Underground was not a feat we were about to tackle.  Unfortunately, our hotel in Greenwich was a £34 taxi ride from London Euston train station.  Our London taxi reminded me of the Knight Bus from Harry Potter.  The driver had my stomach almost in my throat with some of the turns he took!  But we finally made it, and we found our hotel to be absolutely fantastic, albeit we had to pay for wifi.  After taking a few minutes to check out our new room, Kaylyn and I decided to go find something to eat in Leadenhall Market, otherwise known as Diagon Alley from the first Harry Potter movie!

All of the shops were closed, but the trip to Leadenhall Market was still worth it!

We ended up grabbing a quick bite to eat at a place called The Crosse Keys.  Before heading home, we stopped in Bull's Head Passage to find the optician's office that doubled as the front door for the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

We didn't want to waste any of our time in London, so the next morning we braved the cold and the rain to make it to Madame Tussaud's.  I'd been to the museum in New York, so I thought I'd seen everything that wax figures had to offer, but I really enjoyed myself!  Of course there were celebrities, politicians, and royals, but Madame Tussaud's in London had much more to offer!

I just love Helen Mirren.

Her wax figure (and her dress!) was gorgeous, but I honestly did not realize that this was Emma Watson until I read the sign.

I did pose for a picture with 007, but I like this candid that Kaylyn caught even better!

M!

Henry VIII!

They need no introduction...

I was stunned when I saw this!  In case you can't read the sign, this is the guillotine blade that beheaded Marie Antoinette in 1793.  It was purchased from the executioner's family.

It's possible that this is the closest we'll come to knowing what Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI really looked like.  Madame Tussaud was commanded to make death masks of many people, including Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI.  

 Madame Tussaud with Marie Antoinette, her daughter Marie-Thérèse, and her son Louis Joseph.

There is one other thing that Madame Tussaud's in London has that the museum in New York does not: a Marvel universe.  If you know me, then you know that my love of all things Marvel would rival that of even the most dedicated 13 year old boy.

Madame Tussaud's happens to be about a two minute walk from Baker Street--the Baker Street.  The facade used in the television show starring Benedict Cumberbatch is actually in Camden, but the following pictures are from the real 221b Baker Street, home of the great Sherlock Holmes.

This statue is just steps outside of the Underground station.

We didn't have time to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum, so we took a few pictures and then stopped for lunch at an Italian restaurant nearby.  Then, we headed to the Tower of London.  But before we reached the Tower, Kaylyn and I made a quick stop at the London Wall (the lower part of which was built by the Romans in 200 AD).

I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to touch something that originated almost 2,000 years ago.

Instead of "London, Part I," this post should perhaps be called "Me Touching Old Things."

There is so much history in the Tower of London, it was almost too much for me to fully grasp.  I stood at the spot where Anne Boleyn was beheaded!  And don't even get me started on the Crown Jewels.  Actually, I think the Tower deserves its own post!

Until next time,