London, England - Part 3
Third and last part of my trip to London (part of the Round the World trip).
August 12th, the last day of heavy sightseeing.
The first stop was the Sherlock Holmes Museum. A place that, as a Holmes fan, I simply had to go. As a friend who recommended the museum mentioned, one may like the place if one is a Holmes fan, but it might not be so worth it otherwise. The efforts they made to make it look like Holmes actually existed (showing tools related to some cases, for example) are interesting; extra credits for the actor who plays Watson. The letters to Sherlock Holmes, both from characters of the books and from real people, are also nice.
Next, the British Museum. And I was amazed on how a museum with such a collection (among which the Rosetta Stone and parts of the Parthenon) allowed pictures inside... An extra curiosity was seeing one of the Crystal Skulls, artifact that became popular after the movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".
The Japanese section was also interesting... and interesting to note where people's interests are. There were lots of marks of people pressing their hands of foreheads against the glass close to a katana sword...
After the museum, a walk to Covent Garden. A place with lots of street performers, shopping and cafes. Good point to have a break.
My last stop in central London was Picadilly Circus. No relation with entertainers, animals and alike. It rather comes from the Latin word meaning circle, since it's a road junction. That's also a popular and crowded place, more a less like Dōtonbori in Osaka I think.
Although I said the 12th was the last day of heavy sightseeing, I didn't say I did nothing on the 13th. It was time to walk around the neighborhood where I stayed. A London suburb with some points of interest, like a church with a graveyard where some artists rest in peace. There was even some sort of touristic spot nearby: Chiswick House. But many parts of it were under repairs...
For lunch, S said I must have fish-and-chips at a English pub before leaving Great Britain. So we pick a friend of his and went to his favorite pub... And it tasted good, although he said it wasn't so good on that day.
After the meal, packing and going to Heathrow airport after almost one week in London... Next stop: Munich, Germany.
Impressions about London: it's a real cosmopolitan city. English may be the "unifying language", but if I add the times I've listened to other languages (usually European, like Spanish, Italian or German; but there were lots of Chinese and Japanese around) they surpass the amount of English I've heard. People from various places speaking different languages... Tourists and residents alike. Living proof that "English only is not enough... nor even desired".
Things are VERY expensive. Makes Japan (even Tokyo) look like a joke, especially when in comes down to restaurants (eating out). Still, access to culture is easy and in many cases free. Places like museums were always crowded. That incentive to culture is something very nice to see.
Special thanks to M and S. They helped me a lot with lodgings, planning, guiding, hints about life in London (maybe one worth mentioning here is the Oyster Card)... And it was also great to see them again after so many years. Hopefully we'll meet again soon... in GB, Japan or Brazil.
For those who think the pictures here are not enough, check my Picasa album for more.
August 12th, the last day of heavy sightseeing.
The first stop was the Sherlock Holmes Museum. A place that, as a Holmes fan, I simply had to go. As a friend who recommended the museum mentioned, one may like the place if one is a Holmes fan, but it might not be so worth it otherwise. The efforts they made to make it look like Holmes actually existed (showing tools related to some cases, for example) are interesting; extra credits for the actor who plays Watson. The letters to Sherlock Holmes, both from characters of the books and from real people, are also nice.
Next, the British Museum. And I was amazed on how a museum with such a collection (among which the Rosetta Stone and parts of the Parthenon) allowed pictures inside... An extra curiosity was seeing one of the Crystal Skulls, artifact that became popular after the movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".
The Japanese section was also interesting... and interesting to note where people's interests are. There were lots of marks of people pressing their hands of foreheads against the glass close to a katana sword...
After the museum, a walk to Covent Garden. A place with lots of street performers, shopping and cafes. Good point to have a break.
My last stop in central London was Picadilly Circus. No relation with entertainers, animals and alike. It rather comes from the Latin word meaning circle, since it's a road junction. That's also a popular and crowded place, more a less like Dōtonbori in Osaka I think.
Although I said the 12th was the last day of heavy sightseeing, I didn't say I did nothing on the 13th. It was time to walk around the neighborhood where I stayed. A London suburb with some points of interest, like a church with a graveyard where some artists rest in peace. There was even some sort of touristic spot nearby: Chiswick House. But many parts of it were under repairs...
For lunch, S said I must have fish-and-chips at a English pub before leaving Great Britain. So we pick a friend of his and went to his favorite pub... And it tasted good, although he said it wasn't so good on that day.
After the meal, packing and going to Heathrow airport after almost one week in London... Next stop: Munich, Germany.
Impressions about London: it's a real cosmopolitan city. English may be the "unifying language", but if I add the times I've listened to other languages (usually European, like Spanish, Italian or German; but there were lots of Chinese and Japanese around) they surpass the amount of English I've heard. People from various places speaking different languages... Tourists and residents alike. Living proof that "English only is not enough... nor even desired".
Things are VERY expensive. Makes Japan (even Tokyo) look like a joke, especially when in comes down to restaurants (eating out). Still, access to culture is easy and in many cases free. Places like museums were always crowded. That incentive to culture is something very nice to see.
Special thanks to M and S. They helped me a lot with lodgings, planning, guiding, hints about life in London (maybe one worth mentioning here is the Oyster Card)... And it was also great to see them again after so many years. Hopefully we'll meet again soon... in GB, Japan or Brazil.
For those who think the pictures here are not enough, check my Picasa album for more.
4 comments:
"fish with fries"?! I guess you wanna say fish-and-chips. Don't let a British see that, it's their most famous food.
Ahh, I miss New Zealand's fish-and-chips...
You're right. Guess that what happens when you try to write late at night almost one month after the actual event...
The mistake was corrected.
cool hat igor!solve any mysteries???
I like the hat too... pity it was awfully expensive so I couldn't buy one.
Mysteries? Maybe, but not necessarily there... hehe!
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