Easter With The Parents

Hello! You found the compass!


     The last ten days have flown by. My parents visited me for Easter and I got to play Tour Guide for them (which, I think, I was darn good at). Our days were busy (and cold) and our nights always ended with a (usually liquid) dinner at a pub. We ate at six pubs during the ten days they were here: The Coronation Hall, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, The Duke of York, The Bishop Out of Residence, The Hung, Drawn, and Quartered (which, appropriately, we went to after visiting The Tower of London), and...none of the three of us can remember the name of the sixth pub. Food wasn't great, and apparently the name wasn't catchy, so I guess it won't make it's way onto the blog. Oh well. Anyway, I'd say my parents got rather fond of the pub life and of London as a whole. This post will follow all of our adventures in England. Some of our adventures were visits to places that I have already covered: in those cases, I won't go into detail.

     My parents arrived in the early evening of March 28th. After about ten hours on a plane, they needed food and rest. Our first night was a visit to The Coronation Hall, my favorite local pub (which also happens to be right next to the hotel they stayed at). Going to The Coronation Hall at night would become a tradition for the duration of their visit. I admit, I don't remember the exact order that we had our adventures in, but I will try to give the post some sense of coherence.

     We took the train into Waterloo and my parents got their first look at the Shard, The Eye, the Thames, Parliament, Big Ben. My parents got to see the street performers that hang out on the South Bank as well, and (of course) told me to go get pictures with them. So here you are:

     Being a vacation week, London was absolutely packed with people. Westminster Abbey was closed to visitors (not sure if it is closed every Friday or just Good Friday), so we wandered around Parliament Square before heading toward Buckingham Palace. Along the way, we found the entrance to the Churchill War Rooms. My dad absolutely loves everything about Churchill, so we knew that we had to stop in. The line was surprisingly short, and we managed to get tickets after only ten minutes of waiting. (When we left, the line was probably 45 minutes long.) The War Rooms are worth seeing. Guests are given an audio guide and get to learn all about the goings-on in the underground bunker and what life was like when it was in use. Imagining what it must have been like working from an underground bunker, not even knowing what the weather was like outside and always anticipating bombings, must have been an indescribable experience. I should briefly introduce Churchill for those who don't know much about him...

Winston Churchill

        Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of England twice, the first time being from 1940-1945, which crafty readers will realize was during World War II. He was, as far as I know, very well-liked by the people of England and is considered by many to be the greatest leader of the 20th century. He was known for making compelling speeches and for having a sharp wit. In one great moment that my dad relayed to me, Churchill was at some sort of meeting and he had been drinking. One woman said, in an attempt to downplay what he was saying, "Oh, Winston, you're drunk." His immediate response was "Yes, I am drunk, but you're ugly, and in the morning I'll be sober." Zing! Another great one: On Charles de Gaulle, he said "He looks like a female llama who has just been surprised in her bath." Can't fault him for lack of creativity.

     (We got another taste of Winston Churchill's life by making a journey out to Chartwell, his home in the country. I forgot my camera when running out the door (sorry!) but I will say that despite the freezing temperatures and relative isolation of Chartwell, once we got there it was completely worth it. The house and grounds were gorgeous. For shoppers, the gift shop is very unique and doesn't carry just the "typical" trinkets. I learned a lot about Churchill through my experiences in the War Rooms and Chartwell. I never knew he was a painter until then! I can really see why my dad admires him so much.) 

     After visiting the War Rooms, we accidentally stumbled upon the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Incidentally, the next day we accidentally stumbled upon the changing of the horse guard, too (happy accidents). Both were quite the sight to see. They're so ceremonial and traditional. While Buckingham Palace's changing was much grander, I liked the horse guard one better. This is mostly because the horses were worthy of great admiration. We went to the HouseHold Cavalry Museum after watching the horses to learn more about them. The museum offered insight into the training of the horses and the riders. The preferred breed of horse is Irish Draught horses, and they are usually brought in at age four or five. The horses must be at least 16.2 hands high (in non-horse terms: pretty damn tall). They also must be black (with the exception of certain riders that get white horses to stand out more, though I forget who gets those). They also must be able to cope with loud noise and behave themselves in just about any situation. Most of the soldiers brought into the cavalry have, to my surprise, never ridden before. The museum was playing a video where one soldier described going through training with his horse and cracking his ribs from falling off so much. Ouch.

I'd say a few cracked ribs are worth a horse that gorgeous and a uniform that nifty.

     I took the parents to 221B Baker Street as well. Generally during their visit we had good luck with avoiding lines, but the exception was 221B. Sherlock and Watson are popular men, and we waited outside (in the cold and bitter wind) for almost an hour to get in to the museum. However, it was still an enjoyable time despite how fast the visit goes for such a long wait. My mom got a great picture of me with a member of the Red Headed League. If there is any doubt in anybody's mind about me being a redhead, I give you irrefutable proof that I am:

Almost the exact same color. Bam.

     So that was fun! Let's see, what else did we do...Ah, right! The first Saturday they were here, we had time to kill before going on a tour of Parliament (which you readers already know all about). My dad had heard of a pub called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, which is an incredibly old London pub on Fleet Street. It has been at its location since 1538. It burned in the Great London Fire of 1666, but was rebuilt in 1667. The pub has many famous literary associations; Authors such as Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain, and Alfred Tennyson were said to have enjoyed the pub. Charles Dickens was known to go regularly. Even The Rhymer's Club, a London-based group of poets established in 1890, met there. It was founded by W.B. Yeats and Ernest Rhys, and produced poetry anthologies in 1892 and 1894. Once again, it was a thrilling time to be an English major (though I imagine anyone could appreciate sitting where those men sat). It was also a great time to love food, for Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese has a very yummy Steak and Ale Pie. (I had to get it. After all, how could I justify eating on Fleet Street and NOT getting a meat pie?)

It's just steak. Nothing more. Move along.

    

     On our way to Fleet Street, we passed the Lyceum Theatre. The show currently playing there is The Lion King (which I would love to see). I wanted to stop because the theatre is mentioned by name in the Sherlock Holmes story The Sign of Four. Sherlock and Watson are to meet someone at the Lyceum Theatre, third pillar from the left. You can't tell from the picture, but that is exactly where I stood. 

I will wait all day for Mr. Holmes or Doctor Watson.

     Another day of adventure came and we stood in line outside of Westminster Abbey, eagerly awaiting the wonderful moment when we would get our first glimpse inside the magnificent structure. Photography was not allowed inside, but I took a few pictures outside and in small side rooms and courtyards where my beloved camera was given permission to see the world outside of my messenger bag. Here are the shots I was able to get:

Saint Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey's neighbor and (according to a sign outside) a place where Milton worshipped.

You know, in a way it's almost cute. It's like a lion with skeleton toes.

I got to see it, but my camera didn't. I took a picture of the sign, at least...

Britain's oldest door.

I wasn't kidding. It was in the 1050's for Saint Edward the Confessor.

This is the Pyx Chamber, one of the oldest parts of the abbey. It was built right after the Norman Conquest. For much of its life, it was used as a strong-room to house the king's valuables.

     The inside of Westminster Abbey was breathtaking. The stained glass, the ceilings, the tombs, the sculptures, and everything else was just gorgeous. It left me speechless. Not to mention the myriad of famous people buried, or at least commemorated, there. I walked over the final resting places of both Charles Darwin and Sir Isaac Newton. It was unbelievable! Then towards the end of the self-guided walking tour, I was taken into yet another place that would make any English major or avid reader nearly faint: The Poet's Corner. It originally housed Chaucer, though it was because he had been a Clark of Works at the palace of Westminster and not because he wrote the Canterbury Tales. Over 150 years later, Edmund Spenser was laid to rest near him. That's when the tradition started and that corner of the abbey became a burial place exclusively for poets and writers as well as an area to commemorate ones who are buried elsewhere. Sometimes it can take years after death for a writer to be commemorated at the abbey. Shakespeare, for example (who is not buried there) was not even given a monument until 1740. Some poets and writers in the corner were famous in their time, but have since become obscure. Other famous writers that people may study today still have yet to get memorialized. Famous poets and authors buried in the Poet's Corner include: Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, Charles Dickens (who is so special that they put a wreath on his tomb every year on the anniversary of his death!), Thomas Hardy (interestingly, his heart is buried in Dorset while the rest of him stays in Westminster), Rudyard Kipling, and Alfred Tennyson. Famous poets and authors commemorated in the Poet's Corner include: John Milton (my love!), Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, T.S. Eliot, John Keats, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Dylan Thomas, and Oscar Wilde. For a complete list of all poets and writers buried and commemorated at the abbey, visit their website: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/highlights/poets-corner

     Another fantastic adventure was our journey to The Tower of London. Contrary to what its name implies, The Tower of London is more like a castle with multiple buildings and a little town inside of its strong outer walls. It is mostly known for being a prison and the place where people got tortured. During our visit, we got to see some torture instruments as well as walk through a room where a few notable prisoners were held. One was a Catholic priest during the Protestant reign of Elizabeth I. He was hung by his hands from manacles 14 times, his middle finger was torn out, and was finally hung, drawn, and quartered after refusing to name other Catholics. Yikes. 

     Kings did have residence in the tower, too, and it was quite a busy place. Today, it is most famous for housing the Crown Jewels. (As I learned, it doesn't only house the current crown. No, the Tower of London has at least a dozen crowns dating back to many monarchs ago! I believe the earliest one is from the 1600s.) 

     Along with crowns, The Tower of London also plays host to ravens. It is believed that if the ravens ever leave the tower grounds, the kingdom will fall. I don't see that happening anytime soon, though; The ravens are well fed and taken care of by the staff and roam around the grounds with no issues. They have become comfortable with tourists and I managed to get close enough to get pictures of a particularly social little fellow. Until meeting this little guy, I had never known what ravens sounded like. Their loud calls sound like normal caws, but their softer ones are very strange and...wooden.It's strange, but a very intriguing-strange. Anyway, here is my feathered friend, followed by other pictures from the tower:

"What are you looking at?"

The shard from Edward I's bedroom window.

*snort*

Tower Bridge.

It's a strangely cool-looking building, isn't it?

They have people dressed in period clothing who do performances based on this plot.

Old and new.

A dragon made out of weapons and armor. Awesome.

    

  

     On our last day together, the parents and I strolled around Kingston and investigated the markets and little shops. We came across a little chocolate shop called Hotel Chocolat. We were given free samples by a very friendly and welcoming staff while we browsed their selection of desserts. They carried truffles, massive chocolate slabs, boozy chocolate (including gin, champagne, vodka and, to my delight, amaretto), and more. (If you're interested in trying some of their yummy products, they DO have an online store!) I'll be heading back there at least once before I leave, I bet...

     There was one more major event that my parents and I took part in. We went up to Warner Brother's Studios to tour The Making of Harry Potter. I figured I would put it at the end so those of you who have no interest in reading about it can stop reading here, and I have saved the best for last for those who do want to read about it! Works out nicely, doesn't it? So, without further ado...

 

     The tour takes visitors through two studios where many interior shots were filmed. (I don't know if this was coincidence or on purpose, but I noticed that the two studios that the tour went through were studio J and studio K.) The studios were originally used to build and house planes during World War II, as so many of these massive filming areas were.They have since been turned into a magical world that made the childhood Megan giggle with excitement. 

     Right when we entered the door, we were surrounded by pictures of the cast. We could see the entrance to the massive(ly overpriced) gift shop as well. As we waited in line to begin the tour, we got to see the cupboard under the stairs and an original set of the glasses young Harry wore. 

Flying car and snazzy Draco.

Aaalllaaan! <3

Beginning....

...and end.

     There were also parts of a wall that told the story of how J.K. Rowling was on a delayed train from Manchester to London when the idea of a boy who finds out he is a wizard and gets into wizard school popped into her head. Rowling said of the idea: "I'd never had an idea that gave me such a physical response...It was that incredibly elated feeling you get when you've just met someone with whom you might eventually fall in love." 

     Our group made its way into a holding room where we saw posters of the Harry Potter movies from all around the world. After that, we entered a cinema and learned about how the books were turned into movies. Then we got to the part everyone wanted: freedom to explore the sets. Our journey started in the Great Hall. The candles and ceiling were missing because, of course, they were CGI. Everything else was well accounted for, including the robes from different houses. At that point we still had a tour guide with us, and she asked for people to cheer for the house they supported. There were several Slytherines, a few Ravenclaws (including myself, and as it turns out I was standing right next to all of the others; we had sorted ourselves without meaning to!), a multitude of Gryffindors, and...no Hufflepuffs. None. The guide shouted out "Hufflepuff!" and there was resounding silence. Poor Hufflepuff.

"Huffle-badger don't give a hoot."

Hufflepuff robes! Note Robert Pattinson's Triwizard Tournament outfit.

Dress of The Grey Lady, Ravenclaw's house ghost.

Ravenclaw pride!

Gryffindor!

 

     After being ushered out of the Great Hall, we were free to wander the sets as we pleased. Here is where the landslide of pictures begins (which I will attempt to organize by category). Enjoy your stay at Hogwarts!

The Yule Ball:

A Fireplace and Gryffindor Boy's Common Room: 

 

Important Wands and The Mirror of Erised:

Didn't miss the opportunity to take a selfie in the Mirror of Erised. 

Potions Classroom:

Misc. Props and Dumbledor's Office:

 

The Horcruxes:

The Real Animals (and animal-related things):

The four cat actors for Crookshanks. (Fang had the most: he was played by nine dogs.)

The three cats for Mrs. Norris. Interestingly, only the one on the far right was female.

The first two Hedwigs...

...and the second two!

Hagrid's hut.

Door to the Chamber of Secrets.

Quidditch:

The Weasley's House:

Evil People:

The Malfoy family.

Lord Voldemort

Bellatrix LeStrange

Generic Death Eater and...I don't remember his name. Forgive me, fans. Sweet outfit though.

Umbridge costumes.

Umbridge office.

Ministry of Magic:

Outdoor Sets:

Tasted like ginger ale with a dash of cream soda. The foam on top was delicious, but I have no idea what it was.

The Night Bus!

Riddle's grave.

Dursley house.

Godrick's Hollow.

The Hogwart's bridge.

Chessmen!

More chessmen!

I know how to blend in.

Magical Creatures:

Fawkes.

Thestrals! Look at the cute little baby one!

Hungarian Horntail.

...I'd rather fight the dragon, thanks.

The basilisk!

Beloved Buckbeak!

Diagon Alley:

Let's play Spot The Deatheater! Can you find the creeper?

He's in this one, too.

The Model of Hogwarts (used for sweeping shots of the castle and grounds):

The wizard architect who designed Hogwarts.

That building, and others like it, are made out of a bunch of individual, tiny bricks. Each was hand-set.

Ollivander's Wand Shop (each box has a hand-written name on it of someone involved with the movies):

I made this one extra-large so the name is easier to see. Look in the column on the left, four boxes up to the one with the crumpled label: That's David Tennant's wand. For those who don't know, David Tennant also famously played Doctor Who's tenth regeneration. There is a reason his box is so out of the way and hard to reach. In the words of the staff member working there: "We had to put Tennant's up high because we were afraid fangirls would try licking his wand box." Indeed.

     And that concluded my tour of Warner Brother's Studios! I bought a chocolate frog in the Honeyduke's section of the gift shop (it was just about the only thing in my price range; just the frog was $12). I am happy to say that the wizard card I got in it is my house founder, Rowena Ravenclaw. Huzzah!

     So ends my Easter adventures with the parents. I hope you enjoyed reading! Until next time...Cheers!