Heading out to London sometime? Here's some things you can do on your visit.
I highly recommend going on a Sandemans Free Tour. Like written, it's for free, you can leave a voluntary tip at the end of the tour. They do these tours in many major European cities in different langugages. The guides know the facts and are FUNNY.
We started from Hyde Park, saw the guards of Buckingham Palace change, got to see some more royal houses, dropped by Trafalgar Square and ended up at the Houses of Parliament. I learned a lot. For example Queen Elisabeth II's family's real surname was German (Hitler), but because of the war back then, it was "preferable" to have an English name.
the queen's summer cottage
a russian guy's statue
there used to be many trash cans until an irish guy blew one up
the prime minister's house
big ben is the name of the bell not the whole thing
an american guy's statue
westminster abbey
Here's a video of the guards taking a walk. Before it was possible to get really close to them, but one day a Spanish guy (quéé?!) annoyed the guard so much that the guard ended up punching him.
And here we have a "demonstration" on the medieval way of executing traitors. For example Guy Fawkes, the movember November guy, who wanted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Can't really blame him, neither can those people who suffer from the political injustice until today.
Autumn had arrived in London, my favorite season. I wanted to enjoy the colorful leaves before they all died, especially when I had booked a surprise visit to Finland the following weekend. My first plan was to walk Russia Dock Woodland in Rotherhite, but Eme and Mishi were going to Hampstead Heath, a large, ancient park, where you can see London from above. Of course I wanted to see that.
The most surprising thing was the silence. It was the first time that I was able to hear only the nature. No yelling people.
I didn't know that it can be quiet somewhere in London, and I also thought that if I need peace, no need to go all the way back to Finland. I hadn't taken much pictures here, but there I took quite a few as the area was really beautiful.
And London from above, mm not really.
Perhaps you think that without the fog it would be prettier. I think it was there to save the situation.
Later in the evening Eme suggested to go watch some fireworks in some other park. Now I finally understood the reason of explosions around me for the past few days;
Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...
Those who have seen V for Vendetta will recognize this poem. I thought that the plan to blow up Houses of Parliament 5.11.1605 was a fictional story!
Basically a lad called Guy Fawkes was caught (there was a traitor in the group) in the cellars of Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder. Fawkes thought that everything wasn't quite right in the country (still isn't) and wanted to do something about it. But instead of having a nice building blown up, he was hung, drawn and quartered.
And ever since the following year that day has been commemorated, so people wouldn't ever forget that crime!
In the end the park was too far and we didn't see much. We did hear the explosions though! Quite the opposite of the first part of the day, eh?
