Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

Thursday, January 30, 2020:

Today we ventured to Greenwich in southeast London. Greenwich is the home to the Meridian Line, the Cutty Sark clipper ship, Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Naval College with its celebrated Painted Hall; as such, there is a lot to see and do here.  All these places are within walking distance of each other in a neighborhood that evokes a seaside village replete with plentiful fish & chip shops.  We chose first to explore the Royal Naval College and quickly found out that the College alone is more than enough to occupy oneself all day.

Downtown Greenwich

A Pub Across from Greenwich Park

Home of Cecil Day-Lewis, Poet Laureate of the UK, and his son actor Daniel Day-Lewis

The Cutty Sark at the End of Street with Canary Wharf in Far Distance

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park

Before even exploring the college we encountered the Greenwich Foot Tunnel which crosses beneath the Thames. Remarkably, the tunnel was opened in 1902.  What an amazing engineering feat for its day.  It takes less than 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other.

Entrance to Greenwich Foot Tunnel

Inside the Tunnel

We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Old Royal Naval College.   In the late 1600s and early 1700s the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich was created on this site on the instructions of Queen Mary II as a home for retired and injured sailors.  The architect was the prolific Christopher Wren.  In 1873, four years after the hospital closed, the buildings were converted to a training establishment for the Royal Navy.  However, this was an important site even in the 1400s....

Queen Anne Court

Queen's House, Royal Residence, seen from Old Royal Naval College

Prior to the Old Royal Naval College and prior to the Royal Hospital for Seamen, this exact site was the home of Greenwich Palace where Henry VIII was born in 1491 to Elizabeth of York. The Palace was a favorite place of the king throughout his life.  In 1509 Henry married Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, here.  In 1536 Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, was arrested here for the crime of adultery and taken by boat across the Thames to the Tower of London to be executed. Greenwich was where, at age 44 in the year 1537, Henry was thrown off a horse and as a result of his injuries was unable to exercise and became the corpulent king we remember today.  Greenwich Palace was also where Henry's daughters (and future queens) Mary and Elizabeth were born. The Palace was demolished after being damaged in the civil war in the 1600s.

Inside the Old Royal Naval College we discovered "the UK's Sistine Chapel", the beautiful Painted Hall. The stunning ceiling murals here were painted by Sir James Thornhill between 1707 and 1726 to celebrate Britain's growing maritime power.  It is interesting to examine the murals' symbolism, religious and political imagery that served to both edify and deceive people at that time.

The Painted Hall

Mural Depicting William III and Mary II with Catholic French King Louis XIV at their feet

The Magnificent Great Dome Built by Christopher Wren

Fulham Palace House & Garden

Tuesday, January 28, 2020:

Today we visited Fulham Palace in West London, a grand building with medieval origins.  The current building dates from the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509) and there have been many modifications made to the structure over the years.  Fulham Palace is important because it was the country home of the Bishops of London from at least the 11th century.  As you can imagine, a building owned by the Church for over 1,300 years and home to the Bishops of London for many centuries, has a lot of captivating stories to tell.

Some of these stories concern Edmund Bonner. In the 16th century, during the reign of Queen Mary 1, Catholic Bishop Edmund Bonner is said to have tortured and imprisoned Protestants at Fulham Palace, hence his unofficial title "Bloody Bonner.'   A devout but cruel man wielding great power, he was Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's chaplain.  Tales of his ghost at Fulham Palace have existed for hundreds of years and he is said to still roam the palace's rooms and halls.

However, it's not just the Palace that attracts visitors today.  The palace gardens, including a Tudor walled garden, dating from the 16th century or earlier, are very important in the history of gardening.  Although situated today smack dab in a busy neighborhood with automobile traffic, noise, and surrounded by a few modern buildings, a short stroll inside the walled garden this afternoon made me feel as if I was walking in the remote English countryside, in the far distant past.  

Fulham Palace was damaged during WWII after which it was neglected for decades.  Church authorities, finding it too expensive to maintain, vacated the place in 1973.  Today this site is a popular place in which to get wed. The Palace and gardens are free to enter to anyone who just wants to wander and explore.

Adjacent to the Palace is the very old and scenic All Saints Church Fulham.  Originally a Roman Catholic Church, during the Reformation it became, and remains, a Protestant Church.  Apart from the tower, the present church dates from the late Victorian period.  Parts of the tower date to the 14th century or early 15th century.  This church was used in a memorable scene from the 1970's film The Omen, in which a priest is impaled by a lightening rod that falls off the church tower.

What a wonderful place to visit and, thankfully, we never encountered the ghost of Bloody Bonner!

All Saints Church

Fulham Palace, Rear View

Pergola Lined with Apple Trees

Welcome to the Walled Garden

Rain, Rain and More Rain...

Monday, January 27, 2020:

Today Eddie and I had a lunch at Epic Pies on Carter Lane close to St Paul's Cathedral where we ordered pie and buttery mash with English peas.  The pie was made with butternut squash, chestnut mushroom, spinach and leaks in a light cream sauce.  It was so delicious! We shared a lager from Brixton.  I was surprised when they asked if me wanted mushroom gravy or liquor on my mash.  (Update: From what I understand, "liquor" is a non-alcoholic parsley sauce that is often served with mash and traditionally prepared using eels).

Aujourd'hui, Eddie et moi avons déjeuné à Epic Pies sur Carter Lane, près de la cathédrale Saint-Paul, où nous avons commandé une tarte et une "buttery mash" avec des pois anglais. La tarte était préparée avec de la courge musquée, "chestnut mushroom," des épinards et des fuites dans une sauce à la crème légère. Nous avons partagé une bière blonde de Brixton. J'ai été surpris quand le serveur m'a demandé si je voulais de la sauce ou de l'alcool sur ma "mash." Je vais devoir essayer la "liqueur" la prochaine fois.

Pie and Mash and English Peas with a Brixton Lager

Epic Pies on Carter Lane

Then we went to the Isle of Dogs, a large peninsula in East London surrounded on three sides by the Thames. Here in the neighborhood of Canary Wharf one finds a lot of intriguing modern skyscrapers including the 45-story residential Baltimore Tower resembling a powerful twister.

Ensuite, nous sommes allés à "Isle of Dogs," une grande péninsule de l'est de Londres entourée sur trois côtés par "The Thames." Ici, dans le quartier de "Canary Wharf," il y a de nombreux gratte-ciel modernes intrigants, y compris la tour résidentielle de 45 étages, Baltimore.

The Baltimore Tower, Completed in 2017

It was raining and I did not want to take photographs.  Yesterday afternoon it rained too and we took shelter in All Saints Church in Fitzrovia, a beautiful Victorian Church built in 1859. We were fortunate to listen to a free and wonderful organ recital.

Il pleuvait et je ne voulais pas utiliser mon appareil photo. Hier après-midi, il a plu aussi et nous nous sommes réfugiés dans l'église All Saints de Fitzrovia, une belle église victorienne construite en 1859. Nous avons eu la chance d'écouter un récital d'orgue gratuit et merveilleux.

Notting Hill

Saturday, January 25, 2019: