Back to London

Thursday

We were up early again for the trip back to London. Ray made us coffee in his gourmet kitchen and took us to the 8:15 train.  This time the two car self-propelled unit took us only as far as Oxenholme, about 20 minutes away, where we changed to the Virgin West high speed train for a rainy trip back to London.  We had breakfast on the train, an amenity of first class. I again enjoyed viewing the rolling fields, etc. as they moved past at 150 mph.  The trip was so efficient that we were re registered at our hotel, the K & K Hotel George, by 11 a.m. 

An underground ride to the Tower Hill station brought us above ground across the street from the Tower of London.  A few blocks walk and we could see the Tower Bridge, the distinctive bridge that many people mistake for London Bridge.  It was under repair so I didn't get a really good view.  I did get some nice pictures of the Tower of London.

The rain had ended and the sun was coming out as we made our way via the Docklands light rail to Greenwich. Michael and I climbed up the hill to the observatory where he took my picture with me astride the prime meridian (longitude 0.00 degrees). We visited the museum.  Michael gave me a short version of his lecture on how the British navy became supreme with the development of an accurate chronometer (clock) set to Greenwich mean time.  With this instrument and a measurement of the local time by the sun or stars, the sailors could accurately determine their longitude.  Combined with the existing technology for an exact astronomical measurement of latitude they could determine their position on the globe precisely.  This gave them a major advantage over all other navies which lacked a similar system.  It was really special to hear the talk while Michael pointed out the actual four instruments that John Harrison successively invented to solve the problem of creating an accurate marine chronometer. We finished with a tour of the restored apartments of the Royal Astronomer including the Octagon Room designed by Christopher Wren.

We walked downhill to the Thames past the Maritime Museum to the wharf where the historic wooden sailing ship the Cutty Sark is on display.  The ship was shrouded in canvas and under restoration.  Some signs said it would reopen in the Spring of 2010 but others said 2011.  From the look of the site, 2011 is more likely.  At the end of the wharf, Michael led me to a round building with a glass dome that marked the entrance of a pedestrian walkway tunneled under the Thames.  We descended several stories in an oak lined elevator managed by a live operator to a concrete tube that ran perhaps a thousand feet under the river.  The descent in the elevator reminded me of the elevator at Disney World's Haunted House. Spooky. No pictures were allowed.  Walking under the river was really something.

We took another identical elevator up at the far end.  We emerged about a block away from a light rail station. We traveled the Docklands light rail further east to view the Thames flood control barrier.  It's a truly geeky engineering delight. Built in the early 1980's, the barrier has been raised over 100 times to prevent storm surges from flooding central London.  With the continuing sea level rise and the sinking of eastern Britain experts estimate that a new barrier will be needed by the end of this century.  Meanwhile it works.

Friends from Boulder had arrived in London that morning and we were to meet them for dinner.  We were caught in the rush hour commute.  Additionally there was switch trouble on the underground line we were taking.  Michael tells me that this is not unusual during rush hour.  We met them at their hotel around 6:30 after an exchange of e-mails and a few expensive telephone calls explaining our progress.  We all proceeded back to the SoHo district for dinner at Michael's favorite Malaysian restaurant.  The neighborhood was fascinating and the restaurant was fabulous. We all enjoyed the food and good company.

Leaving our friends at the entrance to the underground we took the "tube" to Convent Garden and walked downhill to the river and along the Embankment.  The stroll along the Thames by night was marvelous.  The city was lit beautifully, the weather was most pleasant; the setting was most romantic.  The next day would bring still another adventure!