 |
| Outside the Sherlock Holmes Museum |
Given the events of yesterday, there was still a lot to accomplish in
our last full day here. We started off the morning by going to Baker St, where there was the Sherlock Holmes museum. This museum is a replica of what Sherlock Holmes's house would have looked like if it was real. It was pretty cool for anyone who was a Sherlock fan, and I enjoyed it, even though there were some really creepy wax figures. Judging by the line to get in, the museum is quite the popular tourist attraction, and it is another example of globalization. Sherlock Holmes is known throughout the world and is a popular figure in pop culture. Baker St., where the museum was located, is a street with many shops to browse through. We went in to the Beatles store, which just sells all kinds of memorabilia from t-shirts to original vinyl records. I'm a huge Beatles fan, so it was fun, but not much of anything that I couldn't find in the U.S. But the Beatles are just another example of globalization as they were and still are a world famous band. Many of the shops and restaurants around here are the same as back home. I've seen a lot of McDonalds, Starbucks, Subway, Forever 21, H&M, and much more. This again shows how our favorite things from home are actually all over the world and part of a common culture that many people share. There are a fair share of U.K. chains and unique stores as well as souvenir shops, but there is plenty of evidence of commonalities between the two cultures.
From Baker St. we headed back to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards, which is a ceremony that usually takes place daily when the palace guards change shifts. There is a big procession of guards and men on horseback, and they play march and play music as well. We were pretty far away, so we couldn't see as well as I would have liked, but it was still interesting to see. Since we don't have a royal family at home, this kind of thing doesn't really exist; although, there is plenty of fanfare, although not quite in this fashion, when the president comes to visit different places. It makes me wonder if I would feel loyalty toward the queen if I was from here, this figurehead that has a lot of historical importance. The U.S. is founded on ideals that reject royalty and kings with authority, so, even though the royal family are more of a representation of the country than anything else nowadays, it really isn't part of the culture I am from.
After changing of the guards, we headed to an art museum located in the Somerset House, which apparently is literally someone's house who basically donated part of it for this museum. It looks like a palace. The museum had some pieces by famous artists such as Degas, Gauguin, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, and Picasso. Many of these were on loan from art collectors. One of the pieces was
Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh. It was awesome to see some paintings by artists I recognized, a benefit to coming to such a historic city.
 |
| Somerset House |
After the museum we headed to
Abbey Road. On the way there it was quite a long bus ride, and we got to see parts of London we hadn't seen yet, including some shopping areas. While I didn't do much shopping while I was here, something that struck me was that many of the modern shops are built into the old buildings with elaborate architecture. Another example of the blending of the old and new that I talked about before, something very different from a lot of the scenery I would find at home.
 |
| Abbey Road |
When we got to Abbey Road, I was very excited, even though it's just a street. The crosswalk is actually a zebra crosswalk, which means that legally pedestrians have the right of way to cross. That doesn't mean that you should actually spend a lot of time when there is traffic trying to replicate the Abbey Road album cover. There were a lot of people doing that though. I did get a picture crossing the street, but it was pretty busy when we were there, so it was quick. I also got a picture of Abbey Road Studio, and of course the Abbey Road street sign. This was one of the things I was most excited about. Again, The Beatles represent commonalities among U.K., U.S., and global culture. Another item crossed off my bucket list!
 |
| St. Paul's Cathedral |
 |
| Westminster Abbey |
Finally, after a short break back at the hotel, Stefinie and I ventured out one last time to see
St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. We went past visiting hours, so we could only take pictures from the outside, but at least we got up close. St. Paul's Cathedral was used in the Feed the Birds scene in Mary Poppins for those who are unfamiliar, and Westminster Abbey is the famous church where Prince William and Kate Middleton got married. This is how Americans recognize these sites. They are extremely beautiful buildings, and I'm glad I got to see them. London is also beautiful at night; next time I come I may have to go on one of those bus tours by night. As I was taking pictures though, I couldn't help but wonder how I would feel if I was actually a resident of this city. Would I still be awestruck by the beauty of the historic buildings as I am now, or would they simply be commonplace, and would I be annoyed at seeing tourists with cameras everywhere? Since I am not from a large tourist destination, I can never be sure. I think I would love to live in a city of such historical significance. Hopefully those surroundings never become mundane to those who live here, because that would be a shame. That's just another example of the difference between two cultures, not just U.K. and U.S., but also of tourist and non-tourist destinations.
One last note to provide before I sign off for the night: I was identified as American by the server at dinner because I ordered hot tea. She thought that was funny; I guess they don't say hot tea here. One more thing I've learned. London has been amazing, but it's on to Scotland tomorrow (or I guess today actually). I'm looking forward to it!
It's been great, London! Next time you hear from me, I'll be in Scotland!
Given the events of yesterday, there was still a lot to accomplish in our last full day here. We started off the morning by going to Baker St, where there was the Sherlock Holmes museum. This museum is a replica of what Sherlock Holmes's house would have looked like if it was real. It was pretty cool for anyone who was a Sherlock fan, and I enjoyed it, even though there were some really creepy wax figures. Judging by the line to get in, the museum is quite the popular tourist attraction, and it is another example of globalization. Sherlock Holmes is known throughout the world and is a popular figure in pop culture. Baker St., where the museum was located, is a street with many shops to browse through. We went in to the Beatles store, which just sells all kinds of memorabilia from t-shirts to original vinyl records. I'm a huge Beatles fan, so it was fun, but not much of anything that I couldn't find in the U.S. But the Beatles are just another example of globalization as they were and still are a world famous band. Many of the shops and restaurants around here are the same as back home. I've seen a lot of McDonalds, Starbucks, Subway, Forever 21, H&M, and much more. This again shows how our favorite things from home are actually all over the world and part of a common culture that many people share. There are a fair share of U.K. chains and unique stores as well as souvenir shops, but there is plenty of evidence of commonalities between the two cultures.
From Baker St. we headed back to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards, which is a ceremony that usually takes place daily when the palace guards change shifts. There is a big procession of guards and men on horseback, and they play march and play music as well. We were pretty far away, so we couldn't see as well as I would have liked, but it was still interesting to see. Since we don't have a royal family at home, this kind of thing doesn't really exist; although, there is plenty of fanfare, although not quite in this fashion, when the president comes to visit different places. It makes me wonder if I would feel loyalty toward the queen if I was from here, this figurehead that has a lot of historical importance. The U.S. is founded on ideals that reject royalty and kings with authority, so, even though the royal family are more of a representation of the country than anything else nowadays, it really isn't part of the culture I am from.
No comments:
Post a Comment