The view of Greenwich from Canary Docks, across the River Thames.
My exhaustion is starting to get the best of me. A trip to Starbucks in the morning was a jolt of energy when I needed it the most, but after an entire day in Greenwich, even caffeine can’t rectify my exhaustion.
Our bus tour was fantastic. A history professor with as much knowledge as a 1,000 page textbook stood at the front. With a dry sense of British humor, we were told about “jackasses” who thought a traffic light sculpture at an intersection would be a “great” idea. We also learned about churches where the forefathers of the United States were married and their ancestors baptized.
We saw some of London’s biggest attractions, including Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. We were let out briefly to look across the river Thames at our next destination: Greenwich.
GREENWICH
Greenwich has way more to it than the infamous meridian. The covered market is like a smaller, more upscale Portobello Market. It sells charming jewelry and handbags. The pastries and breads are tempting from all directions. The prices are a little more expensive than I’d hoped for.
The real attraction is the University of Greenwich. It is comprised of buildings that were intended for Charles II’s palace in the 17th century. Unfortunately, the king ran out of money before the project was complete. Over the last four centuries, several projects finished off the complex.
Our professor told us that the buildings are often used as movie sets, since they can function as a palace, university or government building.
We checked out the chapel and the painted hall. The professor called it the “Sistine Chapel of Protestants.” He couldn’t have been more correct. The overwhelming scenes and gold-leafing was even more splendor than the Vatican had thought of when they commissioned Michaelangelo.
I was taken aback by the magnificence. Even in the chapel, which is much less decorated, the faux marble columns and the large fresco in front of the altar were breathtaking.
We then skipped a tour of the Queen’s House to go up to the Royal Observatory, where I took my hokey tourist picture with one foot in each hemisphere.
