This picture is from out and about in Longwood—the rest are from my favorite museum in Mt. Dora  http://www.mountdorahistorymuseum.com/

got these reminders today:

​Hello Linda! Your trip to London is less than a week away  FROM BOOKING.COM

Also notified that Southern Trails are going to be on strike on 20th (for one day).  We aren’t riding any trains on the 20th and mostly Virgin until after Susi leaves and then I’m doing the Southern  Hopefully the strike won’t get any longer or be moved to the 2 days in June when I am traveling with them.

BEDLAM:  BETHLEHAM HOSPITAL FOR THE DERANGED

PORT = GATE

WARD = One of the 26 areas the City of London–that square mile that formed London’s earliest residence–was divided for local administration.

Outlander called the best on TV:  http://hollywoodlife.com/2016/04/09/outlander-review-season-2-premiere-jamie-claire-france/

and http://www.outlandertvnews.com/2016/05/varietys-twitter-q-a-with-sam-heughan-video/   Sam’s answers twitter questions on this video

This city is rich in grocery, in cloth, linens, fisheries and has one of the most beautiful bridges in the world.    Stephen Perlin   1550

Well we’re down to less than a week craziness.  I just made a quickie trip to the bank to order Pounds which hopefully will be delivered in the 2-3 days anticipated…..at the moment it costs about $1.54/each pound….which isn’t horrible I’ve seen the rate on dollars much worse.

This weekend we purchased odds and ends and got our hair cut and our nails and toes done so we’ll be all beautiful for the UK….went everywhere from Colonial Camera and Hobby http://www.cphfun.com/ where I got an extra battery for my camera—remind me I need to put that in charger–and a multi-card reader for my computer–BIG THANKS TO FRANK for all his help.  we made several other stop for assorted small items and ended the day with a late lunch early dinner at Cheese Cake Factory.   Then Sunday it was Hair Cuttery  http://www.haircuttery.com/ and then home to organize the stuff we’d gotten….I’m in the nervous what did I forget mode now…..Help.

The city is great in itself but also has spacious suburbs and a magnificently built castle called the Tower…In London kings are crowned in style and inaugurated in splendid ceremonies…It is a wonder for learned men.  George Braun and Franz Hogenberg–1572

Roman London was founded in approximately AD49 and had its first bridge (very close to the modern London Bridge) by AD50.  Tightly packed with wooden buildings  a fire around AD125 burned the city to the ground forcing it to be rebuilt AD125-130.

Name:  Londinium—it has been continuously settled since the Romans

By the 3rd century it had a massive wall that enclosed it’s 341 acres and contained approximately 30,000 people.

“The inhabitants…are extremely proud and overbearing and because the greater part, especially the tradespeople, seldom go into other countries but always remain in their houses in the city attending to their business, they care little for foreigners but scoff and laugh at them.”  Frederick, Duke of Wurttemberg   1592

BIG BEN IS THE NAME OF THE BELL—not the clock or the tower; it keeps Greenwich Mean Time–the line marking the beginning runs through London–except in the summer when they’re on spring forward hour just like us.  Oh and that beautiful building right below the tower is the mother of all parliaments.

Did you know that the British Empire at its height, was the largest empire ever known?

Henry III was extremely religious and on his way to meet Louis IX (king of France) he stopped to pray every time he met a priest, needless to say his journey took a long time….Louis learned his lesson from that and the next time they were to meet Louis banned all priest from Henry’s route.

John Hollybush a most excellent and perfect homish apothecary or homely physic book for all the griefs and diseases of the body–1561.

Trafalgar Square is the “strategic” center of London.  It was named for Lord Nelson’s victory over Napoleon’s fleet off Cape Trafalgar.  It contains Nelson’s Column (162 feet), four sculpted bronze lions.  A statue of Charles I is the spot where all distances to/from London are measured.  The financial district are to the east, shopping to the west, entertainment district to the north and the government the south.

Throats are blessed once a year at St. Etheldreda’s Ely Place in London.  It is done on Feb.  3 the Feast Day of St. Blaise, patron saint, of what else, throat troubles

In fulfillment of a bequest made by John Norton in 1612, members of the Stationers’ Company assemble every Ash Wednesday (to the present) in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral to hear the “Cakes & Ale” sermon, the refreshment being served on their return to Stationers’ Hall.

“My mortal foe can no ways wish me a greater harm than England’s hate; neither should death be less welcome unto me than such mishap betide me. ”  Elizabeth I

An underground river was dammed to make this center piece (The Serpentine) In one of London’s largest parks:  Hyde.  Here on Rotten Row was the city’s first street lighting and horse and riders are common here today as they were then.

In the middle of London is the relic of a mysterious temple of a long gone, popular Roman cult of a Persian God Mithras.  The temple is typical in that it is built partially underground and was discovered accidentally during building work in the aftermath of a bombing during World War II.

London’s underground is notorious besides the church crypts and house cellars there’s the artificial caves, like Jack Cade’s Cavern in Blackheath, ex-chalk mines which have occasionally subsided (they swallowed a horse in 1798) and were notorious haunt of gamblers, prostitutes and pleasure-seekers–in fact the authorities sealed them in 1835.  Oh and don’t forget Sweeney Todd’s saloon with its subterranean link to the pie shop on the other side of St. Dunstan in the West.

“They are good sailors, and better pirates, cunning, treacherous and thievish; above three hundred are said to be hanged annually at London.  Paul Hentzner TRAVELS IN ENGLAND 1598

https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/DragonLaire/tools/listings/243133212

Which is the way to London Town?

One foot up, the other down,

That is the way to London town.

Traditional Song

 

Also got this reminder from one of my London tours:

London Graffiti and Street Art Tour

People: 2 x 1 Day