Touring the Thames and Meandering over the Meridian

Part of my orientation to studying and living in London included an organized boat tour down the Thames (the major river that flows through London), an hour float from the Houses of Parliament / Big Ben to Greenwich.  We passed many iconic landmarks of London (don't have pictures of everything, sorry):

The London Eye (i.e. that huge ferris wheel across from Parliament) 

The City of London (the financial center and original Roman-established part of town) with its strangely-shaped buildings 

The Globe Theater

The Tower of London (the crown jewels are housed here) 

Tower Bridge (commonly mistaken for London Bridge) 

St. Paul's Cathedral (251 steps to the top ... ask me how I know!) 

and the Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

When we arrived in Greenwich, our program staff basically said, "okay, see you later," with the expectation that we get ourselves back to South Kensington in one piece.  Fortunately, it went smoother than I anticipated.

We read all about Britain's long relationship with the sea and its naval pursuits at the Maritime Museum, including a large exhibit dedicated to the East India Company.  Also on display was the gold-plated barge (i.e. river limo) Charles II used to ride down the Thames for all to see.  Gold-plated?  Yeah ... perhaps the original inspiration for those chrome-lined classic cars!

After the Maritime Museum, we hiked up the substantial hill to the Royal Observatory, which straddles the Meridian line (i.e. Longitude 0; Greenwich Mean Time).  What a cool experience: to stand with one foot in the Western Hemisphere and one foot in the Eastern Hemisphere!  It was there at the Royal Observatory that scientists kept the most accurate time and created a time-piece to keep more accurate time at sea.  Though we still call it GMT, the most atomically accurate clock currently resides in Maryland!

London, from the Royal Observatory (located on the south side of the Thames)

Before departing on a DOUBLE DECKER RED BUS* (!!!!), we grabbed lunch at the Greenwich Market, where there was booth after booth of delicious homemade cuisine.

* yes, I made it home, without getting lost OR confused: 2 points for me!