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The past couple of days have gone by so fast, I can't believe tomorrow is our last day in London. I have been having a blast in London, by the way. There is something in the air that just makes me feel right at home.
Our first day, we started with the imperial war museum. I highly recommend this museum. First of all, it is free, so what have you got to loose? Second of all, it contains some really amazing exhibitions. One is the WWII family, which focused I families in England after England declared war on Germany starting WWII. It shows all the propaganda, all the radio programs to help ration food, etc. really well done and so intriguing. Then they also have probably the best holocaust exhibition I have ever seen. It starts from the end of WWI, and talks about the rise of Hitler, and takes you through the entire time,one very thoroughly and takes you through the defeat of Germany and liberation of concentration camps. So educational and so moving.
That day we went over to Picadilly circus and found (go figure) a place called the Hippodrome Casino. Hey, if Hippodrome is part of the equation, you know it's a good thing. They were probably the only place in London playing American football (which they streamed over the Internet and plugged their computers to televisions)
The following day, yesterday, we watched the changing of the guard and then walked to Westminster Abbey. Wedding the tour if Westminster Abbey, but for crying out loud, you pay 18pounds per person to go inside, you think they would let you take a photo or two.
Following Westminster abbey, we walked around looking at the parliament buildings,big Ben, and even St. James park. Finally, we decided it was time to visit a pub.
Today we ventured over to the east side of London where we went to Shakespeare's Globe theatre. Really cool! Then we went into the "Clink Jail" which was a silly museum that was actually really educational. We learned a lot about the terror side of monarchies and different punishments and ways of torturing and executing prisoners. Quite a contrast from Westminster Abbey where your audio guide speaks highly if a, the different kings, queens, royals and nobles that have their bodies in the chapel. Suddenly you hear about all the "naughty" things they were doing like arresting and executing their wives, priests, drunks, people in debt, etc, etc, etc.
After the jail, we went over to tower bridge and crossed it. We tried to make it to the tower if London, but unfortunately we were re mom ended by the staff to come another day because we would not have enough time to see everything. So we decided we would go back tomorrow morning for a visit.
We ended our evening Ina true Kevin and Stephanie fashion: a grim reaper tour. The tour took us to all haunted spots, including the perimeter of the for of London, Bedlam - the first psychiatric hospital, amongst a few other places. But the entire second half of the tour was all Jack the ripper. We were taken to the places where bodies were found, where the victims lived, where they used to solicit their services and ended at a pub that had been there since Jack the ripper was killing. Then the small tour group sat around discussing theories about who Jack the Ripper is.
Fun fact: a common execution technique was called hung, drawn and quartered. This was done only to men. It's pretty much what was done to William Wallace in "Braveheart". The prisoner was hung and left there hanging until they were about to die. Then they were cut down and revived. Then they were tied up and their insides were cut out if them and burned on a fire while they were made to watch. Then they were castrated. After the castration, their arms and legs were cut off and then finally, to put the prisoner out of their misery after making him suffer as long as possible, his head was cut off. Women on the other hand, we're burned at the stake. However, Queen Mary (aka Bloody Mary), wouldn't allow the use of "green wood" because it would smoke up so much that it would make the victim pass out before burning to death, and she wanted to make the prisoner suffer as long as possible.
There you have it, a little gruesome English History.
- comments
Momala There is a theory that the "Ripper" actually came over to the US, New York actually and continued his shenanigans. They were closing in on him so he left and went west. At that time there were murders wherever this person went. I watched a show about it. They think he was an upholsterer who knew how to cut things up. It is an interesting theory which I tend to believe.
sherm86 There are also reports of these killings happening in Jamaica after the ones In London stopped. One of the prostitutes was last seen with a sailor before she died, so because of these facts, many believe the ripper was a sailor. Killings in New York could also support this idea. I think it was a guy named Robert Mann who was a morticians assistant. Go to casebook.org for all the evidence and theories. Casebook doesn't acknowledge Mann, but there are soapy possibilities.