2012-12 England (En route to Los Angeles – Holidays 2012) – Photos / 2012 Australia - Indonesia - Indian Ocean to South Africa Photos, 2012 Australia - Indonesia - Indian Ocean to South Africa Voyage - Photos, 2012 Dec Photos, 2012 Photos, By Voyage Photos, Photos, Voyages / By Muhammad Holborn Station – Kingsway area of London. En route back to Los Angeles, I went with Nikki back to England. She was taking care of her sister for an unknown period of time. Clean and efficient, the “Underground” makes getting around London Town pretty easy Typical “Tube” signage in the London Underground. I took a 2 hour train ride from London to Norwich Station on the North Sea east coast of England. Nikki took me to the “pub” where I enjoyed my first “whiskey mac” When one speaks of history, read this sign. 1500 years! Officially founded in 1249! The door ways were very low…..:-) Norwich Cathedral Interior Norwich Cathedral Cromer Parish Church Cromer Pier, Norfolk Breakfast at Byfords….The ladies knitting circle Cambridge University Church in Cambridge Hey, it’s winter and I’m not equipped for the cold after 5 years in the tropics Entrance to King’s College, Cambridge King’s College, Cambridge King’s College Colleges of Cambridge with Henry VIII Corpus Christi Corpus Christi College, Cambridge The lanes of Cambridge Liverpool Street Station At the Tower of London No photos allowed……But we did get to see the Queens crowns and diamonds Tower Bridge Sentry Guards at the Tower of London London “Eye”. Our luck, it was closed for it’s annual 2 weeks of maintenance for the year. Next time!… Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament We went to the London Boat Show Admiral Nelson history at the grounds of the Royal Greenwich Obseratory Nelson’ Ship in a Bottle This is the actual uniform that Nelson wore when he was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar, off the coast of Spain. October 21st, 1805 View of Queen’s House & Canary Wharf from Greenwich Park. Entrance to the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Note the official measures which the Brits no longer use….but we do….:-) Gift Shop and entrance Dobsonian telescope This is where the hemispheres officially begin Nikki and I are standing with one foot each in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres This is the companion shot to when Anja, Sandrine and I stood on the Anti Meridian in Taveuni Fiji in 2011. The official signage Nikki with the Prime Meridian marker Edmond Halley of the Comet fame and second Astronomer Royale. His tombstone was moved here in the 1854. Greenwich Meridian Telescope The telescope which is perfectly aligned on the Prime Meridianl Dropping of the 1pm ball. This is done daily to alert all in sight as to the exact local time A roll call of the all the Astronomer Royale’s of the Greenwich Observatory John Harrison’s clocks. This is number 1 in a series of 4. He was the first person to make accurate chronometers which forever allowed for accurate navigation around the world Captain Cook took one of Harrison’s clock aboard a journey to the South Pacific to test it’s long term reliability at sea. This is #2 John Harrison’s Longitude time piece, #3 Harrison’s Chronometer – #4 and the watch that truly revolutionized the world of maritime navigation. Until the advent of GPS in the 1980’s, watches like this were used world wide including the major Navy’s of the world Prime Meridian is a big tourist attraction Cutty Sark Rig of the Cutty Sark Classic “block and tackle” rigging on an old sailing ship Wheel of the Cutty Sark Chilly, but lots of fun The vessel is enclosed as a museum and restaurant below the level of the waterline. Example’s of ship’s figureheads; used on old sailing ships for luck Hull (enclosed) of the Cutty Sark Nikki where she likes to be best….”Give her a tall ship and a star to steer her by” We wouldn’t see each other till late February….I’ll miss her.