A Grand Day Out In Greenwich

Despite the forecast calling for rain The Heiress and I forged ahead with our plan to make this our day to discover Greenwich.  London was sleepy after a busy Saturday night, paper trails of hen-night banners dotted Embankment as we made our way to the pier.  The Thames Clipper pulled up at 9:30 am and we settled in to a window seat but the views took me from port to starboard several times along the journey which was just over half an hour.  I have no idea who the ladies are in the photo above but they kindly agreed to let me take a photo of their very well-behaved pups as we sailed along.  And venturing by boat to a place nestled so closely to the Thames is an absolute must, you can always go home by Docklands Light Railway.   

For some silly reason it has taken me five trips to London to make Greenwich part of my itinerary plans.  With its centuries-old nautical reputation and maritime history it wasn't quite for me, or so I thought.  The architecture is breathtaking and I gasped in awe once the doors opened at the stunningly beautiful, Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College, another of Wren's masterpieces.  What I've read is true, particularly on this grey day, there is a hint of Hogwarts about the room with glowing candelabras decorating the tables. 

After basking in the glory of majestic structures and artwork The Heiress and I moved on to the Maritime Museum.  It was there that I caught sight of Horatio Nelson's portrait and wouldn't you agree there something about the glint in his eyes...he's handsome, no?

On a previous trip I had seen Nelson's crypt at St Paul's Cathedral but knew next to nothing about the man so the gaps were being filled in.  And what a fascinating story to unravel... 

At the museum you can see the uniform he was wearing when fatally wounded in the Battle of Trafalgar (1805).  The epaulet on his left shoulder blown apart showing the bullet's site of entry.  Nelson's body 'was immersed in a cask of brandy ,  with camphor and myrrh, and lashed to Victory's mainmast' for the return to Gilbraltar before finally heading to London for burial.  More reading about Greenwich and Horatio Nelson will have to be done!

The Queen's House, decorated outside with carved jack o'lanterns, was closed for an event to entertain children dressed in their Halloween costumes.  We spied some of the most adorable witches and vampires you could ever chance upon, wandering the grounds.  But we did take the opportunity to cheer on some participants of a marathon to raise money for breast cancer research while techno music blared from massive speakers.

The area around the High Street was filled with couples, friends and families enjoying the day and only a few sprinkles of rain fell at all.  The market stalls were full of gorgeous crafts, the Starbucks had a ship's wheel dangling above the doorway.  My favourite shop was Lush Designs and this pillow with its whimsical print Cottages & Castles stopped me dead in my tracks, actually everything in the shop is really nice.  There is no room in my luggage for it so I had to enjoy it and then walk away until another time.

After a fortifying lunch at the Coach & Horses pub, cosy courtesy of its roaring fire, The Heiress and I trekked up the steep hill to the Royal Observatory.  The view over Greenwich is more than worth a little bit of huffing and puffing so don't leave it out!  After milling about for a little while we headed back to the station that would take us home, so glad that we didn't let a weather forecast scare us away from one of the best days of our trip.

Back in Central London we couldn't wait to sit ourselves down at the Byron Burger, Haymarket, for a sumptuous feast minus utensils and then The Heiress went one way to meet up with friends in Earl's Court while I played tourist in Piccadilly Circus.  There was a certain Kate and Wills wedding day teacup I needed to add to my commemorative collection.  Go on, laugh...