Things we learned today

Today we took a London City Bus/Boat Tour. Here are a few interesting things we learned:

1) We drove by The Texas Embassy Restaurant and Grill which is where the former White Star Line offices were. The White Star Line office was where people bought tickets for the Titanic.

2) Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park has a soapbox off the ground so the speakers aren't technically on British soil. And there are three things they can't talk about: the Royal Family, treason against the state, or beg for money.

3) The only US Embassy not on US soil is in London. The area where the US Embassy in London is, is owned by the Grosvenor Family and they refused to sell land to the US to build an embassy. Supposedly when the US asked how much they would charge the family answered, "The State of Virginia."

4) The River Thames is a tidal river; it rises and falls 3 metres every day.

5) Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the tower. The official name of the tower is St Stephen's Clock Tower.

6) Lord Nelson, Britain's greatest admiral, had only one eye, one leg, couldn't swim, and got seasick!

7) The current mayor of London hates pigeons, so if you get caught feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, you will be fined £100. (Which is about $213CAN)

8) You are not allowed to lie down in Trafalgar Sqaure; you can't even look like you are about to lie down. (There is a lot of lawn so it wouldn't be the worst place in the world for a nap!)

9) Two years after he died, Oliver Cromwell was dug up, was beheaded and his head was placed on a pike on London Bridge. It didn't fall off for 23 years.

(Dave just discovered that one set of my earrings is in backwards. Dora noticed it first. Her comment upon Dave's discovery was, "Blindess, thy name is male." I'm not sure Dave has a leg to stand on in refuting this comment.)

As for the rest of our day, Dave will post an entry shortly about what we actually did!