Discover Greenwich

Kevin here.  Another day trip we took during our 3 weeks in London was out to Greenwich, located on the Thames river to the east of London.  It was a great trip that did not disappoint.  Well... except for a couple of aspects.

To get to Greenwich, we hopped on a Thames river boat that took us on a 45-minute cruise down the river.  Wow, what a great ride.  At least for me, this was one of the most enjoyable things we did in London. There is more history along the Thames on the way to Greenwich than I can speak of.  And the first of the disappointments is this: we failed to take enough pictures!  I don't know what I was thinking.  I think I just got wrapped up in it all and completely forgot.  Fortunately, Kelly grabbed a few.

Justin listens attentively to the pilot of the boat as he discusses Thames history.

The boys enjoyed the cruise down the Thames.

The cruise to Greenwich took us under many of the great bridges over the Thames.   Kelly managed shots of almost all of them.  Here are a few:

Shortly before going under Tower Bridge.

The Millenium footbridge, with warehouses converted into flats behind.

For example, here are some of the things about the river cruise:

- this part of London (along the Thames, to the east of central London) is undergoing tremendous revitalization.  What was once mile-after-mile of old wharfs and dilapidated warehouses is now being turned into some of the most amazing flats and condos with shops and parks that you've ever seen.  I could live there some day.  Here's what I'm thinking:  Kelly and I sail our sailboat up the Thames and dock it right next to the building where our flat is.  Check.

- Wharf.  It was here that I first learned that the word was originally an acronym for "ware house at river front."  Awesome.  I love learning stuff like that.

- So we're cruising along the Thames and I look over to my right (to the south side of the river) and I see a little pub called "the Mayflower."  That's when the pilot of the boat happens to mention that... get this.. that's where the Mayflower sailed to America from.  I mean... come on!  How cool is that!  And how could I forget to take a picture!

It was mile after mile of that kind of history.  And beautiful old factories and wharfs being transformed into some of the coolest looking apartment buildings and pubs and businesses you've ever seen.  Great ride!

Our boat arrives at Greenwich.

Now, Greenwich, if you didn't know, is known for 2 things:
1.  British Naval history
2.  Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian

(uh, is that 3 things?)

So, the very first thing you seen when you arrive at the pier in Greenwich is one cool sailing vessel: The Cutty Sark!  The Cutty Sark is a beautiful old clipper ship that was once the fastest thing on the seas, moving tea from China to London.  It was undergoing restoration when we were there (due to a fire a few years ago).  That was disappointing as I really wanted to see the ship.  It was set to open at the end of April, so we just missed it's grand re-unveiling by a few weeks.  Another disappointment.

The Cutty Sark, undergoing restoration.

The kids play with an old cannon near the Cutty Sark. Daniel continues the ancient human tradition of sticking a head into the barrel of a gun to see what's in there.  It simply cannot be helped.

First stop, after seeing what we could of the Cutty Sark was the Greenwich visitor's center.  It was a great resource to plan our day.

Daniel discovering Greenwich.

In the Greenwich Visitor's Center, Anna tries on the headpiece from a suit of armor. It's so heavy that Kelly has to help to keep her from falling over.

First stop:  The awesome British National Maritime Museum.  It's very close to the Old Royal Naval College, which was designed by Christopher Wren.  A beautiful place.

Kevin and the boys approach the National Maritime Museum.

Oh wow.  I wish I could convey just how cool this place is.  Part of the allure for me is that I love history.  And I especially love naval history.  And naval history doesn't get much better than British naval history.  The Brits once ruled the seas.  It was once said that the sun never sets on the British Empire!

For example:  below is the very uniform that Lord Nelson was shot and killed in during the Battle of Trafalgar.  There is a bullet hole in it and even blood stains on the back.  Wow.

Lord Nelson's uniform from Trafalgar.

So, the museum is loaded with that kind of history:  the history of trade in Britain (the East India Company, etc.), naval warfare, exploration, exploitation (an unblinking look at British slave trade), and even a history of the Thames River.

But, oh my, one of my favorites was a look at models of old British sailing ships like this one:
The kids -- particularly the boys -- seem pretty engaged by these model ships.  And this big boy was definitely engaged. One interesting fact:  I had always thought that these models were only created within, maybe, the past 50-75 years or so.  Actually, most of these models are older than the actual ships they're based on.  Some models were built after the ship for reasons such as trying to determine why a certain ship sank.  But most of these were built prior to the ship itself to demonstrate new ship-building techniques or new wartime technologies or -- in many cases -- as a way to sell the monarchy on building the ship.  A sales pitch!  Awesome.  It was still amazing to see these models, many of which are over 400 years old.

Daniel and I marvel at a 350-year old British frigate model.

Daniel checks out more models.

Justin, in particular, liked this huge model ship.

One interesting feature of the museum was a child-oriented section that included a ship simulator.  The kids got to choose which scenario they wanted (navigate under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, rescue a person from a sinking ship, etc.) and then used a series of computers and levers to pilot the ship.  They loved this.

Justin, Daniel, and Anna work together to pilot their ship in the simulator.

The final big disappointment of the day:  we spent so much time at the Maritime Museum that, by the time we left, the Greenwich Observatory (where the Prime Meridian is, etc.) was closed.  Ugh.  Very disappointing.  Oh well... it goes on the list to see on our next trip to London.

So we let the kids play on the large ship's anchor out front instead.  They were just as happy, I think.

Big.  Anchor.

Lastly, we walked through a tunnel that goes under the Thames river to catch a train at a nearby DLR station for the ride home.  Disappointments not withstanding, it was a great day in Greenwich and a great place to see.

Tunnel under the Thames from Greenwich