K Pitty in the City: London - Day Three: WWII, Kensington Palace, Tea with Diana, and Views from the Eye

I went to London with a few things in mind: I knew I wanted to see Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, I wanted to ride the eye, and I wanted to experience the food: Fish and Chips, Indian Food (India was once a colony of Great Britain), and... The English Breakfast (please don't be confused with this dish's cousin, heart attack on a plate... this is merely artery clogging goodness). I finally found a place that was open at 8, and enjoyed my first real English breakfast, prepared by an Italian (oh well, it's kind of like my Jewish deli sandwich prepared by an Indian guy in NYC... you just gotta go with it, it's a melting pot of a world!). Here it is (and, yes, I ate it ALL!):

Fueled by this fatty goodness, I went to my first stop of the day: The War Room Cabinet and Churchill Museum. I was only so-so about going to this museum, but it was included in my pass, so I decided to give it a chance... and I'm so glad I did. I've mentioned in other posts how interesting it is to see how WWII affected Europe, as it was SO different than how it affected America, and this museum only further heightened this newfound curiousity. These were the actual rooms where Churchill and his cabinet planned how they were going to defeat the Germans in WWII. Clips of his speaches were played throughout the tour, and highlights of his life were showcased ina museum bearing his name. I stayed in the museum for nearly three hours. I was fascinated. I couldn't get enough. I was so moved by images of England holding strong during the war. St. Paul's, as referenced in my Day 2 Post, was bombed repeatedly, but never fell. Images of the church standing strong even with smoke and fire around it brought goosebumps to my skin and tears to my eyes. I think it is something that I will never understand fully, but something I really want to learn more about. I can literally feel my world expanding with each day that I live in cultures that are different than what I was brought up in... Anyways, climbing down from my mini-soapbox. To put it briefly... if you are at all interested in WWII, this is a must-have stop if you go to London.

The War Room Cabinet

The "Slab" - a Thick piece of concrete inserted into the wall to protect those below from WWII bombings

I exited the museum feeling inspired, and the weather certainly helped - it was warm and sunny. I hopped on a double-decker bus and made my way to Kensington Garden and Hyde Park. I just wandered around the park for about an hour, taking it all in - the numerous roller bladers, families playing with their dogs, elderly people enjoying the pond... it was quite serene. That was when I had a little moment of reality... and I'll share it with you... while all of this is really cool, and I'm seeing a lot of amazing things, it is so utterly, indescribably hard to be alone sometimes. During this walk through Hyde Park, I felt a tightening in my chest that I can only describe as my heart breaking (trust me, I know from experience...). I just got really sad, and had to sit down and collect myself before I could continue. I'm so lucky to get to experience all of these amazing things, but sometimes I just dwell on the life that I had... always a friend to call, a hug to be given, an ear to listen. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this whole experience is not all roses. But I certainly don't regret stretching myself... it just has "moments".

Beautiful Kensington Garden

Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park

Queen Victoria Statue in front of Kensington Palace

After my little walk/panic attack, I took a tour of Kensington Palace, which is where Queen Victoria was born, and where Princess Diana lived for a while. To be honest, the gardens outside were more impressive than the palace, but it was still pretty cool.

Kensington Palace and the Sunken Garden

After this, I went to Harrod's (the famous department store), and had tea with the wealthy consumers there. It was amazing to see everything that they had to offer - everything from Valentino purses to whole chickens - yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can get your dinner and your eveningwear at the very same place. :) One other strange thing... I didn't know this, but Diana's rich boyfriend's father owns Harrod's, so there is a rather large (and kind of creepy) memorial to the two of them in the basement of Harrod's. The diamond engagement ring (not quite as big as the Crown Jewels, but still impressive) that had been purchased a few days before their deaths was on display at the monument... kind of strange...

Harrod's Department Store - currently undergoing "reconstructive surgery"

My ride on the Eye was after this, and it was pretty cool to get to see London from this far up. Of course, it would have been nice to have done this ride with my beloved Sean, however, que sera, sera, he'll be here next week (yes, that's right... only 10 days to go!). After the ride, I made my way home... I was exhausted! Here are some photos from the ride: