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| Yep, that really is the Greenwich meridian timeline he is straddling! |
To win a few more points in the Perfect Tourists Awards here's the list of accomplishments:
- A ferry ride down the Thames
- A trek around the multiple exhibitions in the Royal Maritime Museum - I'm now an authority on Lord Nelson and the abolition of slavery (although no mention of the thousands of slaves transported by the English, there was lots of information about its abolition - a somewhat selective and politically correct version of history).
- A visit to the Queens House to admire beautiful ceilings and the lily/tulip spiral staircase
- A stroll up Observatory Hill admiring the propensity of the English to lie around on any green lawns at the merest hint of sunshine.
- A perambulation around the buildings which constitute the Royal Observatory. Even Ewan couldn't understand how some very shiny old machines helped ships locate their latitude and longitude. There was some reference to Captain Cook and his use of various navigational devices on his trips south.....and for the children a small door to open to show some of the animals he found. They consisted of two stuffed toys : a wombat and a wallaby that bore minimal resemblance to either (probably Made in China!)
- A photo of Ewan straddling the meridian timeline
- A wander around the streets of Greenwich and the market without any purchases being made (!).
- An exploration of all of the levels of the Cutty Sark which actually sailed to Melbourne and Sydney a few times to transport wool to England and Indian tea to Australia. A frightening number of sails and ropes for 30 men to operate.
And as proof here are the photos!
from your landlubber correspondent
Dianne
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| Elaborate figureheads from the bows of some old ships |
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| Even dogs were considered lucky enough to be figureheads! |
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| Looking up into the high reaches of the tulip spiral staircase in the Queens House |
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| A very clever dolphin sundial! |
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