Drawing Rooms, Poppies, and High Tea - London (Day 6 - GToE)

Welcome to Day 6 of my tour of Europe.

Have you ever wondered what living a middle class life would be like in London over the course of 400 years? If so, have I got a museum of you? If not, well, you'll just have to be bored for a little bit. My friend, Jen, told me about a museum located in East London, The Geffrye Museum of the Home. Founded in 1914, the Geffrye is "a museum specializing in the history of the English domestic interior" (Wikipedia). The museum has 11 period room which follow the transition of middle class living over the course of 400 years. The rooms start in 1690 and go right through the 1990s. It was a fascinating walk through history. My favorite was, unsurprising, the Regency period room (think: Jane Austen - see photo right). 

After leaving the Geffrye, I decided to head over to the Tower of London. The Tower of London is a historic castle located on the north bank of the Thames River and was also used at one time to house political prisoners who were then executed. It also is the repository for the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. I didn't actually go into the Tower because I had visited 13 years ago, but I wanted to visit the Tower for one purpose only: to view the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red art installation. This installation marks the one hundred years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. "Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the Tower's famous moat over the summer. Each poppy represents a British military fatality during the war" (website). First off, this art project is amazing and beautiful, but it has one drawback - the crowds. Again, the amount of people viewing this installation made me want to punch a baby, but it was worth the maddening crush of humanity. Additionally, I took some photos of the Tower Bridge, which is one of my favorite bridges.

Following the visit to the Tower, I met up with my friend, Jacquelyn, and we headed out for afternoon tea at the St. Ermin's Tea Lounge. Afternoon tea is a light meal typically served between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. The ritual of afternoon tea owes its origins to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. As a young women in the early 1800s, she lived during a time when it was common to eat only two main meals a day, with breakfast scheduled early in the morning and dinner occurring late in the evening. Weakened and irritated by hunger pangs each day, she decided to schedule time to take tea and snack each afternoon. Sad to say, I have never before been for a traditional afternoon tea, but that was all fixed today. We had a delicious meal of finger sandwiches, scones, and desserts accompanied with tea and unlimited champagne. Yeah, that's the good stuff! 

Tonight it was dinner at another pub that Jen and Bill love. I had (essentially) bangers and mash for dinner. Again, yummy!!

Remember to check out Day 6 photos at my GToE photo site. Warning: 85 photos!