In December 2018, Carl surprised me with plane tickets to the U.K. I was super excited! At that time, I was not a Norwegian passport holder, so I had to apply for a tourist visa, which took about a month to process. I created the application online on Dec 24, submitted the requirements in Oslo on Dec 27, and got the visa stamped on my passport on Jan 24. We were in London during the Easter holidays (2019) – it was amazing. We got to see the Prime Meridian Line, the vibrant London city center, and of course, the Stonehenge!

This entry is for the first part of journey – a trip to a royal suburb in London, Greenwich. I’ve known the name Greenwich first as a pizza chain in the Philippines. We decided spontaneously to start the trip there, as we thought it would be fun to visit the Royal Observatory, a.k.a. Longitude 0. If you’re wondering what a prime meridian is: It’s a “north-south line, selected as the zero reference line for astronomical observations. By comparing thousands of observations taken from the same meridian it’s possible to build up an accurate map of the sky.” (rmg.co.uk) In addition, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich, the spot was chosen because the US had already chosen it, and that it was widely used as the Prime Meridian in the late 19th century. So basically, it’s a point where east meets west, which was like our love story.

When we arrived in London, we had to line up and get our passports stamped in the airport. We also had to fill out a blue tourist card, which asked about where we’re staying and the duration of our stay. After that, we took the train to the city center and checked in at Hotel Lily.

After a scrumptuous English breakfast provided by the hotel, we took the train to Greenwich. It was fun to commute with someone and get to know the city better. The subways seemed very efficient, and locals’ lives gave an impression of being very “fast-paced” in London, as most other capital cities. By the way, it was also very helpful that the roads had huge “Look right” and “Look left” signs! It was a bit confusing.

Located in southeast London and south bank of the river Thames, Greenwich became popular for its naval and military connections. It has the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum; the Greenwich University, which was established in 1890; grand houses and palaces; the Cutty Sark, one of the last tea clipper ships to be built and one of the fastest; and the refreshing Greenwich Park. It has a long and colorful history that in 1997, Maritime Greenwich was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So, the Royal Observatory: we bought our tickets and stood on the Prime Meridian Line.

Aside from that, visitors can learn about astronomy and its history in Britain. There was also the Great Equatorial Telescope, and the Flamsteed House, which was home to royal astronomers for years.

The Observatory also houses a planetarium. And offers great views of London from afar.

The Royal Observatory is located within the Greenwich Park. So, we walked across it and towards the National Maritime Museum, which features the British naval history. There were also displays of propellers and shipheads.

At that time, there was an international streetfood festival, which was timely. We were hungry, and enjoyed a sausage sandwich for lunch. A walk around some of the buildings belonging to the University was also very refreshing. It reminded me of U.P. Diliman. The university where I took my second bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Norway has 8 campuses, but they were much smaller than U.P. There’s no need for bigger campuses, I guess.

Before leaving Greenwich, we checked out the Cutty Sark. More about its history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutty_Sark.

By this time, we were pondering whether to go through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, a 370-meter underwater foot tunnel which crosses the river Thames, or take the ferry boat to the city center. Built in 1902, the tunnel is used by thousands of people every day, and is open to the public 24/7.

Well, we thought that the ferry ride would be more scenic. So we took the boat from Greenwich pier to the Tower Millenium pier, and continued the sightseeing escapade. More about it in the next entry. 🙂 ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ARE MINE. Cheers! 🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes