I See Through my LeNs: March 2016

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

ToWeR of LoNDoN

The Tower of London, officially Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill.

But it was during the Tudor period that the Tower entered the bloodiest period of its history. Its cells and torture chambers were rarely empty of political and religious prisoners in the aftermath of Henry VIII’s revolutionary break from the authority of the Pope in Rome.

Those imprisoned at his Majesty’s pleasure included politician Sir Thomas More (1534), Henry’s second wife Anne Boleyn (1546), and Protestant reformer Anne Askew (1546). More was beheaded after refusing to accept Henry as head of the new Church of England. Boleyn fell out of favour after failing to produce a male heir and, accused of incest and adultery, was beheaded within the Tower’s walls. While the unfortunate Askew was so weak from torture on the rack for failing to implicate Queen Katherine Parr and her ladies as heretics, that she had to be carried in a chair to the stake where she was to be burned.

At almost every stage since in London’s history, the Tower has had a starring role. In 1605, it played bleak host to Guy Fawkes after the disastrous plot to blow up Parliament. It was an important pawn in the Civil War. After the Restoration, it became a permanent home to the new Crown Jewels. Even during the two World Wars, the Tower played its part. It survived a direct hit during the Blitz, while the filled-in moat was used for growing fruit and vegetables. Several spies were also held and executed there: in 1941, German Josef Jakobs became the last person to be executed within the Tower’s walls.

Today, the prisoners, the mint, the menagerie and the jewels are all gone. Fortunately, the ravens remain – since legend has it that if they should leave, the Tower and the kingdom will fall…

Let me share to you this short clip as I tour around the TOWER OF LONDON....

As I end my tour ...let me quote D. Alighieri

"Be as a Tower, firmly set:

Shakes not its top,

For any blast that blows.."

Thank you for taking time

to view my blog....

---Freundchaft Bee

btw...all pics are by me...

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Source:

Wikipedia

http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-london/tower-of-london

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Cafe Alfredo & Q-Residence

Hello...

Welcome to Café Alfredo & Q-Residence.

Here is a snippet of what is in store for you.

***************

Hope to see you..

anytime...soon...

Café Alfredo & Q-Residence is located at:

22 Rainbow Street, SSS Village, Marikina City, Philippines

Restaurant Hours: 10:30am-8:00pm from Mon to Sat.

Our best sellers are: pizza, bubble teas, pasta, gourmet coffee...among others.

follow us: FB

thank you for taking time to view the avp.

all pix are by me..

--Freundschaft Bee

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

St. Pancras, King's Cross Station, British Library..

St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London

Beautifully restored and brimming with 5-star luxury, the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London provides a truly unforgettable experience. Behind the fairytale façade that Sir George Gilbert Scott fashioned for the Midland Grand lies a hotel that will exceed your every expectation, blending Victorian splendor

with modern style and service.

First time I step into the area...

my first thought --Am I in Red Square (Moscow)??

Yes...such an astonishing building..restoring the Victorian architecture.

My cousin Jeffrey is happily working here..

His workplace...

The Lobby

A security-sealed terminal area was constructed for Eurostar services to continental Europe via High Speed 1 and the Channel Tunnel, with platforms for domestic trains to the north and south-east of England. The restored station has 15 platforms, a shopping centre and a coach facility, and is served by London Underground's King's Cross St. Pancras station. St Pancras is owned by HS1 and is managed by Network Rail (High Speed), a subsidiary of Network Rail.

King's Cross railway station is a major London railway terminus

which opened in 1852 on the northern edge of central London.

King's Cross Station is considered one of the main train stations to serve London, England. Students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry take the scarlet steam engine named the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts from Platform 9¾ on 1 September at 11 AM sharp. To get to Platform 9 3/4, you run straight at the wall between 9 and 10. It also serves as a major intercity and commuter rail hub for Muggles going to North London or Yorkshire and the North East and Scotland.

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and the largest library in the world

by number of items catalogued.

The Library's collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial holdings of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 2000 BC.

The Camden markets are a number of adjoining large retail markets in Camden Town near the Hampstead Road Lock of the Regent's Canal (popularly referred to as Camden Lock), often collectively named "Camden Market" or "Camden Lock". Among products sold on the stalls are crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac, and fast food. It is the fourth-most popular visitor attraction in London, attracting approximately 100,000 people each weekend.