England 2018: The Imperial War Museum

On the last full-day of my London vacation, I visited The Imperial War Museum. The Imperial War Museum was absolutely amazing and next to The Churchill War Rooms, it was the best place that I’ve visited in London.

More on that in a minute…remember how I mentioned getting lost in London? Well, my GPS continued to fail me and I had an ordeal as I tried to find The Imperial War Museum.

Luckily, London is full of these handy street maps, which is the only reason that I didn’t resort to buying a map from a tourist shop.

I estimate that I walked about two miles out of my way and really should have taken “The Tube” to the Waterloo Station, however getting lost led to some cool discoveries, such as this class British phone box- which are not so common these days.

And this old monument with a new skyscraper in the background. London is a city of modern and vintage.

Nearer to the museum, I found a school with a scary amount of barb wire! What the heck is going on here?

The Imperial War Museum is located on the outskirts of London, in a semi-residential neighborhood. When I walked back to the tube (Waterloo station) I realized that it was about a mile walk. It isn’t a long distance, if you’re in shape, but for older visitors or those who don’t wish to walk, I recommend a taxi from the tube station. The museum has a convenient taxi rink, located just outside of the main entrance.

The Imperial War Museum knows how to make a great first impression. It has an expansive lawn with old cannons and even a piece from the Berlin Wall.

As with many of the other London museums, The Imperial War Museum has free admission. However, they also would love donations. In exchange for a small donation ( I believe it was 10-15 pounds), I received a blue Imperial War Museum tote bag and a map of the museum.

When I bought my admission ticket, I asked, primarily out of curiosity, how long people typically spend at the museum. The answer was two hours.

HA!!!!!!!

The museum has five floors of exhibits. I started on the first floor, which is dedicated to WW1. I spent over four hours just on the first floor.

I actually toured half of the WW1 exhibit, when I heard an announcement regarding tickets for a guided tour. I left in the middle of WW1 and went to the information desk to inquire. The special tour was ten pounds and lasted for an hour. It was worth far more than the cost of the tickets, truly a must-do, especially since the museum is free.

For the tour, we were provided with headsets, so that we could hear our guide and he didn’t have to shout or disturb other visitors. Only eight people were in my group, which is a real shame, since this added so much to my experience at the museum. I love in-depth looks at specific things.

We were taken around the museum to about six different exhibits and given a greater understanding of their significance. One of the exhibits was a boat used in the Dunkirk evacuation and although I have not watched the film, it was explained to us that the movie, Dunkirk, had many inaccuracies. Another item, was a cage like structure that British families were given to protect themselves during bombings. The guide took the time to answer questions and we had one senior citizen in our group, who added insight from childhood memories of WW2.

After the tour, I went back to WW1 and finished the section. At this point, I was quite overloaded with information and if I had more days in my trip, I would have come back and done the other sections with a fresh mind, but I didn’t have the luxury of time.

I took a quick lunch break in the museum’s cafeteria. One of the things that the Brits really get right foodwise, is lunch. I adore British pre-made sandwiches, crisps, and cloudy lemonade. Even when I had flights that were quickly passing through Heathrow, I grabbed this combo at Boots or M&S. The museum cafeteria was a huge step-up from Boots or M&S, with regard to both quality and price. If sandwiches are not your thing, the museum offered quite a few hot lunch items as well.

After a speedy lunch break, I headed to WW2. I was conscious of time and did not go through the second floor on as leisurely a pace, as I did on the first. I had theatre tickets and I was meeting my niece in central London, so I could not stay until museum closing at six. I only had until about 5pm. I knew that time was precious and that I wouldn’t see it all, so I zeroed in on WW2 and a separate Holocaust exhibition.

Again, just as with the first floor, it would be easy to spend four plus hours on each floor. I felt overwhelmed and frustrated. One of my favorite exhibits in the WW2 section, was look into the life of an average London family, showing how the war impacted each member.

There was a section on English children who were evacuated out of the city and into the countryside. This happened to my mother-in-law, who was sent to Wales during the war. Take a look at this heartbreaking and disturbing letter that an evacuated child wrote.

Speaking of my mother-in-law, I got a kick out of the nutritional signs, especially “Doctor Carrot.” I had been staying with my mother-in-law prior to heading to London and she got a ton of carrots in her weekly farmer’s box, so I felt like I was eating or rather, being offered carrots, non-stop for nearly a week. I even had an inside joke about it with my sister-in-law, who was also offered carrots!

The floor dedicated to The Holocaust was an emotional experience. I’m relieved to report that I was surrounded by respectful and reverent visitors, who quietly viewed the exhibits and refrained from taking photographs. The exhibit is filled with personal items from prisoners, such as a doll that was created from camp uniforms. There are so many horrific personal stories and even stories that show humanity in the darkest of places. One of the main parts of the exhibit is a forty-foot scale model of Auschwitz- Birkenau. If you only have a few hours to tour The Imperial War Museum, you should head to this exhibit first. It’s too important to be missed.

I ended my day with a quick trip to the gift shop and a look at the exhibits in the lobby. Airplanes are suspended from the ceiling and the bottom floor has some large scale exhibits, such an old horse drawn cannon cart and a car that was recently bombed by terrorists. The car is a startling reminder that although the museum deals primarily with wars of the past, the threat is always looming. The world remains an unstable place.

The next time I have a few free-days in London, I will definitely head back to The Imperial War Museum. This is one of the best history museums that I have ever visited and must-see for history buffs. It’s an important place to take children and your visit should not be rushed.

One last, non-related item…as I headed to Trafalgar Square to meet my niece, I bumped into a statue that was on my must-see list. It is called A Conversation with Oscar Wilde 1854-1900 and was one of the literary monuments that I was hoping to visit. I thought it was fitting to have discovered it while on my way to the theatre!

England 2018: Tate Modern and Picasso 1932 Exhibition

By the time I finished visiting The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret, it was late afternoon and I was ready for a refreshment. Near The Clink Prison Museum, I had spotted a cute cafe called Bill’s. I walked back through Borough Market to Bill’s, passing some delightful murals.

I also saw The Globe Theatre, which Dan and I toured many years ago. The current Globe is a recreation of William Shakespeare’s famous Globe Theatre and its mission is to perform both Shakespeare’s works and modern playwrights. I have not seen a play here, but it is on my must-do list. The complex also houses The Swan restaurant, which is where I tried “The Worst Thing I Ever Ate.” Clink on this link to read about my experience at The Globe.

As an adventurous eater, I feel that the Erma Bombeck quote really sums up my attitude towards food, but it was also hilarious that the quote was on a board advertising a restaurant where I experienced one of my biggest food fails!

A huge food success, was my decadent chocolate bomb with caramel sauce and summery cocktail at Bill’s. I cannot recommend Bill’s enough, for atmosphere, friendly service, and great food. I look forward to returning on my next trip to London.

I have to confess that the other reason that I took a break, is that my feet were swollen from all of the walking. It is amazing how many miles I walked in London. I also did it in a pair of strappy gladiator sandals, which was probably not the best choice for arch support, but they did keep my feet cool in the summer heat.

The Tate Modern museum is just down the road from Bill’s. I took a leisurely walk and snapped a few shots of London. London is one of my favorite cities in the world and I hope that one day, we will have the opportunity to live there..

The Tate Modern had long been on my London bucket list. I love art museums, especially modern art and the Tate Modern is one of the most prestigious art institutions in the world.

The Tate Modern is expansive with throughly modern architecture.

The museum, like many in London, has free admission. London isn’t a cheap city, but they do make many of the cultural and historical attractions free, which is awesome. I grew-up in Los Angeles, where we have one day a month of free admission to museums, not every day!

I was overwhelmed by the space. It’s vast. It seemed like there was more open space than art. I used the guide map, but I felt lost.

I ended up paying a nominal fee to tour the special exhibition: Picasso 1932.

I prefer touring a single exhibit, rather than an entire museum. I find that taking a deep-dive into one artist or a specific collection, provides a richer experience. Plus, for all of my love of art, I can only handle about 3-4 hours, before I start to glaze over and lose my focus.

I wasn’t initially planning on viewing the Picasso 1932 exhibition, but the size of the Tate Modern was overwhelming, and I am a fan of Picasso. 1932 was a year of intense productivity and creativity for Picasso. He was in his early 50’s and had just opened his first large scale show in Paris. He was famous and successful, but he had started to feel trapped. Picasso was also influenced by the troubles of the world, including The Great Depression and the looming threat of Hitler’s power. Picasso 1932 was a fascinating look into this specific time in Picasso’s career.

I ended this long day of sight-seeing by the early evening and headed back to my hotel to rest my weary feet. No matter how exhausted, I can’t imagine a city vacation being anything less than an epic cramming of museums and historical landmarks. My in-laws used to call this the “American Style” of vacationing and I accept that 100%. This American is going to see it all!

England 2018: The Old Operating Theatre and Borough Market

After leaving The Clink Prison Museum, I headed to Borough Market for a quick lunch. Borough Market is one of the oldest markets in London and it boasts an extensive array of food stalls and grocers, truly something to appeal to every taste. If you’re a foodie, Borough Market is something that you must experience. I was spoiled for choices, and throughly enjoyed the lively atmosphere, delicious smells, and talented street performers.

It was a tough choice, but I settled on a chicken wrap from Soul Food for my lunch. It was slightly spicy with fresh, crisp vegetables. Besides being tasty, it was an easy choice for a meal that I could easily eat while exploring the market.

My early-afternoon plans were to visit The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret. Housed in the attic of a historic building,, this medical museum is a hidden gem with an interesting backstory: The site was originally a church, which became a hospital and in the early 1800’s the operating theatre was constructed. The operating theatre was in use prior to the advent of anesthesia or many of our modern pain medicines. Take a moment to consider this and check out these two pieces of art that were at the museum. Scary stuff

The Old Operating Theatre shut-down in 1862. The entrances were boarded up and no one realized that it existed, until it was rediscovered in the 1950’s. The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret were in great disrepair, but the bones of the structure were solid and it was possible to salvage this building of historic importance.

I got a little lost trying to find the museum. There is a big university campus nearby and I was confused by all of the side streets. It didn’t help that my GPS wasn’t working. But getting lost, allowed me to come across this cute sign:

And a marker for the famous poet, John Keats, who also went to medical school.

Admission to The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret was only 6.50 pounds for adults. A bargain!

It’s a small museum and took me about an hour to explore. Don’t let the size put you off, it contains many exhibits that are absolutely fascinating. Another important item to note is that to access the museum, you must climb a very narrow and steep winding staircase. I was nervous on the stairs, especially on the way down. I’m not sure if they have an elevator elsewhere in the building to make it wheelchair accessible, but it worth asking prior to visiting.

The museum provides an educational experience for kids, which includes a craft table with anatomy and physiology themed projects. There were many young children during my visit and all of them seemed engaged in the content.

The exhibits explore 19th century medicine and surgical tools. Some are familiar, such as the use of leeches, but I was horrified by others, such as cakes to combat tape worms, apparently a rampant problem of the time.

The Old Operating Theatre is completely open, so it is possible to walk both around the gallery and down on to the operating floor. Having seen the medical instruments and armed with the knowledge that medicine is not what it is today, it’s easy to imagine the suffering that occurred in this arena. However, along with the suffering there was also alleviation of suffering and innovation in medicine.

Spending time here, made me think of my one and only operation. When I was in my late 20’s, I had an emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder. I had been experiencing painful gallstone episodes for years and finally, I had one episode where the stone wouldn’t pass. I was absolutely panicked about the surgery, hysterically crying, and although I knew that it was necessary, I was more nervous than I have ever been in my life.

My mom was having none of it. She had experienced many surgeries and was not sympathetic towards my feelings. Further more, I learned after the fact, that she told the anesthesiologist to wait to sedate me, so that I could get a good look at the operating room. She thought that I would find it “interesting” and didn't want me to miss out on the experience. I went into the room fully aware and vividly remember seeing all of the shiny, sharp scalpels on a tray near me. I got a good look before being knocked out. I cannot imagine the trauma that patients of earlier centuries endured, when anesthesia was not an option.

I forgive my mom. It was pretty cool to see the operating room.

Finally, there was a mention of poet John Keat’s time spent in the medical field and an exhibit about Miranda Barry, who disguised herself as a man taking the name James, in efforts to become a surgeon. She was the first licensed female physician and surgeon in England.

The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret is a highly-recommend addition to your London vacation itinerary. It is close to many other attractions, making it easy to combine with other sites for a full-day out. It provides a unique glimpse into the evolution of medicine and life in a different century.