London, England, Day 4 - East End, Brick Lane, London Museum

29th March Another early start to the day.  The east end tour started at 11am, so woke up a quarter to 9.  I met Rosa in the lobby and we headed off around 10:15am to Liverpool train station.  Meeting spot was at the statues outside of McDonald's.  There were 4 of excluding the guide whose name was Bliss. So she told us the east side of London was founded by immigrants who did all the work.  And during the black plaque turns out it wasn’t the rats who caused it but the dirtiness of the area where people would literally drop dead, or there would be so much pollution you couldn’t even see your hand in front of you.  Jack the ripper would be killing people and no one would find out who he is, even today his identity remains unknown.

At one point this was England's most handsome man.  No kidding.

City of London marker.

Charnel House, one of the oldest sites in London.

These windows have been blocked up because at some point the government decided to tax oxygen.  The words government and ass-raping are truly synonymous. :)

Harry Potter alley, where they shot the scene where Potter picked up his wand.

Street art, and lots of it in the East End.

Street art, and lots of it in the East End.

Street art, and lots of it in the East End.

Street art, and lots of it in the East End.

Kiera Knightley's home :)

Street art on the pavement, looks like parking but it's street art!

Street art by Banksy.

Politically inspired street art.

1pm The tour ended and we walked to a market located along Brick Lane.  It was massively crowded.  Boiler House Food Hall it was called.  We had to stand while we ate because well, there were no seats.  Walking along the same street a bit later we found another market that had seats!  And similar food.  Eventually walked back to the underground station from which we came, sat there a bit and decided to go to the London Museum which wasn’t too far away.

Boiler House Food Hall.. mm food....

Declare your love for someone!

Spitalfields Market.

Welcome to... 

Pegasus at the entrance.

Weather, surprisingly like many things in life, it's a cycle (but don't let the thieving politicians tell you otherwise ;))

3:30pm Arrived at the London Museum and spent a few hours here until it closed at 6pm.  Then walked to St Paul's Cathedral to take a few photos, and after that I caught the underground from St Paul's to Russell Square.  Dinner was at the Nando's close to Curzon bloomsbury.  The documentary ("The Forecaster") finished around 10pm and thereafter I headed back to the hostel.  Talked a bit with my roomies, then had some ice cream at McDonald's with a french guy, italian guy, Rosa and some chic named Sasha from L.A.  This was at midnight, so pardon my top notch taste in ice cream choice.  At 1am or thereabouts I went to bed.

St Paul's Cathedral.