Ben Franklin's House, St. Martin in the Fields, and the National Gallery!

Last Saturday, I booked a  ticket to visit Ben Franklin's London home.  It's tucked on a side street near Charing Cross, and not only have I walked by the street several times. I've also walked down the street past the house before. Strange how that happens sometimes.

I booked an advanced ticket to visit his home which includes a guided tour and video segments.  The tour featured a woman dressed in period costume.

Main Staircase

The tour started in the basement or what was once the garden. There was an exhibit about the medical bones that were found in the ground during renovations of the house. It turns out there had been a boarder in the house at once that also operated a medical school.

Bones

The first video of the tour gave information about Ben Franklin's life in London leading up to the American Revolution. The house is actually the only remaining building in the world where Ben Franklin lived! 

Bad Photo- But...Ben Franklin's Eye Glasses 

While the house has been renovated, there is no furniture or furnishings. Instead, each room features a small chair or table that included what could have occurred in the room.  For example, the parlor featured a small tea table. In each room, our guide spoke to us about the history of the house which was also supplemented by videos.

It was an interesting tour and for under a tenner, it's definitely a place for all to check out!

Trafaglar Square

Since Ben Franklin's house is practically in Trafaglar Square, I wondered over to also check out St. Martin in the Fields and the National Gallery. Again, two things that I actually have never done despite studying abroad!

St. Martin in the Fields

I visited St. Martin in the Fields first where I ran into a small orchestra preparing for a concert. 

St. Martin in the Fields is famous for the alter window.

Alter Window 

Inside St. Martin in the Fields 

After looking around in the church, I wandered down to the Crypt. No longer an actual crypt, I stopped in to the cafe for a quick cream tea!

Cream Tea 

And, finally, I ended this big day of tourism at the National Gallery. I stopped in quickly to see some of Monet's work as it was too crowded to make it through any other rooms. Will have to go back!

Father-Daughter Eurotrip: Day 12

 On our second day in France, Dad and I took a day trip out to Giverny and Versailles. I’m not a huge art person. Read: I know what I like. And, I do enjoy Monet’s paintings. We got to tour his house and the gardens. Most of the furniture in the house is not original. They do have original sketches and some photographs that he took displayed. The garden was exactly as how I imagined it to be. Yes, the famous bridge has had some work done on it. But, you get the full effect.

Monet's House 

Garden

For lunch, our tour company took us to this restaurant off a side street. We had traditional fare, although I opted to not eat the foie gras.

Traditional Fare 

Versailles was our afternoon activity. In 2008, we did not have a chance to visit the palace on the high school French club trip. Our tour company gave us a walking tour inside the palace of the 16 staterooms. We got to see the Louis the 14^th’s bedroom, the war and peace rooms, and the hall of mirrors.

Ceiling 

The Hall of Mirrors 

Outside, we had a few minutes to explore the famous gardens before returning to London.

Back of Versailles

Dad and Me at Versailles

That evening, Dad and I dined at a famous French brasserie. We were on the hunt for authentic food, and we achieved! For dessert, we both had banana and Nutella crepes. Delicious!