Mind the gap, wouldja?

Status: Not quite over how beautiful all the flats and houses are in this area.

I think I've finally got the tube down. It sure is a lot more pleasant of a trip when you're not lugging around a 50lb bag and a camera bag stuffed with books and a $2000 camera.

We went out to dinner at Gloucester Arms (a pub right outside of our apartment/hotel). The bartender there informed us that the Kensington area does an ale trail kind of thing. So, last night I began my Kensington Ale Trail walk with Gloucester Arms and the Goat Tavern. I'm bound and determined to only try local ales and lagers. And from the map that they gave us, these pubs are ones shoved into nooks and crannies, which just makes this all the more authentic and exciting. AND, if I complete the tour of the four pubs in the Kensington area, I'll get a T-shirt. I'm halfway there and have 6 more days to go, so have no fear. I will complete the trail.

If you know of any local brews or anything you want me to look out for, lemme know!

This morning we went to church. The most I can say about it was that this was the first time I've ever taken the Eucharist via a Communion rail. Otherwise, the priest was very...unenthusiastic. I did see a friar, though, in full friar regalia. I tried to stop myself, but the goofy smile on my face would not be squashed.

Lunch was spent at Wagamama, which is a food chain in London (maybe the rest of Europe? I don't know). Fantastic food! I had the best damn Miso soup I have ever had. Ever. And it was only 1.60 pounds. I swear I'm going to live on that stuff.

Then, I had a date with Jack the Ripper

But before that, with the classic fish and chips sitting in my lap, I stared out at the wonderful Tower of London.

With my oh-so-covert eavesdropping on a tour group sitting nearby, I learned a bit about the Tower of London. I will share, because that's what you've come here for

There are still people who are living in the tower today. They are Yeomen Warders, or better nicknamed as the Beefeaters. This name originated from many practices and none of them had anything to do with the Henry XIII being a generous king. The Beefeaters were big, burly men whose job was mainly to guard the prisoners and taste the king's meat to make sure it wasn't poisoned (thus the Beefeaters). The name also might have had something to do with Henry paying part of their wages in beef. My personal opinion is that he didn't do this for their benefit, but instead did it to make sure they remain big and burly.

Nowadays, the Beefeaters still living in the tower and their duties are mainly to oversee the upkeep of the tower. They also make very enthusiastic and fun tour guides (or so said the red-headed Brit who I was eavesdropping on).

There is a higher-up Beefeater called the Ravenmaster. His job is to make sure none of the ravens leave the tower, and probably also take care of them. Back in the days when the tower was inhabited by royalty, the superstition was that if all the ravens flew away from the Tower of London, it would fall down around the monarch's ears. While this is a ridiculous superstition (as all superstitions are), they still clip all the ravens' wings, just in case.

For one to become a Beefeater, one must have had 22 years in the Queen's royal service (the army). You must be big and burly. A good 20 or 30 years ago, women could not be Beefeaters. Now they can. They must be big and burly, too.

Jack the Ripper walk followed this wonderful bit of history, led by the leading Jack the Ripper expert, Donald Rumbelow. He is the former Curator of the City of London Police Crime Museum (or sometimes call the the London Police Black Museum. You need to make an appointment to get inside this museum) and was Johnny Depp's unofficial advisor as he made his way through filming From Hell.

Excuse the ridiculous excitement to follow. For me, it's one thing to visit places that inspired movies and books (don't get me wrong, I adore those things as well), but to be traveling the same road as the Ripper took...it's a bit overwhelming.

I got to stand in the very same cobble square where Catherine Eddows was left, slashed and her entrails thrown over her shoulder! The actual cobble squre. Everything else in the square had changed (like the buildings and street lamps), but the cobble stones were the same ones from that night. I checked extra close for any traces of blood, but of course there was none. Disappointment.

We saw the church circle where all the whores would go to get a customer and where the Ripper most likely went to choose his girls (maybe he didn't pick all of them - some of it might have just been opportunity, but you get my drift). All of the women would circle around the church, going slower in front of the church (close to the street) and hurrying around the back (where no one could see them).

There is so much more information - it was a bit of information overload. I'm going to have to take some kind of recording device if I go on another walk with this company. They're absolutely amazing with the number of things they talk about, but I can't remember it all.

I did buy a book, though, so if you have any questions about Jack the Ripper, feel free to ask and I'll make sure I get the answer for you

Now, here I sit in the flat, in need of a glass of wine, but it's midnight and we're taking a bus tour super early tomorrow, so that's 'night 'night from here to there

Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!