We had a slight change of plans today. High winds and potential storms prevented us from docking in Greenwich, so we sailed further north and docked in Tilbury. After disembarking in Tilbury we rode a charter bus an hour to Greenwich to meet up with our tour guide.
Greenwich is the “ground zero” of time zone calculations (hence Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT). This was a political football a few hundred years ago, and England won the battle to be the site for this once a method for calculating longitude was universally accepted.
Greenwich is also a showcase of British naval history, and is the home of the retired naval officers home. The original Cutty Sark clipper ship is on display here, is is a statue honoring the naval hero (and infamous privateer) Sir Walter Raleigh.
it is also the home of “The Queen’s House”, built to house and honor Queen Elizabeth I, who was an avid supporter of the British Navy.
The Royal Naval Observatory sits high above a hilltop in the center of Greenwich. Visitors can stand astride a line etched in the path outside the Observatory and stand in two different time zones.
And of course all British adventures should end with a pint or two.
I had the best cake I ever tasted in the cafeteria there. Victoria Sponge.