The Tudors & London

I admit it. I'm addicted to HBO and Showtime series. It started with The Sopranos, migrated to Six Feet Under, then to Deadwood, and now to Nurse Jackie and The Tudors.

A couple of years ago nine of us took a British Isles cruise. Out of the nine, I was the only one whe had never been to London, so I absolutely had to take in all the sights I had read about.

London is located on the Thames River in southeast England, and, as we found out on our double-decker step-on, step-off tour bus, has suffered many trials over the centuries: it has been burned, sacked, invaded from the ground and bombed from the air, yet it still stands in all her grandeur. The city may seem overwhelming at first. However the Tube (train) is easy to use to get around the city. We stayed out in Kensington, and just a short walk down the street from our hotel was a Tube stop. It made it easy to go into London for one of those necessary shopping trips to Harrod's, where there is absolutely nothing that you can't buy. This was one shopping experience that could have taken days to take in every department there.

You can spend days visiting the historic sites of London. The Tower of London was built in 1066 and draws large crowds during the summer. We were there in August, and there were lines and people everywhere.

St. Paul’s Cathedral is a gorgeous old church, designed by Christopher Wren, that offers tours. This is also the cathedral where Charles and Diana were married. You can also visit Westminster Abby (where royalty are crowned), and Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards. The Queen and royal family were at Balmoral while we were there, and 20 of state rooms in Buckingham Palace were open and we actually got to tour them. We saw the throne room and state dining room. It was all very impressive, but surprisingly smaller than I had envisioned. By the way, the picture of Charlie and me is outside Buckingham Palace. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside this beautiful structure.

London has many beautiful parks that are great get-aways from the busy city. Hyde Park Corner, Green Park and St. James’ Park are all connected by a 7-mile path called The Princess Diana Memorial Walk. The journey passes by Kensington Palace, Horse Guards, and Buckingham Palace.

London began to develop in the 11th century, when Edward the Confessor commissioned Westminster Abbey. In 1066, William the Conqueror seized the English throne and built the Tower of London as his fortress. And, this, my friends is where The Tudors comes into play. I'm sure sets have been built for this series, but they truly capture the reality of how these places looked in their day. To walk into Westminster Abbey, and know this is where Henry VIII mourned for his Jane Seymour and married many of his wives, or to recognize the very place that Princess Diana's funeral was held was awe-inspiring. At the Tower of London, it was a chilling experience to see where Anne Boleyn was beheaded because Henry had tired of her and was moving on to his third wife.

Pubs are on every corner in London. Even if you don’t drink, you should stop by a pub during your visit just for the experience. You’ll find plenty of beer, pie, music and roaring fireplaces set among old architecture and culture. And, because the English aren't particularly well known for their cuisine, "Pub Grub" became our staple fare - fish and chips (with mushy peas), shepherd's pie, and bangers and squee were all typical menu items.

After our visit to London, when The Tudors came on Showtime, I was drawn watching this series. To see the history in the places we visited has kept me coming back to this series. Now, I just want to know if the series will continue after we go through all of Henry's wives. Will we get to see what transpires with Elizabeth and Mary, Henry's daughters? Or, will there be a series on the Windsors to follow? Showtime, I need answers!!