Friday, 17 August 2018

Thurs August 16 - London

Woke up to a typical UK morning - raining cats and dogs.  We were a tad slow about starting our day so didn't get out of the hotel until 11am.  We decided upon Indian food for lunch and found a spot near the Tower of London.  It turned out really good and we both had things that we had never had before. 

Top deck of bus riding to the tube
After lunch the rain seemed to have subsided so we continued over to the Tower of London which is actually a 1,000 year old castle that protects the Crown Jewels.  It was a secure fortress and an infamous prison.

All this grassy area used to be filled with water - the moat

King Henry III's receiving chamber

The ceiling's never cease to impress

View of the Tower Bridge from inside the Tower of London






A lady strolling the grounds with her minstrel

Tower defender - lol just a statue depicting how any fighting would have been done

If you come to the UK get used to narrow spiral stairwells in every castle you tour



Miniature of the whole of the Tower of London


Ravens of the tower are a fixture - they were unbelievably calm.  You could walk right past them like this one on the railing of the stairwell and they didn't move.



Yeoman Wardener

There are ceremonial guards here "protecting" the crown jewels


We got to see the enormous wealth of the crown jewels and the banqueting pieces.  Pictures were not allowed.  

We went into the bloody tower.  It was so named because 2 princes went missing and their bodies were never found all in the name of a crown.

The rack



This well was once connected to the royal apartments. 

The traitor's gate where they brought in traitors to the tower.
The Tower was bigger than we had anticipated so we spent quite a few hours here.  So much so that our original plan was vetoed and we then took a stroll across the tower bridge to Stooley Street and the many eateries there.
Another view of Tower Bridge 
The Shard


Last true english fish and chips and G&T's

This is a fountain

Last tube ride in London
 Our time in London is at a close.  We will probably sleep in and catch our flight home tomorrow.  We will post our last thoughts tomorrow and let everyone know we got home safe.

Up tomorrow - travel home.

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