London Part V: Day 8

Day 8

Monday, June 24

After class in the morning we departed for the Tower of London.  This stronghold has been in place since William the Conquerer came to Britain.  The Tower of London is actually a number of different towers, not just one.  The Tower has been standing since 1078, as our tour guide put it: long before America even existed.  It has served as the home of many royals over the years, but more famously is the home of the Crown Jewels and the site for a number of famous executions.

The Front Gate to the Tower

The tour guides here are called Beefeaters.  No one knows why they're called that, but they've had the nickname for as long as anyone can remember.  All tour guides are also standing members of the Royal British Army and their job is actually to guard the Tower.  While the tower has not seen military action for many years and now serves mainly as a tourist attraction, the men still serve under Her Majesty's army.  And yes, they all wear those outfits.

Our tour guide was very humorous, one of my favorite parts of the day.

The Tower at one point also served as a zoo, so there are a bunch of random mesh animals around the grounds.  King Henry III had a casual polar bear that he kept as a pet...you know usual stuff.

The Beefeater told us about the many executions that have taken place inside the Tower of London, including the execution of Anne Boleyn.  This is where she was held preceding her execution.

After a short tour with our favorite beefeater, we stood in line to see the Crown Jewels.  Holy Moly these are some of the biggest diamonds I've ever seen and also the most Gold I've ever seen in one place.  Of course it's under strict security, so no pictures.

Where the Crown Jewels are held

Her Majesty's Crown

Now that's what I call a punch bowl....

After observing the bling, we went inside the White Tower.  This original tower was built to imprison people like Richard II.  It is now more of a museum type building showcasing English Battlewear and such.

The White Tower

Real suits of armour

The spooky halls of the White Tower

Then we skipped over to the Torture exhibit.  The basement of the White Tower is famous as a torture chamber used throughout the centuries by royals.

They literally crushed their victims, like walnuts.

This device stretched the victim out and waited for their joints to break.

After we experienced the pure torture of the White Tower, we climbed up onto the wall to a breathtaking view of Tower Bridge and the Thames River.

My traveling companions

Inside the tower from the wall

View of the Tower in its entirety from the outside.

We took the tube back to our hotel for dinner afterwards.  We walked down to Covent Garden and proceeded to have some great Indian food.  Funnily enough, we were seated next to some fellow Bruins.

Ceilings at Marsala Zone

On our way back, we made a spontaneous trip to King's Cross Station of Harry Potter fame.  We took the Tube over and then walked up to the actual train station.

Feeding my obsession with ceilings

Off to Hogwarts

This would be my last Tube ride in London.  It really is an amazing system that makes me see what a difference a great public transportation system can make in a big city like London.  We found a Lego version of the tube map at King's Cross.

Then we went back and got some rest to wake up for a final day in London.