Friday Matt and I made our second pilgrimage to London. Our mission was two-fold. Head to the American Embassy to get Matt a replacement passport (long story) and visit the Tower of London. We knew there were parts of the Tower used for torture, we had no clue the waiting room of the American Embassy was much the same. If you ever have visited the DMV, you know the brutality that takes place. Get a ticket and wait to be called. Well guess what, the American Embassy is the same way, BUT WORSE! Armed guards take all your "kill time" toys lest they be used to detonate a bomb, and you are stuck waiting in a room full of crying babies getting their first passports!! Our imprisonment lasted just over three hours before we were free to go. A definite modern torture device.
Free from the Embassy we hit the tube and headed for the Tower of London, which by the way is actually 20 Towers spread over a huge complex. It's not cheap, about $75 for two adults, but you will get a huge bang for your buck as the whole experience lasts around 3 hours and is incredible.
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| Henry VIII's Armour |
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| Tower of London |
When we arrived at the tower we decided to take a tour with the Yeoman. This is part of your ticket and is a must do when you visit. The Yeoman are usually military veterans and to be a Yeoman (also known as a Beefeater) is an honor. They are animated, well versed and make the Tower really come alive. You spend about an hour with them and then head off to explore the insides. Of course the highlight of the visit is seeing the Crown Jewels (no pics allowed). Beautiful pieces dating back to the 1200s encased in a multi-ton vault.
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| Matt at the Tower, the grass used to be the moat |
Next we headed to the White Tower, home to many of the Tudor royals and saw some amazing displays of Henry VIII's armour. He is a prominent figure in the Towers' history and much of his battle armour is displayed. Also, three of his queens he killed (Anne Boylen, Lady Jane Grey and Catherine Howard) are buried at the tower! You can also visit other Towers where prisoners were held and carved their names into the stone. Much of the Tower is original, although it has gone through many transformations since it was established by William the Conqueror around 1100.
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| Our badass Yeoman tour guide |
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| Henry VIII Christmas ornament |
Another perk of visiting the Tower is that you are a quick walk to the Tower Bridge, most commonly called the London Bridge, although technically the London Bridge is a smaller one down the Thames. Anyway, we walked across the bridge just for bragging rights and hit the tube back home. All in all a good day. I even scored a Henry VIII Christmas ornament to remember our visit! As for the Embassy, I think I would prefer a medieval prison over a bureaucratic one any day of the week.
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| Tower Bridge |
