Europe Trip: Tower of London part 1

I took "a day off" to post about our Family Camp Week, and then went on another adventure.  I'm getting totally backlogged here.  

It's kind of hard to believe, but the last 9 Europe trip posts only covered my first 3 nights in London.  The morning of day 4, it was time for a move.  

All packed up and ready to cross the Thames to my next domicile.  I'm so glad I traveled carry on only!  I would not have enjoyed wrangling more luggage than this.  

St. Paul's Cathedral from the bus ride.  That's on my bucket list for next time.  

And there it is.  Okay.  First of all, "tower" is totally misleading.  Think of the Tower of London as a complex of towers and other buildings, rather than a singular tower.  

From my bus stop to my hotel was a lovely walk along Tower Bridge.  

Being in all these amazing historic places has inspired me to watch more history documentaries and read more books about British history.

I just finished Matilda, Queen of the Conqueror, and it was really interesting.  

It's easy to imagine how terrifying it was to be floated through Traitor's Gate.  

The yeoman warders (also called Beefeaters) are technically still Queen's guards.  

One of the first things I did at the Tower was get in line to see the Crown Jewels.  But of course you're not allowed to take pictures in there.  Some of it was really interesting, but some of it was downright excessive.  Why do they need a dozen monstrous gold ceremonial maces?  You don't *do* anything with them.  Can't the whole dynasty use the same one?  

There is, of course, a gift shop nearby the exit.  Smart marketing move on their part.  Anything they're selling seems like minor trinkets in comparison to what you've just seen.  If anyone is shopping for me for Christmas, I'm a size purple.  

King George V

Lunch in a corner cafeteria tucked away amidst all the splendor.

This window shot gives you an idea of how thick the walls were.

Lots of stairs.  Lots and lots of stairs.  This was a 13,000+ step day, according to my Fitbit.  

I didn't realize before going that the Tower had been home to the royal menagerie over the years.  The nook they housed the elephant in was not compliant with current AZA regulations, let's just leave it at that.  

Many of the staff actually live on site, in the outer walls.  

Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, where Anne Boleyn (second wife of Henry VIII) is buried.  For those keeping track, I've now seen the final resting place of 2 out of the 6.  

I took this picture for Hannah, who likes pipe organs.  Musical instruments in general, really.  

Raven posing with the Tower Bridge in the background for me.  Legend states that as long as the ravens live there, the tower will stand.  

One of the rooms in which the Princes in the Tower (the sons of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville) were kept.  

I tend to think of the Tower as a place of imprisonment and beheadings and other murders, but it was also a palace.  

Complete with chapel

Where Henry VI is thought to have died.  Conveniently.  Under mysterious circumstances.  

They say a picture speaks a thousand words.  This one tells why I wandered around by myself instead of joining a tour.  Peopley!  

Another throne, in the palace area.  

There are a couple of gift shops (maybe 4?) on the grounds.  I did my part to support conservation and preservation at 2 of them.  

View from the mint.

Yes, mint.  The royal mint used to be located in the tower complex from the 1200s to the 1800s.  

So there's a minty little museum with some interesting displays.

The gate through which Anne Boleyn walked before her coronation.  

As the sign indicates, the White Tower is not for the faint of heart.  I had to psych myself up for it's 204 stairs.  I'll show what's in there tomorrow.