Europe Trip: Tower of London part 2

Let's finish up the Tower so we can move on to another cool place tomorrow!

This was Sir Walter Raleigh's study.  

A view from a window.  I wondered what it was like to look out at Tower Bridge and wonder whether the monarch was going to order your death or your release.  

The "train track" looking section of this crumbly ruin?  That's where the Roman wall stood when this was the Roman fort of Londinium.  

Basically says, "This is where we found the skeletons of the children who were probably the Princes in the Tower."

Kind of a creepy place to find them, but I guess that's what makes it a good hiding spot.  

Hey, look!  An American!  (This was a section with portraits of many famous visitors to the Tower/Palace.)  

Armor for horses

One of King Henry VIII's suits of armor.  Compensating for a little something are we?

There were truly interesting bits and bobs everywhere I turned.  

I took a lot of weapon pictures for Jack, the only one of my boys left that I can force to sit down and look at them with me.  

Another chapel, this one within the White Tower.  

Stabby things.

A Tudor era lance.  

Another interesting weapon

Dragon sculpture made from bits representing the different departments housed within the Tower.  

So, this one is a replica, but I saw the original in the Crown Jewels building.  When I read the little card saying (in a dignified fashion, of course) "This is the spoon that holds the anointing oil when the monarch is crowned," I thought, "The original greasy spoon!"  For a moment I wished I had one of my adult children nearby to appreciate my punniness, but then I realized the inevitable eye roll wouldn't actually make me feel better.  

Model showing a bird's eye view of the complex.

Still more weapons

I had no idea there'd been a bombing there until I almost stumbled over this little plaque on the floor.

At this point, I was a little fried.  Stabby things, shooty things, oh, look, a gold lion...

Then suddenly I was dumped in a gift shop, which perked me up for a bit.  I found this set of Henry & Wives ornaments fascinatingly disturbing.  

Gotta get pictures of the firefighting technology, right?

I feel like extinguishers are a little more portable these days.  

That's the Crown Jewels building.

The memorial at the site of Anne Boleyn's execution.  Not that far from the gate where she entered for her coronation only a couple years prior.  

A nook within the wall, used for archers, but also possibly used as a prayer area for prisoners.

Some more stairs.  

My room for the last night in London.  Walking distance from the Tower, which was nice when I was done wandering around.  

View from the room

I was required to do an observed covid test prior to boarding the cruise ship, so I did that after the Tower.  

Bangers & mash (with mushy peas again) from room service for dinner.

My loot from the gift shops.  I thought I was going to make it without buying any books, but I guess that was a silly assumption.  

After a bit of a rest, I went downstairs to see a little more of the area.  It was a lovely warm night.

Gorgeous view of the bridge.

One of those windows up there on the right was mine.

I think this is one of my favorite photos of the whole trip.