Tuesday, September 19, 2017

London, England

So I had my first day out and, boy are my feet tired!

I spent the entire day – 7 hours in the Tower of London, mostly on my feet.

This is basically a castle in he middle of London. It was started by William the Conquerer around about 1070, on the site of an old Roman fortress on the banks of the Thames River. It was added to over the next few centuries, but was generally in the form it is today by the end of Henry VIII in the early 1500s.

Some pictures:

Traitor's Gate. This was a water entrance to the castle from the river that was later used to bring prisoners in. It was added in the late 1200's.

The entrance where they keep the Crown Jewels. No photographs were alowed inside, so this will have to do. These 2 guys keep marching back and forth. Notice the rifles (with bayonets fixed) – I think they are serious. The jewels exhibit is really good.

The White Tower. This is the original building from the late 1000s. It was whitewashed in those days, giving it it's name. It's now filled with old Royal Armourer displays – armor, cannons, swords, guns and such.

Some views from the wall:

My hotel, (its the black and white boxy looking thing in the middle above the bus) underneath it is the underground station. Incredibly convenient:

From the other side, the Tower Bridge: