Our visit to London was an exploration of new, old, older, and really, really old sights to see. We visited royal palaces, torture chambers, and so much more. London is a mix of so many things, its hard to describe.
Buckingham Palace
Not quite as straight as the restChanging of the guardKeeping the commoners outMailbox outside of the palaceRoyal guard in training
The Tower of London
Outside the Tower of LondonWhere the moat used to beThe original White Tower inside the current fortress, built by William the Conqueror in 1078Inside the courtyardOur Yeoman Warder guideKid-sized ArmourThe original Tower of London chapelChapel windowA view of the Traitor’s Gate from the Thames RiverTraitor’s Gate from the inside the walls of the London Tower……which leads directly to the Bloody Tower. The Tower of London wasn’t built to be a prison, but hundreds of people were imprisoned, tortured, and executed there.The top of the iron gatePart of the Bloody Tower dungeonPrisoner “graffiti” on the wall while being held in the Tower of London awaiting executionSome rooms are covered with messages from prisoners; this one from 1538A memorial in the courtyard for royals who were executed with no proper cause…like Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey who was only 16 years old
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub
Rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666, the pub is known for its literary regulars, including Charles Dickens and Mark TwainThe entrance from the alleyThe view from our lunch tableOur visitor on our bench during lunch
Exploring London
Helpful reminders everywhere for the rest of the us who drive on the “wrong” side of the roadQueen Mother’s gateRows and rows of old chimneys no longer used due to new lawsMonument to women during WWIIThe London School of Economics and Political Science has many notable graduates, including our very own JFKEstablished in 1723, it’s now the oldest pub in LondonPurchased by Thomas Twining in 1706, the little white building is one of the oldest shops in London still in its original locationAccording to the tour guide, this building was the inspiration for the original tiered cake designSt Paul’s CathedralTower Bridge in the distanceThe new buildings of downtown LondonBig Ben getting a faceliftShakespeare’s Globe theaterThe South African consulate where Nelson Mandela made a speech on the balcony after being released from prisonThe original Hard Rock CafeThe top of the Great Fire monument The dragon marking the border of the original square mile boundary of the City of LondonDamage left on the church from WWII shellingUsed in filming Gringot’s bank for a Harry Potter movieI looked up “bog roll”…apparently translates to toilet paperMind the gapPooped on the tour bus after a long day of sightseeingOur hotel’s English breakfast
