We saw them do some drills and the band played and a few guards with flags marched back and forth. The press of the crowd at this time was incredible. We were against the fence and there were arms and phones and cameras everywhere around you. People were climbing on the gates and the police inside kept having to scold them to get them off. Before it began the police also went through the crowd telling you to keep your valuables in front of you because there would be pick-pockets. Mom and I both purchased these anti-theft purses before we left. They have locking zippers, RFID blocking and anti-slash straps. I didn't have anyone try for my purse, but Mom said when we were all pressed in there, two very tall young men kept sliding their hands down her purse and grabbing a bit. She said since they were so tall there was no reason they'd need to do that to get pictures. She finally moved her purse to the other side of her body, closer to me and they moved on. As Rick Steves says, if you keep your money and cards on a money belt or the like, then a pick-pocket sticking their hand in your pockets or grabbing at you is just another new experience. Around 12 we moved on, as they still weren't done, but we'd seen them actually change a guard and felt we got the experience. We'd been at Buckingham around that time the day before and there was nothing, so I guess we hadn't missed it after all. Next we took the tube from Green Park over to Tower Hill to see the Tower of London. Since it is the 100th anniversary of World War I they have been slowly building an art piece of a field of red poppies around the Tower of London. The red poppies were a symbol during WWI for Remembrance Day and are taken from the poem "In Flander's Fields." In the poem the poppies are meant to symbolize the blood spilled during the war.
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| Our Beefeater Tour Guide |
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| The White Tower Where the royal family actually lived when the Tower of London was a residence |
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| Tower Bridge in the distance |
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| Can you see the Royal Jewels? |
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| The Ravens of the Tower |
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| Traitor's Gate Where many royals entered but never left the Tower alive |
We got our tickets and joined a group for a guided tour by one of the Yeoman Guards, or Beefeaters as they're also known, who did an excellent job of showing us the important sites around the Tower and lots of history as to who built what or who or killed whom. After his tour we joined the crowd heading for the Crown Jewels. There aren't any cameras allowed there, so you're going to have to imagine as I describe. The crowns were quite fabulous and it was impressive to see something that had sat on so many king's or queen's heads. There were also crowns for the Queen Mother, Queen Mary and King Edward (the current Queen's grandparents) and the scepters and orb that they hold during the coronation. They had the stole and robe worn by Elizabeth II when she was crowned and Mom and I enjoyed deciphering the meaning of what was on it, though they didn't have a plaque explaining that. There were roses (for the line of Tudors from which she comes), thistles (to indicate that she is also Queen of Scotland) and clovers (Queen of Northern Ireland too). It is all on a field of gold, which is sure to be real gold thread and is truly magnificent. After that Mom and I were beat from so many hours on our feet. There was a cafe close by inside the Tower and we went in there and ate our lunch. The Yeoman Guard also talked about how many people imprisoned in the Tower were taken up to Tower Hill outside the gates to be executed publicly, but a few were executed on the Tower Green, such as Queen Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey. They have a memorial there to honor those that died.
Next up was the gift shop. I had planned on purchasing some tea items (I'd really like an English Teapot) and in the gift shop they had a full tea service that looks like the Queen's set. I loved the colors and they are finished with real 22 carat gold, so yeah...I got something. I decided on just a cup and saucer set and Mom picked up one as well. They are gorgeous.
It was time to sit for a bit so we wandered over to the benches along the Thames and Mom sat while I took some pictures of Tower Bridge. I'd really like to ride across that before we go...
We'd planned on visiting Leadenhall Market today and I really wanted to because they had filmed scenes for Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron there for the first Harry Potter movie. I thought maybe we could pick up something fresh to eat, but it turned out not to be that kind of market. They had lots of eateries and shops, but no fresh fruit or food of that sort.
We were getting really tired by this point, so we took the Bank tube station to Leister Square as our last stop. A coworker had mentioned the ticket booth that sells half-price theater tickets on the day of the show. We had thought it would be fun to see something, since London is famous for theaters, but we weren't sure what to see or when. I'd thought maybe we could go that night, but we need to get up early tomorrow, so Mom thought maybe we could get them a few days early. We think we'll have time on Saturday, but they really only sell the tickets the day of. So we'll have to try again. But they did have some beautiful streets around there and it was just such a combination of the architecture we've seen all over the city that I had to snap a photo.
While we were walking there Mom saw this souvenir shop that she wanted to go in. We headed back that way and she got this clock that looks like Big Ben! She'd said she wanted one, but we hadn't seen anything close in all the gift shops we'd been to. I also picked up some small trinkets, but overall pretty nice stuff. Finally we headed home from Leister Square on the Northern Line to Euston. When we got out at Euston we decided to get some food at one of the shops around the main terminal and we picked up some Cornish pasties. This went down much better than the fish and chips Mom's been kind of disappointed in. We dropped by the market and picked up some ketchup (for the pasties), tea (because I'd only gotten loose leaf before and I don't know why I think I carry an infuser on me all the time) and some ice cream for dessert. We collapsed into our room, ate and I did my usual nightly ritual of blogging, finance tracking, route tracking for tomorrow and picture uploading. Now to bed...there are early and exciting things in store for tomorrow!
Fun Observations of the Day - We are too nice to people; everyone came up to our area at Buckingham Palace to take a picture. The band there was playing traditional music and then played something more recent. Can't tell you what it was, but Mom and I joked that it was probably Will and Kate's song. (You know how every couple has THEIR song.) We found the financial district today and it had narrow streets and smelled like beer, wine, cigarettes and excrement (there were a lot of venting sewage covers apparently). Mom says she thinks we've almost tried every tube stop in London by now. We also learned how to hop off one line and get on another today. When we were in the Leicester Square station today there was a young man playing the violin and it just filled the space with beautiful music. You could hear it for quite a while coming up from the tube and I thought it was a recording being played. My mouth fell open when we came around a corner and he was playing. It made me think of the montage in the movie About Time where they come and go and there's a band playing there the whole time. On our way back through I dropped 2 pounds in his case. Just amazing and magical.
Step Count - Carrie: 14520 steps, 28 floors climbed. Cindy: 15502 steps, 29 floors climbed.
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