London - Part One — Our Next Big Thing

29 May 2024 to 01 June 2024

We arrive in London on Thursday after taking the red-eye from RDU to LHR (AA174). Thanks to Kevin for dropping us off at the airport!

Julia and Anthony excited to finally begin, at RDU.

Anthony hams it up with Roman dude in front of the London Wall.

Julie with the Tower Bridge. Our hotel is the monstrosity to the right of the bridge.

We drop our bags off at the Tower Hotel (it is huge), and head out for a walk along the Thames to shake off the Jetlag.

View of the Tower Bridge (with the Shard) from our Hotel Room

After checking into the Hotel (and a short nap) we caught the Terrible Thames boat tour with the Horrible History, which left across from the hotel.

Pictures from the cruise.

On Friday, we book tours of the Tower Bridge and Tower of London.

Thames to the West from the walkway on the Tower Bridge. The Shard is on the left with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance.

Views from the Tower Bridge

Not sure what this is. It was part of the bridge engine, and looked sufficiently steampunk to take a photo. Julie thought it made chocolate.

Gargoyle on Tower Bridge

William the Conqueror built he Tower of London in 1078 to intimidate the locals so they would behave. The White Tower was the original structure. The tower was the home to the English Monarchy for over 800 years. It was also a prison, the English Mint (where Sir Isaac rehabilitated the coinage), an armory and storage for the crown jewels.

If you have time, take the Beefeater tour. It meets in the garden, that was a moat. Not recommended if you are sensitive about being a ‘merican or are afraid of a little rain.

Oddly modern memorial commemorating the spot where Ann Boleyn and other royal personages were executed.

We also recommend the audio tour, it was a good complement to the signage and FREE!

Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned in the tower on several occasions. This was one of his favorite haunts.

We scheduled our visit to Westminster Abbey for Saturday morning. On the way to the abbey from Westminster tube stop, we encountered a military parade. Lots of horses and a couple of military bands (thought of my musician friends in the Little German Band and Dancers). We walked to Trafalgar Square and then to the northern part of Saint James Park trying to avoid the parade, to no avail.

The cleaning crew following the horses. Buckingham Palace is in the background.

King Edward the Confessor began building Westminster Abbey in the middle of the 11th Century. William the Conqueror was crowned here in 1066 and the abbey has been the scene of 40 coronations since. In the 13th century Henry III began building the “modern” Westminster Abbey, completed in 1376 by Richard II. The Brits have added (and subtracted) from the building ever since then.

British Royalty could be described as hoarders. Over 3300 people (monarchs, scientists, clergy, artists, engineers) are interred in Westminster Abbey with effigies and memorials for many others.