Towers

Last Saturday, Kevin and I took the beautiful walk along the South bank, enjoying the street performers, fresh food in Borough Market (aka Diagonal Alley), and just the beautiful day. We went further than we had gone before, all the way to City Hall, then crossed over the Thames on Tower Bridge. I may be a little spoiled after driving, biking, and walking over the Golden Gate countless times, but while the Bridge was certainly impressive, I personally didn't find as spectacular as the other monuments we've seen here. We pressed on to the Tower of London, where we got a tour of the grounds. Our tour guide was a typical old British guy dressed in a funny costume, with funny jokes and a lot of knowledge of his home (the guides live in the tower!). He told as the whole history of the castle including its role as a prison with stories of the executions of queens and princes within, a mint of British coins with Sir Isaac Newton as the minter, and a type of zoo with unique animals (think monkeys, snakes, lions, an ostrich and a polar bear). The ravens were all around, still in the castle because the guards clip their wings to ensure they don't fly away and portend the fall of London. There were several bizarre things we noticed around the castle, like rows of benches set up looking at a blank wall, laundry drying on lines, and the guards marching back and forth seemingly guarding nothing. After the tour, we went to see the Crown Jewels. Lots of shiny gold and diamonds. Purdy. It said no pictures, but don't worry I got some.