Tower of London

It's late and just got back from the Tower of London Key Ceremony. Tickets are very limited and are first come first serve. You are there as they lock up the Tower of London for the night. It starts at 9:30 pm and lasts an hour. Very interesting. More later.

Started out the day at the Tower of London and toured it very extensively. This is the oldest working castle on the planet and one of its functions is to hold the crown jewels which are amazing.

We had afternoon tea at Kensington Palace. Very nice. Sandwiches, scones, chocolate ganache cake, raspberry shortbread tartlet and of course tea.

After tea we went to Covent Garden Piazza which is a large shopping area with dozens of restaurants. Music and live entertainment everywhere. Classical string quartets, guitarists, magicians, and more. The site is hundreds of years old. At ice cream at The Icecreamist. A very unique place that grew worldwide attention by selling human breast milk ice cream. We had a chocolate caramel cows milk ice cream. At a nearby restaurant we also had fried whiteing which is about a three inch fish, lightly floured and deep fried whole and uncleaned. Very good. We both enjoyed that. Also had beef carpaccio which was good and a cheese board with several cheeses and several breads.

25 minute Tube ride back to the hotel. Ran into a couple of Scottish guitarists in matching silver suits that were very liquored and funny. No one paid any attention to them and they kept getting madder, yelling obscenities about the queen etc. No one looked at them twice. It was like the British folks were used to that. We both enjoyed that one.

More later. Sleep time.

This site at the Tower of London is where King Henry VII beheaded a couple of wives and many others.

Outside the walls of Tower of London

The Tower

The guards look back and forth with no movement for a long time. They suddenly swing their weapon into action and march for awhile and then back to their position.

Recent additions (1600's) to the tower. This is original wood. The Tower has been in constant use for over 1000 years.

Yoeman Warder (Beefeater) gives the tour. Very funny men telling sarcastic jokes laced with imformation. These men have to have 20 years of military service with a spotless record and other achievments. They live at the Tower. This huge complex has apartments in the surrounding walls.

Tower entrance known as Traitor's Gate where you can enter from the Thames via boat. Traitors walked the steps of this entrance and were beheaded.

Archers arrow slit.

"If the ravens leave the tower will crumble."  They keep 8 ravens at the tower.  If the ravens were present so was death.  The ravens were a sign of dominance as if there was no death and fear present, there was no power.