We first took a panoramic tour of London.
We passed the London Eye and later rode on it.
Memorial Gardens directly across the street from Buckingham Palace
I had to snap this picture of all these tiny children taking a field trip to get to see where their queen lives and the beautiful area in Westminster.
In those little cubicles at Whitehall Palace. you can see two of The Queen's Life Guard. These are men mounted on immaculately
groomed horses with breastplates shining in the sun. They present a
stirring sight as they ride through the streets of London. 
Life Guards have stood guard at Horse Guards, the official entrance
to St James and Buckingham Palace, since the Restoration of King
Charles II in 1660.
We were fortunate to be there for the Four 'O' Clock Parade, also known as the Dismounting Ceremony, which takes place at 4 pm in the courtyard within the Horse Guards building.
The guards are inspected by an Officer and then the mounted guards take the horses back to the stables for the night.
Two dismounted sentries will then guard the entrance until 8:00 p.m. when the gates to Horse Guards are closed and then one sentry will remain on duty until 7:00 a.m. when the gates re-open.
The 4 'o' Clock Parade started in 1894 when Queen Victoria found the entire guard drinking and gambling while on duty.
As a punishment, she said they had to be inspected every day at 4 p.m. by an officer for the next 100 years!
The 100 years finished in 1994. However, the reigning Queen wanted the parade to continue as a tradition.
I think George was remembering about a year ago when one of these guards came after me with his bayonet when I took a picture of the guards putting the horses in their stalls. I won't ever do that again!
We next visited St. Paul's Cathedral.
The church was the site of a number of important historic events such as the funeral of Admiral Nelson in 1806 and the funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965. Margaret Thatcher's funeral was held here in 2013. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married here in 1981.
The majestic St. Paul's Cathedral was built by Christopher Wren between 1675 and 1711. It is one of Europe's largest cathedrals and its dome is only exceeded in size by that of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Several famous people are entombed in the cathedral's crypt. Most notable are the tomb of the Duke of Wellington - who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo - and the tomb of Admiral Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar.
There is also a tomb of Christopher Wren himself and a number of important artists are buried here as well. (No pictures were allowed inside.)
We didn't go inside Westminster Abbey because we had gone in there before--but it is absolutely one of the most fascinating places in London. The interior is really a museum of English history, plus the Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of seventeen monarchs.
Among many
highlights are the medieval coronation throne; Poet's Corner with its
memorials to William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and other giants of
literature; and the tombs of Queen Elizabeth I, "Bloody" Queen Mary,
explorer David Livingstone and naturalist Charles Darwin. Also, it is the church where Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married.
Among the interesting sights in London included the police who carried rapid fire weapons with their fingers on the trigger! In addition, you cannot find a garbage can anywhere--but it is very clean. You must take your garbage out with you anywhere in London because garbage cans could be dangerous receptacles for bombs, I guess!
I love to see the red tour buses that can be seen everywhere!
Many of the older buildings are rounded on the corners--based on the fact that the street cars previously used couldn't make a right angle turn, so that buildings conformed for them.
Stopping at a pub to get a Diet Coke! George can spot the best places a mile away!
We stopped for a wonderful lunch before proceeding on.
You can't miss the Shard, which is the tallest building in London, having 25 floors of office space.
Our next stop was the Tower of London,
which was founded towards the end of 1066.
Founded in 1066, the Tower has served variously as an armory, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England.
which was founded towards the end of 1066.
Founded in 1066, the Tower has served variously as an armory, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England.
A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. However, during the peak period of the castle in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was used as a prison when many figures fell into disgrace.
Tours of the Tower are given by the ceremonial guardians known as the Beefeaters.
Beefeaters
at the Tower of London are the ceremonial guardians, and historically,
they would have been responsible for the safeguarding of the Crown
Jewels, and looking after prisoners kept at the Tower. - See more at:
http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/beefeaters-at-the-tower-of-london/#sthash.58eYcPuC.dpuf
Historically, they would have been responsible for the safeguarding of the Crown Jewels, and looking after the prisoners kept in the towers.
The name Traitor's Gate has been used since before 1544. Prisoners were brought by barge along the River Thames, passing under London Bridge, where the heads of recently executed prisoners were displayed on pikes. Queen Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More entered the Tower by Traitors' Gate.
A wall plaque explained why Thomas More was imprisoned and later executed--he refused to recognize King Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn and refused to accept the King as Head of the Church.
The name Traitor's Gate has been used since before 1544. Prisoners were brought by barge along the River Thames, passing under London Bridge, where the heads of recently executed prisoners were displayed on pikes. Queen Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More entered the Tower by Traitors' Gate.
Beefeaters
at the Tower of London are the ceremonial guardians, and historically,
they would have been responsible for the safeguarding of the Crown
Jewels, and looking after prisoners kept at the Tower. - See more at:
http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/beefeaters-at-the-tower-of-london/#sthash.58eYcPuC.dpuf
Beefeaters
at the Tower of London are the ceremonial guardians, and historically,
they would have been responsible for the safeguarding of the Crown
Jewels, and looking after prisoners kept at the Tower. - See more at:
http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/beefeaters-at-the-tower-of-london/#sthash.58eYcPuC.dpuf
This is the tower where the most important prisoners were kept.
Four English queens, three of them executed on Tower Green – Anne
Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Jane Grey – with only Elizabeth I escaping,
shaped English history. The Tower also helped shape the story of the
Reformation in England, as both Catholic and Protestant prisoners (those
that survived) recorded their experiences and helped define the Tower
as a place of torture and execution.
Tower Green is the open space in the Tower of London where the beheadings of people of rank were executed. This way they could be spared insults from jeering crowds, and the monarch was spared bad publicity.
This is the spot where the scaffold for the executions took place. Other prisoners in the tower were executed in public on Tower Hill, just outside the fortress, or at Tyburn on the other side of the city.
Names of known nobility are inscribed on this memorial.
Among other buildings at the Tower is the place where the Crown Jewels are kept and have been on display since 1669. Everyone gets on a conveyer belt to view the glass enclosure where they are housed--and of course, no pictures are allowed. But truly, they are fantastic!
Among the items inside are jewels, plates, and symbols of royalty such as the crown, sceptre, and sword.
The Crown Jewels are guarded by the Palace Guards.
Another interesting fact is that the Tower was the home to a menagerie of animals beginning in 1251 during the reign of Henry III. It began with a polar bear, probably a gift from the King of Norway. With more animals as gifts, such as elephants, lions, and leopards, by the 18th century, the menagerie was open to the public.
By the 18th century, the menagerie was open to the public; admission cost three half-pence or the supply of a cat or dog to be fed to the lions. In 1828 there were over 280 animals representing at least 60 species. The last of the animals left in 1835, relocated to Regent's Park, after one of the lions was accused of biting a soldier.
An exhibition during 2011 showcased the wire sculptures to remind people how the Tower was, also, used for this purpose.
The White Tower is a central tower at the Tower of London. It was built by William the Conqueror during the early 1080s, and subsequently extended.
Many displays are housed in and around the White Tower today.
The Royal Arms
Wooden Head of Queen Elizabeth I
Tower Green is the open space in the Tower of London where the beheadings of people of rank were executed. This way they could be spared insults from jeering crowds, and the monarch was spared bad publicity.
This is the spot where the scaffold for the executions took place. Other prisoners in the tower were executed in public on Tower Hill, just outside the fortress, or at Tyburn on the other side of the city.
Names of known nobility are inscribed on this memorial.
Among other buildings at the Tower is the place where the Crown Jewels are kept and have been on display since 1669. Everyone gets on a conveyer belt to view the glass enclosure where they are housed--and of course, no pictures are allowed. But truly, they are fantastic!
Among the items inside are jewels, plates, and symbols of royalty such as the crown, sceptre, and sword.
The Crown Jewels are guarded by the Palace Guards.
Another interesting fact is that the Tower was the home to a menagerie of animals beginning in 1251 during the reign of Henry III. It began with a polar bear, probably a gift from the King of Norway. With more animals as gifts, such as elephants, lions, and leopards, by the 18th century, the menagerie was open to the public. 
By the 18th century, the menagerie was open to the public; admission cost three half-pence or the supply of a cat or dog to be fed to the lions. In 1828 there were over 280 animals representing at least 60 species. The last of the animals left in 1835, relocated to Regent's Park, after one of the lions was accused of biting a soldier.
An exhibition during 2011 showcased the wire sculptures to remind people how the Tower was, also, used for this purpose.
The White Tower is a central tower at the Tower of London. It was built by William the Conqueror during the early 1080s, and subsequently extended.
Many displays are housed in and around the White Tower today.
The Royal Arms
Wooden Head of Queen Elizabeth I
The Norman Fireplace is one of the earliest known wall fireplaces in England and was one of four in the White Tower. This pre-dated the introduction of chimney stacks, so the smoke was allowed to escape through two holes in the side of the building through a flue built into the thickness of the wall. Prior to this, the fire just burned in the center of the room allowing smoke to fill the room and eventually escape through holes in the roof.
The armor used over 500 years for both the battle and sports fields are on display here at the White Tower.
Beverly, Me, Joyce--We wanted to stand in front of the armor of James II, as we are descendants of his!
Armor for big people and children.
This is called a two-hand sword. The guidebooks of 1753 and later described this sword as the Sword of Justice that was carried with the Sword of Mercy. Attention was drawn to its sharp point, distinguishing it from the blunted Sword of Mercy.
This is called a two-hand sword. The guidebooks of 1753 and later described this sword as the Sword of Justice that was carried with the Sword of Mercy. Attention was drawn to its sharp point, distinguishing it from the blunted Sword of Mercy.
I couldn't even get this whole lance in the picture. The caption said this was a "Parade Lance" and probably preserved because of its unusally large size. Its hollow construction keeps it weight to 20 lbs despite its length of over 14 feet. It was probably intended for parade before the joust rather than use in it.
This Tower museum, also, has ways of torment that were used. The sign says that it it was a Spanish Collar for torture taken in 1588. However, early Tower guidebooks say that it was put around the necks of scolding or wayward wives!
The sign said that prisoners of noble birth found guilty of treason were beheaded with an axe. This oak block weighs 125 lbs. Its curved cut-outs accommodated the head and upper chest, exposing the neck. According to tradition, it was used at the last public beheading on Tower Hill in 1747. The axe dates from the 16th century and weighs 7 lbs.
There were other displays of torture too gruesome to talk about!
Examples of cannon balls. The one on the far right was huge!
And a giant assortment of guns used through the ages.
In addition, this modern-looking dragon made of all kinds of weapons was very interesting!
After leaving the Tower, we took a ride on a tour boat on the River Thames.
View of the Tower Bridge near the Tower of London.
The boat ride allows you to see all the famous landmarks--definitely can identify Big Ben!
After our river tour, we had a few minutes before we would board the London Eye. I think Larry and George were exhausted, so they had a little cat nap!
The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is, also, known as the Coca-Cola London Eye.
This purple building is built in the shape of a cow that has been tipped over. So funny!
Overlooking the River Thames that we had just been on.
Coca-Cola makes sure you realize that they sponsor the London Eye--even when you are overlooking the city from above.
Walking back to our hotel, we all agreed that our day had been so much fun! London is definitely a great city to tour. No matter how many times you go there, you can always learn and see more!
1 comment:
This was a great day! I loved finally getting to see the Tower of London and all of the history and historical items there. You did a great job recapping the day (and you said you weren't going to go into too much detail--Ha)! Thanks for bring back memories of our day in London. Can't wait to see your other posts.
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