History will be good to me, for I intend to write it.

To learn about the history of England and see marvelous architecture and culture dating back centuries, then the Tower of London is a must. Our tour was given by one of the Yeoman Warders who was entertaining and informative. On our tour we learned about King Henry VIII, his life and wives, prisoners once kept and tortured there.

The Yeoman Warder only takes you from the entrance to the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula so you spend the rest of your time in the Tower of London herding around like a cattle trying to hit up as many spots as possible. As we exited the chapel we recognized a small crowd of people gathered close to an outer chapel wall.  Behold, one of the ravens had landed and people were marveling at its presence. These creatures are a must see for your trip to the Tower of London. Legend has it that if the ravens ever leave then the monarchy will fall, the White Tower at the Tower of London will crumble to the ground and a great disaster will befall England. Regardless of whether this is too superstitious, the Tower takes no chances. The ravens, protected by a royal decree, have lived at the Tower since Charles II. 

The Crown Jewels was our first stop after our Yeoman Warder tour. The Crown Jewels signifies the regalia and vestments worn by the UK sovereign during coronation ceremonies and other state functions. The objects are crowns, scepters, swords, orbs, spurs, rings, the royal robe and several others. Stunning is an understatement for these pieces. Looking at the crowns and specters, specifically, underneath dim lighting and red velvet pillows. When you enter the room where the jewels are housed, you will see a large vault door entrance. This is because the crown jewels have been kept under continuous close guard in the Tower since the unfortunate occurrence of 1671.  A reckless adventurer, Colonel Thomas Blood was caught, just at the point of making a speedy getaway at the East Gate with the crown and the scepter in his possession. 

Next stop was White Tower, the central tower, or “old keep”, at the Tower of London. In 1078 William the Conqueror ordered the White Tower to be built inside the southeast angle of the City walls, bordering the River Thames. The project was as much to protect the Normans from the people of the City of London as to protect London from outside invaders. William had specifically imported Caen stone from France and ordered that the Tower to be built with this stone. The tower was completed in 1087. During the twelfth century, King Richard the Lionheart enclosed the White Tower with a curtain wall and had a moat dug around it filled with water from the River Thames. Yet the moat was not successful until Henry III, in the thirteenth century. This tower is a massive construction, 90 feet high and 118 feet by 107 feet across. The walls are varying from 15 feet thickness at the base to almost 11 feet in the upper parts. Located in the White Tower are the Royal Armories.

After walking around other individual towers we took a picture underneath the Portcullis of the Bloody Tower. A portcullis is a heavy, grating sliding up and down in vertical groves. These were (and some still are) lowered to block a gateway to a fortress. So what was our reason for posing underneath one? The Portcullis is the symbol of UK Parliament. J

Feeling very accomplished with the time we spent there, we bounced and had a wonderful picture taken with Tower Bridge behind us. We then found a tiny little café for lunch. With the gorgeous weather, we enjoyed our lunch outside by the docks. After lunch, we took a marvelous walk across Tower Bridge. The views from the high level of the bridge are striking with the bridge as a sign of the area’s amazing history. Horace Jones, the City Architect, in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry, offered the chosen design for Tower Bridge in 1884. Construction took eight years, five major contractors and the relentless labor of 432 construction workers.

Being now of the other side of the River Thames, we took a walk through Hay’s Galleria. This area was used to see large ships from all over the world docking, especially tea clippers from India and China. Nowadays, the Galleria is a vibrant office and shopping complex and home to great restaurants. After a quick stroll thru we walked down a pathway and up the steps to London Bridge. Before crossing the bridge we took a peek inside Southwark Cathedral and around Borough Market. 

Then we crossed London Bridge and it was not falling down. London Bridge is another bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark. It is situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge. The walk across is another beautiful one, especially with the gorgeous weather and the added cooling breeze. Once we crossed to the other side, we took the tube from Monument station home to Kilburn. Naptime was a must. So following that and making dinner we got ready to go out. We went to Waxy O’Connors and (our favorite) O’Neils in Piccadilly Circus.

Justine and myself decided to take a day trip to Windsor on Saturday. Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. No other residence has played such an important part in the history of the nation. Upon arrival to Windsor Saturday morning, we fascinated over the Changing of the Guard. Their timing is impeccable and the band is so triumphant. The Guards marched up the High Street as all of us captivated over them. Justine and myself walked over to the information center in the Royal Station to get a map and some direction of what to see first. We saw a tour that Justine had researched the day before, just starting and were able to pay and get right into it. Our tour guide has earned the badge of ‘most adorable older English man yet’. We had a wonderful tour of parts of this ancient town. Full of professional knowledge, our tour guide was enthusiastic and offered great points.

Following our tour we grabbed lunch at EAT across from the information center in the Royal Station. As part of a chain of sandwich bars, EAT has a range of sandwiches, snacks and meals that are freshly made on the premises. It’s a perfect place for lunch at they offer a range of hot and cold meals and beverages served in a comfortable and efficient environment. Justine ordered the ‘Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Baguette’ and I ordered the ‘EAT Superfood Summer Sandwich of the Week’. The best part about our lunch in the station at EAT was that we could people watch! J

Following a stroll through some shops in the station we stumbled upon the Windsor Ferris Wheel and decided to give it a round. The views from above were fantastic especially getting to peer inside the walls of the castle in a few spots. After our round-a-bout we crossed the bridge over the River Thames and made our way down the high street to Eton College. The college was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI to provide free education for poor scholars who would then go on to further education at King’s College, Cambridge. From these small number of scholars that first entered at the founding, about 70, to an expanded number of about 1,300 now boys aged 13 to 18 are admitted by competitive examination. It has become one of the most well known preparatory schools across Europe. The school dress, which dates back to the 1850s, still consists of a black tailcoat and waistcoat and pin-striped trousers. Nineteen UK Prime Ministers have attended Eton College, including the current Prime Minister, David Cameron. After our stroll through the surroundings of Eton College and admiring the Eton College Chapel, we stopped into a place for a pot of tea. Then we traced our way back to town centre, got on the bus and headed back to London.

For mass on Sunday, Justine and I attended the noon service at Westminster Cathedral. It is a Roman Catholic Cathedral like no other. It serves as the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and dedicated to the ‘Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.’ The architecture, colors, and choir were completely astonishing. I was looking all around me at the significant details and artwork of the cathedral, while still trying to pay attention to the celebrant. After mass we went over to Victoria Station for lunch and topped up our Vodafones. Then we met friends from Parliament and others in Angel at a place called ‘The Arc’ to watch Wimbledon and hang out.

Yesterday us Yanks celebrated the Fourth of July in our hearts throughout the day and then all together, a bit louder, at night after work. A few of us went to the Hole in the Wall over in Waterloo together for dinner and drinks. It’s a proper old-fashioned London pub situated under the train line. We enjoyed it there so much that we ended up staying until their closing. My Independence Day celebration was certainly different than years past. Nevertheless, I celebrated with my best friends here and that made it special!