Today was another jam packed day in London.  We were able to catch up on some sleep, thankfully, so we were fresh and wide awake for the next adventure.  We spent the better part of the day at the Tower of London thanks to our first ride on the Underground.  Being history buffs, this was at the top of both of our must-do lists, and it did not disappoint.  Here is our tip for the Tower of London: be prepared for stairs.  Lots and lots of stairs.  Many of them are narrow, coiling up one narrow tower or another and have uneven treads.  That said, it was raining slightly and a Monday, so those things combined kept the crowds away.  We had no line to get into the Crown Jewels, which is unheard of, apparently.  Due to the rain, we had an abbreviated Yoeman Warder tour in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, the royal chapel on site, which was used when the Tower was still a royal residence centuries ago.

The Tower was many things: royal residence, defensive fort, a Norman demonstration of power, a prison, a mint and more.  The prison functioned primarily for the gentry, clergy or the notorious.  Execution of prisoners were typically public events and were often held on nearby Tower Hill.  Only when a high ranking member of the church or court was awarded the privilege of a private execution would the tower be used.  The executions of Henry VIII’s wives Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard were private executions held here, and Lady Jane Grey, the great-niece of Henry VIII who was executed when Mary Tudor, or “Bloody Mary” ascended the throne in a bloodless coup.    All three of these ladies are buried in the Chapel of St. Peter on the site.  Also on site is the only surviving true Tudor building in London:  The Queen’s House, which was built by Henry VIII and occupied by Elizabeth I while Bloody Mary imprisioned her.  The timber and plaster structure in the typical Tudor style was the only Tudor building to survive the Great Fire of London in 1666 since it was isolated inside the Tower grounds.

There were so many other fascinating tidbits of information too: the Yoeman Warders are actually the Beefeaters and not the guards in the tall fuzzy hats; the menagerie held exotic animals given as gifts to the Kings and Queens, and Henry III’s polar bear was kept on a rope so it could go fishing in the Thames; many of the Tower’s long-term prisoners carved messages into the rock walls, leaving a permanent reminder of their fates, causes and lives.

We also wandered the Embankment and Charing Cross areas, walked part of The Strand shopping area before heading south by Somerset House across Waterloo Bridge.  On the south side of the Thames, we enjoyed another Christmas market and great views of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and our hotel on the north side of the Thames.

The Golden Jubilee Bridge took us back across the river to the Embankment in time to meet Harold, our driver with Small Car Big City tours.  They restore vintage mini Coopers and provide driving tours of the city; our car was Lulu, a 1998 turquoiose beauty with white racing stripes and a white roof.  Our tour included some of London’s best Christmas light displays as well as many of the sights including Trafalger Square, Piccadilly Square, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, The Old Curiosity Shop (made famous by Charles Dickens and still operating as a retail establishment,) the Seven Stars – the oldest continually operating pub in the country (so claimed by our driver – this is, however, a hotly contested topic if you Google it), the site of the Beatles last concert together, and more.

There is just so much to see and do in a single day, it is impossible to do it all justice, but hopefully you can get a glimpse of what the city has to offer.  We can’t wait for tomorrow’s adventure.  Thanks for stopping by!  Feel free to leave a comment below.