This is the final posting of our Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England trip, which ended in London.
The on-and-off bus tour in London was a good way to see the city using headphones for the tour narration and getting off for closer looks and experiences.
Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
Flags passed on our way to Westminster Abbey
Many kings and Queens and famous people are buried
or commemorated at Westminster Abbey.
Every King and Queen has been crowned in Westminster Abbey
since William the Conqueror in 1066.
(Narene)
The next two photos were taken inside Westminster Abbey
before we were told interior photos were not permitted.
The 700-year-old Westminster Abbey
is one of the oldest buildings in London.
(Jenna, Shannon, Kristine, and Narene)
Sam in front of the west door of Westminster Abbey
with its stone carvings above the door.
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More From Our London Tour
One of the many double-decker buses in London.
On both sides of the bus was a sign
advertising the play, "The Book of Mormon,
which is a musical that had opened on Broadway in 2011
and currently playing in London.
Trafalgar Square and Nelson's Monument
Trafalgar Square and Statue of King Charles
An unusual clock
The next four buildings have interesting architecture:
The 48-Floor Leadenhall Building
nicknamed the Cheese Grater Building
A "headless man"
sitting on a bench
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Next seven photos taken at the:
Tower of London
Throughout its history, the Tower of London has served many purposes, including royal residence, barracks, armory, prison, and museum. The Tower of London is a 900-year-old castle and fortress in central London that is notable for housing the crown jewels and for holding many famous and infamous prisoners.
The Tower of London is the oldest palace, fortress, and prison in Europe.
It was founded by William the Conqueror towards the end of
1066. The primary function of the Tower as a military stronghold didn’t
change until the late 19th century.
Our guide inside the Tower of London
told us many interesting things.
The Traitor's Gate
The Tower of London is perhaps better known as a prison.
The prisoners
would be brought, via the river, from Westminster
where they would have
been tried; and crowds would wait on the river bank to find out the
verdict to see if they would be treated to the spectacle of a public
execution.
Many people have been locked in the Tower for religious beliefs or
suspected treason.
Famous prisoners have included Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Elizabeth I.
An exterior view of the Tower of London.
The Crown Jewels are housed in this building.
The London Bridge in the background;
and the thick, ancient wall of the Tower of London at the right
with a couple of black ravens resting peacefully.
(Narene)
According to a superstition, the Kingdom will fall
if the ravens leave the Tower; so at least six ravens are
kept at the Tower of London at all times.
The flock even includes a "spare," and each raven
has a wing clipped to make sure they don't fly too far from home.
The following three photos:
Tower of London Bridge
The Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in
London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in
the World.
We are standing on the bridge.
(Kristine, Shannon, Jenna, Narene, and Scott)
Walking on the bridge
(Narene and Scott)
The Walkie Talkie Tower (left), The Shard (center), The Gherkin (right)
are unique buildings seen from the Tower of London Bridge.
The outside of the Gherkin (also called "Pickle") building
consists of 24,000 square meters of glass arranged in diamond-shaped panes.
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Jenna and Shannon were happy we finally took time to eat.
(Narene, Scott, Kristine, Jenna, Shannon, and Sam)
We had a bird's eye view of the city from this observation wheel:
The London Eye
The London Eye is 443 feet high on the South Bank of the River Thames between
Westminster and Hungerford Bridges. It was the world's highest
observation wheel
(a type of Ferris wheel),
but apparently the one in Las Vegas has replaced it as the highest.
The total weight of steel in the Eye is 1,700 tonne.
One tonne is about 2204.6 pounds.
We enjoyed the opportunity we had to travel to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England
to see and experience all we did. We appreciate Scott's planning the itinerary. Due to the passport problem Sam had, we didn't get to complete the itinerary in Europe with Scott and Kristine; so we look forward to seeing their photos and what we missed.
Fortunately, we had been to some of the European countries on the agenda
(Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy);
but we missed out on Denmark, Slovania, and Croatia.
I hope you have liked seeing these travel photos,
but you may be glad this is The End.
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