The day after our tour ended, Tom and I headed to the Tower of London. We started the morning by sleeping in and got up at the luxuriant hour of 8 a.m. We had a leisurely breakfast because we didn’t have to get our suitcases out or be on the bus at any particular time. About 9:15 we were all packed up and headed out of the Thistle Marble Arch Hotel and on to the Holiday Inn Express, where we will be spending four nights before leaving London.
We climbed in a taxi for the five mile drive to our new hotel. It took close to 30 minutes, but it was worth it to not haul the suitcases up and down the Tube steps. We chose the Holiday Inn Express Victoria for two reasons. First, Tom likes staying at Holiday Inn Express but I wanted to stay in someplace with character. The Holiday Inn Express is the brand Tom likes but is in three converted row houses in a quiet, residential neighborhood.
The second reason we chose the Holiday Inn Express Victoria is because it was half the price of the Thistle Marble Arch. Tom says the room is half the size too, which is true, but it is sufficient for our needs. The included breakfasts were good and it has a pick-up laundry service.
While we were on the ship, we got our laundry done through their service once a week. We had shipboard credit that covered the cost. While we have been on the tour, there were two hotels that offered a laundry service, and we took advantage of both of them. Laundry has been building up and it was good to find a way to get it done. It isn’t cheap, but we won’t stink, which is important to us.
When we arrived at the hotel, we dropped off our bags (too early to check-in) and headed to the Tower of London. Tom is the navigator while we are in London. He has the Tube figured out and knows which direction we are going. Fortunately there are very good signs at all the stations and a map at the station entrances. All I have to do is follow his lead.
We took the Tube, changing lines once, to the Tower of London. Tom has been wanting to go here forever. He was especially looking forward to seeing the Armory in the White Tower. We bought our tickets online and got in line as soon as we arrived. Getting into the castle was easy – seeing everything we wanted to was a little more difficult. We had to get in the mindset of standing in line and being patient. Not that much different than being on a tour.
In case you haven’t been there, the Tower of London is more than one tower. It is a whole complex: castle, fortress, palace and prison. In addition, it is constantly being renovated as its needs change. The castle was founded in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was initially a resented symbol of oppression. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 (Ranulf Flambard) until 1952 (Kray twins). The Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under kings Richard I, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries.
We started with the thing that was most important to Tom, the White Tower, which stands at the center of the complex. The route through the White Tower is very well laid out, with tourists moving one direction, ascending stairs, then descending a different set of stairs. We saw displays on all the kings and queens. Many of the kings had armor made by the Royal Armorer at the tower. We also walked through the Royal Armory where weapons were stockpiled and given to the soldiers as needed.
When we were done in the White Tower, we thought about getting in line to see the Crown Jewels. I really wanted to see them, but the line was two hours long and people had to stand in the sun the whole time. It was 85 degrees so we decided we would try again later. Maybe the line would shorten.
We saw the medieval palace of William the Conqueror and his Norman descendants and walked along the tower wall through the various towers. We even saw where many of the prisoners were held. It was all very interesting. We kept checking the line for the crown jewels, but it was just as long at 1:30 as it had been at 11:30.
The Yeoman Warders were out in full force and we saw the homes where they live (from the outside). Yeoman Warders were originally part of the monarch’s personal bodyguard who traveled with him everywhere. Henry VIII decided that the Tower should be protected by part of the royal bodyguard. These Yeoman Warders (nickname Beefeaters) were eventually granted the right to wear the splendid red uniform, which today is known as the state dress uniform. This uniform is worn on state occasions such as the monarch’s birthday. The more durable, everyday dark blue ‘undress’ uniform was introduced in the 19th century.
Today’s Yeoman Warders need to have at least 22 years’ military service. They are retired from their duty in the military. Apart from that, they need to have reached the rank of warrant officers within their service and to have been awarded the long service and good conduct medal. Once selected, the Yeoman Warders must live within the Tower of London, so they are still guarding it. Tom was thrilled to get his picture taken with a Yeoman Warder.
The line for the Crown Jewels was still just as long as it had been, so Tom and I reluctantly left without seeing them. We walked along the Thames and across the Tower Bridge, often called the London Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1894 and is a hydraulically operated drawbridge. The center of the bridge raises up so boats and pass through. It does this over 1,000 times per year and, if you are visiting, you can find out when it will be going up and watch it. Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites (there are 37 of them in the UK).
It was still early in the day, but Tom and I were hot and tired and headed back to our hotel room to enjoy the air-conditioning for a while. Later we ventured out to a Sainsbury’s grocery store and picked up some supper. There will be time to see more of London tomorrow.