England - Our Day in London

We had already warned the girls that we'd be getting up early.  There was so much to do on our only full day in London!  

It had been decided by a very brave and wonderful Dana that she would take the girls shopping, Steve and I would do some sightseeing and we'd meet up for dinner later.  Melanie had her heart set on going to Top Shop and Dana wanted to take them to Primark which was described by Roger in his lovely British accent like this:

Have you ever seen those scenes on the news where there is a big earthquake and people are digging through the rubble with their bare hands searching for lost relatives?  That's what it's like shopping at Primark.

Definitely not something Steve and I would be interested in.  Have you ever heard of someone preferring to go to the Tower of London than go shopping?  Yep, that's me.

Our first stop as a group was the Tate Museum.  I knew the girls wouldn't be interested in a museum so we only went to the gift shop since I was told they had a cool calendar I wanted to pick up for my office.  

The four "kids" leaving the Tate Museum
with St. Paul's in the background.

The Anchor built in 1615.
If only those walls could talk!

Borough Market was something to see.  Vendors of all sorts and people packed in buying their goods.  It has quite a history according to their website:

Borough has long been synonymous with food markets and as far back as 1014, and probably much earlier, London Bridge attracted traders selling grain, fish, vegetables and livestock. In the 13th century traders were relocated to what is now Borough High Street and a market has existed there ever since.

Borough Market!  I'd give my eye teeth
to have a market like this near me!

The place was bustling and the variety of vendors was amazing!  I bought some middle eastern snacks from one of them and shared them with Steve, Mike and Dana.

Next stop was the Mayflower Pub for lunch.  We walked there through neighborhoods, over bridges and along the Thames.  Again, I was completely astounded by Dana's knowledge of the geography of the area.

This pub describes itself as the oldest pub on the River Thames and the spot from which the Mayflower took off for America.  The inside was cozy and inviting with a fire burning in the fireplace and lots of different beers from which to choose.  They even had blankets and hot water bottles in a basket for those brave souls who wished to dine outside on the river during the colder months.  I was surprised to find a framed copy of the Declaration of Independence in the ladies' room.

Dana and I sampled a couple of beers before deciding on our favorites and joined the rest of our party at their booth.  I scanned the menu but had already resigned myself to the usual.  Chips or maybe olives and bread.  What's this?  
Veggie Rosemary and Red Onion Sausages on Sweet Potato Mash with Veg Gravy

Be still my heart!  Steve and I both ordered this and enjoyed every wonderful bite!  What a treat to find this in a tiny pub in Rotherhithe Village.  

Our bellies full, we walked back to Tower Bridge, the enormous drawbridge over the Thames, where we would soon go our separate ways.  

Walking over the beautiful Tower Bridge.

Once on the other side of the bridge, we said goodbye to Dana, Mike and the girls before heading to explore the Tower of London.

We got in line hoping to be able to get in for a guided tour before they closed.  I had to use the ladies' room so I popped into the building near the ticket booth.  I walked through a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant (I know...weird, right?) and found the public bathroom.  I also found that they charge 50 pence to use it!  A quick Google search just now revealed that it's one the few in London that charge.  Lucky me.  I will hold it, thankyouverymuch.

I quickly got back in line just in time to buy our tickets.  The next guided tour with a Yeoman Warder (what we think of as Beefeaters) was coming up so we stood in the appointed spot and were soon joined by others.  A lot of others.  By the time the tour began, there were so many people on the tour we decided to do a self-guided tour instead.

It was a good thing we did as there was far more to see than I expected.  I am a big Tudor history buff and was looking forward to seeing all the things I'd read about in my research.  

I wasn't prepared for this at Tower Green:

This is a memorial built in 2006 dedicated to those who were executed at Tower Green.  Among them are three queens; Anne Boleyn, Jane Grey and Catherine Howard and the others' names are inscribed around the outer edge. It's a solemn place and one in which you cannot help but feel sad thinking about the fear that permeated the air around it. The round design of the piece forces the visitor to walk around the entire memorial to read the names as well as this inscription:

Gentle visitor pause awhile, where you stand death cut away the light of many days. Here jewelled names were broken from the vivid thread of life, may they rest in peace while we walk the generations around their strife and courage under these restless skies.

Next, we visited the chapel directly behind the memorial where Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are buried.  Catherine Howard was reportedly buried there as well but the Yeoman Warder in the chapel said her remains were never found.  This is a working church with a baptismal font that dates back to the 1400s. I was told it was last used the previous week for a christening.  

One of the things that really stood out and surprised me was how much the inside of the Tower of London looks like a little village.

I was struck by the number of ravens during our visit but soon found out their wings are clipped so they cannot fly away.  Superstition says the British crown will fall if the ravens leave the Tower of London.  

“

The ravens are now treated almost like royalty. Like the Royals, the ravens live in a palace and are waited on by servants. They are kept at public expense, but in return they must show themselves to the public in settings of great splendour. So long as they abide by certain basic rules, neither Royals nor ravens have to do anything extraordinary. If the power in question is political and diplomatic, the Royals now have hardly more than the ravens. But the word "power" here can also mean the aura of glamour and mystery which at times envelops both ravens and monarchs.[17]

”

This guy didn't look like he
was in a hurry to leave.

We explored all the grounds climbing narrow spiral staircases in the towers which set my claustrophobia on edge.  I was fascinated by the etchings on the walls of names and messages that survived so many years; those who wanted people of the future to know he existed and suffered in this prison.

We finished up at the Tower and took the Underground back to the Barbican station.  Since we were running early, we stopped at a pub near Dana's apartment for a beer before meeting the rest of the crew.

We all met at Dana's and the girls excitedly shared their purchases and experiences from their day of shopping.  They'd had fun and I was happy to know they'd enjoyed their last day in England.  Roger was able to join us for dinner and I was glad we'd all have a chance to say goodbye to him.

We walked downstairs to Barbican Tandoori for dinner.  The food was excellent and I'm always happy to see how many Indian dishes are or can be made vegan.  We ordered and tried a variety of dishes and enjoyed them all.

Saying goodbye to Roger

We walked upstairs to Dana's apartment and did a last minute check to make sure everything was packed.  Tomorrow would be a long and depressing day as we made the long journey back to the States.