Have neglected to mention a fall which happened on Monday at Covent Garden. I tripped on a curb and landed HARD on the cobblestones....cut above my eye, glasses twisted, skinned knee and bruised hand.....sounds awful, but no big deal....or so I thought. It is now Thursday and the swelling is diminishing, but the hand is black and blue on both sides. I say it is improving.....I'm outvoted....the other three say: Get thee to a doctor. Have no pictures but this one....McKenzie spent the morning here with me.....3 X-rays and 2.5 hours later indicate a break in the hand and have an appointment for tomorrow morning. In that 2.5 hours, i saw the nurse practitioner twice and had three X-rays.....sometimes at home, I wait 2.5 hours just to see one M.D. My introduction to socialized medicine was very satisfactory...by the way, I did not pay a dime and no one ever asked to see an insurance card.
This building was all mirrored windows on the river side....sleek, ultra modern, a focal point in the skyline. Within a short time of completion, a significant problem was discovered. Granted London has little sunshine; however, whatever amount MELTED the cars below....yep, MELTED them! Now there is black mesh to mend the problem. I didn't get a picture of another significant problem....a high rise apartment/condo building tried to be "green" by installing 3 huge windmills on top to generate the electricity for the building. Again, within a short time, the residents complained that the noise from the windmills was offensive. Silence the windmills.....pay the electric bill.
The HMS Belfast battleship from WWII
Still strolling along the South Thames, we pass a modern shopping mall...
and a great view of the Tower Bridge which we are going to walk across.
A glimpse of the Tower of London....our destination
A glimpse of City of London....The City Hall if on the left....the tall building i mistakenly kept calling "The Sheath". It is The Shard...the tallest building in western Europe, home to a variety of commercial space.
Some nourishment before The Tower of London
Walking across the bridge
The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror around 1066 when he conquered England. Since that time it has served as a Royal Palace, an arsenal, a prison, safekeeping of the Crown Jewels, the Royal Mint, a fortress, Royal zoo and place for executions (22).
The yeomen warders are ceremonial guards of the Tower. They must have completed 22 years of active duty military service to the Crown, starting as non-commissioned. Their chief duty, in reality, is to provide tours of the Tower of London.
Traitors to the Crown were brought to the Tower by boat through this "traitor's gate"
The Bloody Tower so named because of the murder of two young princes by their uncle, Richard III, who wished to secure his right to the throne. The bodies of the young boys were discovered in a staircase excavation a century later.
All 22 of the yeomen warders live on the grounds of the Tower.
Prior to viewing the Crown Jewels (ABSOLUTELY no photos), there is a video of Queen Elizabeth II coronation
The raven holds a special place in the history of the Tower.....oftentimes a pest bird, King Charles II (1660-1685) wished the birds to be exterminated from the premises of the Tower. The King was advised, however, that such an action would be disastrous.....that the Tower would, in fact, crumble to the ground. The King acquiesced, allowing 6 ravens to remain....then changed that number to 8 to be certain that the Tower would remain intact.
Another treat AFTER the Tower!
Back to Parliament Square....for a closer look....famous statesmen are honored here
Sir Winston Churchill
David Lloyd George
Nelson Mandela
Abraham Lincoln....David was the first second grader to recite the Gettysburg Address in its entirety on the public address system at school....he dressed up as Lincoln.....he wanted to quit many times, but persevered and DID it....I lived in Springfield, Ill, for a few year, Lincoln's home....This great statesman is very special to our family.
Westminster Abbey....the site of William and Kate's wedding. The sanctuary was closed, but we found other interesting sights....
Couldn't resist the "Thomas Sanders"
The Westminster School...high school for boys only....girls accepted for junior and senior years.
THE HAND looks black and blue on both sides.....yuk! On the bus home!!!
