After crashing at the Ibis London City hotel… Thank you early check-in!… I tried to pry Alex out of bed at 3pm to go to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge Exhibition, but alas jet lag will out for him.  It is about a 15 minute walk to the Tower, so I took my little digital camera and went on alone.  It wasn’t hard to find and the streets reminded me much of New York, my old stomping ground.  There is so much construction going on that London must be in a good place financially that it can grow and renew.

When you see The Tower of London amidst London City Hall (AKA The Armadillo) and 30 St. Mary Axe (AKA The Gherkin… though my thoughts went in a more questionable direction), it looks out of place, but at the same time at home.  I think that is what I love about Europe… you have hundreds and even thousands of years of history sitting next to the ultra modern buildings that have become attractions themselves.  With an hour to spare and London pass in hand, I went over the bridge, through the gate and into The Tower.  The reality is, it is quite a few towers and filled with history.

My favorite bits are the architecture… how did they build these structures with only manpower and ingenuity?… and the graffiti.  Some are simple scratches of a name and others are intricate carvings with coats of arms or other symbols… each was an effort to be remembered as they were lost to The Tower.  I found this website in my searches and it details the writings beautifully… http://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/12/06/graffiti-at-the-tower-of-london/

Now, many people go to see the crown jewels and, if you like sparkly and shiny things, you will not be disappointed.  This was my last stop before being ejected and I could not believe the amount of gold (check out the punch bowl… you could boil up small children in that thing)… also, I discovered that the gem stones were recycled.  The new monarchs used the stones for their crowns and jewelry from previous crowns and jewelry.  How’s that for economy?!

So, off to the Tower Bridge… the sun is down now and the bridge is lighted in blue and white… Again, London Pass in hand, you take the elevator to the exhibit showing the history of the building of the bridge, bridges around the world and the engine room.  A bit of a walk, the engine room is really amazing and shouldn’t be missed.  The Thames at night is not good if you are looking for a view, so go during the day if the view is a priority.