The Tower of London

Yesterday, in the company of kings, queens, clergymen, and other prominent prisoners, I entered the Tower of London.

But don't worry--I came out with my head intact. But my mind was slightly blown by the sheer history of the place. More history per square inch than pretty much any other site you can think of. And it was FANTASTIC, despite the near-freezing weather. Well, that's what it felt like, anyway. It was one of your classic foggy days in London town--not a good day to go light on the layers (which I did, because I ran out the door rather hastily) and I was cold all day, but tromping through the grounds, in and out of the towers and up and down lots of twisty little staircases kept the blood flowing.

First glimpse of the Tower! This is right outside the Tube station; please notice the Underground sign to the right.

Outside--it was raining. Note the umbrella at the top.

The Tower of London actually started out as a fortress/palace for William the Conqueror, commissioned soon after his arrival in Great Britain in 1066. It was built on the site of an old Roman fort, as evidenced by the remains of the Roman city wall. See below.

The Royal Menagerie was kept at the Tower until it was moved to the zoo. It included exotic animals from all over the world. Now the only wild animals kept there now are ravens. According to superstition, if ravens ever leave the Tower, the Tower will fall. 

Traitor's Gate! Famously, this is where Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas More, and Queen Elizabeth I entered the tower of London for their imprisonments. I've said it several times before, but it's so hard for me to fathom that this is actually where these people walked and lived and died. Well, Queen Elizabeth escaped with her head, but still.

The RACK!

The White Tower: The central keep, and the oldest royal residence in Great Britain.

This is where you go to see the Crown Jewels. Things like this:

And this:

We were thoroughly bedazzled.

The outer wall--what used to be the moat.

In the White Tower: King Henry VIII's battle armor. This is the real deal. A lot of this is so REAL that it's hard to wrap my mind around. These were real people. These were really the places that they lived and worked and died. I found myself thinking that I really wouldn't want to be a royal. All that intrigue and no privacy and so much PRESSURE. I don't want to be a princess--I just want to be me.

Wish already granted. And that's just fine.