first day sightseeing in London-Part2

(...Continued)

The tower of London

We took a guided 2-hr long tour and then wandered in the castle for another 2 I guess. The guided tour is given by , what are called the beef-eaters, though I don't remember why...not that the guide himself was very clear about this...but in reality, they are the castle's protectors(for the lack of a better adjective), who must have served in the British army for at least 25 years (If I remember correctly) and have (obviously) an impeccable record! So you see, being lead around the castle by men you know are highly accomplished had me completely awed, right from the start. The tour was nice, filled with history and loads of light hearted humor, and covered a brief overview of the castle and its (nearly) 1000 yr old history. Then my friend and I had an ice-cream before starting our own excursion ;P .

We first saw the White Hall Tower (the main palace - and now quite expectedly a museum), which had around 3 floors displaying arms and ammunition from different periods of a 1000 yr old history.

Next came Beauchamp Tower( which mainly served as the prison), and more of a tower actually than the earlier one, it had a marrow staircase leading to the chambers where, at different periods throughout history, people of different stature, class and historical significance, were held as prisoners, most of them before facing a ruthless and a lot of times, unjust, execution. The walls of the chambers were filled with carvings, ranging from mere initials-inscription to elaborate works of art, probably done by people who were held there for much longer than the others. These carvings in this tower, the ammunition in the earlier one, the execution site inside the palace where the queens were executed mostly on charges of infidelity-termed-as-treason against their kings, the mere thought of so many deaths, so much blood-shed for power, left me quite speechless. And though my next destination was to be the bloddy tower, where supposedly 2 young princes were murdered and their skeletons found centuries later buried under the tower's staircase, I decided to take a break from so much death and go instead to the Jewel House.

The Jewel House is the museum displaying all sorts of jewels related to the tower's history. I actually saw a 530-carat heart shaped diamond!!! And I thought I wear diamonds!!! It was so huge that my eyes are still aching :P and the Kohinoor( well a third of it at least). :P H aving taken that relief, I went back to the bloody tower, but sadly it was closed by then. :(

Its strange, the effect such history and war ridden forts always have on me, the sheer magnitude of things and place, the sheer size, the way time seems to float away into centuries...and how I always wish I could see even one of those moments for real...I guess that happens to everyone...

Anyways, I guess I was really pensive and quiet after that as my friend and I walked across the Tower Bridge, so he just cracked a few jokes, took some pictures of me on the bridge with the Thames in the background , then we just walked n walked n walked n walked along a small dockyard on the other side of the bridge, somewhat in circles, ;P looking for a nice coffeehouse . We didn't really like anything, and came to a place where we walked straight down to the river,. just a direct open walkway down to Thames. It was the closest I got to the river, and but for the very slippery stones, cold and violent waters, and my friend's fears that I was still not out of the whole Tower of London experience and might just decide to jump-in :P , I would've gone closer and touched the waters :P

We then walked to Globe Theater, saw more ruins of some palace and a very David-Copperfield style stoned street. It was just a beautiful moment that I cursed my camera for having run out of batteries just then!! Had a nice refueling tea and lots to eat at a nice riverside restaurant inside the theater premises.

Back home, with a phone that had gone completely dead, I dropped off to sleep, dreaming of the next day and a new/working phone :P