Today was the easy day. We'd seen just about everything there was on the first two days. We too our time getting ready and heading out. I bought a fantastically overpriced memory card for my camera because I forgot to buy one before I left home. Fail.
We went back to the Tower of London and paid the 14 pounds to get in. Ick. However, it was pretty sweet. We hung around for 15 minutes waiting for a tour and wound up with a pretty funny tour guide. The tour was about an hour and it consisted mainly of standing around outside and hearing the history of the castle. Which was pretty sweet.
Catapult!
Tour Guide man sir. All the tour guides are Yeomen.After the tour we were free to roam around and do whatever we liked. First we went into the Tower/Castle itself. Which, like everything I ever go to see, was under construction. Or reconstruction, as it were, so half the rooms were closed. It wasn't as big or fun as the castles we saw in Ireland forever ago (ten years?! I feel so old D:), but it was still cool. There were exhibits on weapons and armor and money through the centuries. There was a staircase on the outside (why, I have no idea), and that's where the bodies of two young princes were found a few months after their uncle (who later became king, go figure) "put them to bed" one night. Slash probably killed them, yeah?
"THE TRADITION of the TOWER has ALWAYS POINTED out THIS as the STAIR UNDER WHICH the BONES of EDWARD the 5th and of his BROTHER WERE FOUND in CHARLES the 2nds TIME and from WHENCE THEY WERE REMOVED to WESTMINSTER ABBEY."
Picture of the princes.
This was a toilet. A hole cut into the floor on one of the upper levels. And it just opened up to the ground below. Faaantastic.
I have more pictures on Photobucket (link at the end of the post). In all of the places where people were imprisoned, there're carvings in the walls. Sometimes just names, sometimes pictures or prayers or affirmations of faith. Twas interesting. But wayy too many pictures to post here.
After all that we went and got overpriced hot chocolate and muffins from the café and stood in line to go see the crown jewels. They were pretty neat. No pictures allowed in the building though, sadness. Also sadness? The epic expense of all the stuff in there. Like, all of the diamonds and rubies and everything were HUGE. And they're just sitting there behind glass, chilling. I can't imagine anyone being able to buy them the way they are, but surely they can be put to better use? And really, there's an entire robe/cape/thing that weighs like 20 pounds and it made entirely of gold thread. Not just gold-colored, but actual gold. What's the point?! Argh, people frustrate me. "Heyyyy! Check out my bling, yo! My clothes are made of goooold!" >__>
Moving on. We wandered around most of the outside of the castle from there. Not all of the wall was open for tourists. There was a little exhibit thing on what they did when the castle was attacked (see below) and on how during a revolt of some kind, people broke in and stole armor and such. There was also a gate that at one point was called "Watergate" but then was renamed "Traitor's Gate." Commence bad jokes. They renamed it though because oh hay, water ran through it at first and then later they brought in traitors (new prisoners etc) through it on little boats.
Uhhh...
I made a new friend!
The Bloody Tower.
THE RACK. One of three torture devices on display.
Globe Theater woo! I still hate Shakespeare though.
"THE TRADITION of the TOWER has ALWAYS POINTED out THIS as the STAIR UNDER WHICH the BONES of EDWARD the 5th and of his BROTHER WERE FOUND in CHARLES the 2nds TIME and from WHENCE THEY WERE REMOVED to WESTMINSTER ABBEY."
Picture of the princes.
This was a toilet. A hole cut into the floor on one of the upper levels. And it just opened up to the ground below. Faaantastic.We left the castle itself and wandered over to the spot where 7 people were killed over the years. Apparently stories of killings and toture at the tower have been exagerrated over time. A lot of people were imprisoned there though.
Memorial to the people beheaded on that spot. There's a little poem going around the base of it and their names are carved around the outer edge of the glass.
Memorial to the people beheaded on that spot. There's a little poem going around the base of it and their names are carved around the outer edge of the glass.I have more pictures on Photobucket (link at the end of the post). In all of the places where people were imprisoned, there're carvings in the walls. Sometimes just names, sometimes pictures or prayers or affirmations of faith. Twas interesting. But wayy too many pictures to post here.
After all that we went and got overpriced hot chocolate and muffins from the café and stood in line to go see the crown jewels. They were pretty neat. No pictures allowed in the building though, sadness. Also sadness? The epic expense of all the stuff in there. Like, all of the diamonds and rubies and everything were HUGE. And they're just sitting there behind glass, chilling. I can't imagine anyone being able to buy them the way they are, but surely they can be put to better use? And really, there's an entire robe/cape/thing that weighs like 20 pounds and it made entirely of gold thread. Not just gold-colored, but actual gold. What's the point?! Argh, people frustrate me. "Heyyyy! Check out my bling, yo! My clothes are made of goooold!" >__>
Moving on. We wandered around most of the outside of the castle from there. Not all of the wall was open for tourists. There was a little exhibit thing on what they did when the castle was attacked (see below) and on how during a revolt of some kind, people broke in and stole armor and such. There was also a gate that at one point was called "Watergate" but then was renamed "Traitor's Gate." Commence bad jokes. They renamed it though because oh hay, water ran through it at first and then later they brought in traitors (new prisoners etc) through it on little boats.
Uhhh...
I made a new friend!We made our way down to the Bloody Tower next. It's the one where they did all the fun torture things. They had examples of the rack there, and manacles, and this thing that I forgot what it's called, but basically they'd just squish you into a ball (or a giant acorn, according to Stacey) for a few hours.
The Bloody Tower.
THE RACK. One of three torture devices on display.Having spent around 4 hours in the Tower of London, we bid it adieu and went off in search of the Globe Theater. Heyo. Found it with a little bit of difficulty no thanks to street signs failing at life. Were disappointed to find out that it cost like 8 pounds to get in. Took pictures of the outside and left. On the way by there was some kind of construction going on, and the barrier around it said "Temporary Eyesore" all the way around. I wanted a picture but it wasn't possible because of the way it was written. Fail.
Globe Theater woo! I still hate Shakespeare though.Onward to dinner! Where did we go? Pizza Hut. Yes, that's right. Pizza Hut. Except it seemed like a classy establishment? Dear London, you're doin it wrong. They had a Happy Hour special from 3-6; garlic bread, an individual pizza, and a soda for 3.50. I approved. Got a pizza with peppers and tomatoes and it was made of yum. Back to the hostel. Packed our stuff to get ready. Went on a pub crawl that was run by the people who ran the took we took the first day. Crowded clubs were crowded, yeesh. Got back around... 1230ish maybe? And then joy of joys, we left the hostel at like 330am. Walked a few blocks to a bus station, took a bus to another station where we had hoped to get a cheap bus to the London Stanstead airport, which is like an hour out of London. No such luck since it was like, the phantom bus. Fail. So instead we got 20-pound train tickets to the airport. More fail. But then we got to the airport, got Starbucks, and all was right with the world. Smooth journey home except for some bizarre reason our train was half an hour late getting back here and we were stuck with two obnoxious screaming French children next to us. Yeahhhh.
In sum: London was pretty cool. I'm glad I went, but I don't think I'd go back anytime soon. Unless maybe it were for a show (Spring Awakening opens March 21st! D:) and someone was paying the super expensive travel fees. It is really expensive there, even ignoring the awful exchange rates (I think 1 pound was $1.60 when we went?). And it just reminded me too much of Boston. Touristy things aside, it's just another big city. Crowded, loud, and expensive.
It had the most inefficient public transportation I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot compared to both the T and the GRTC. I'll take the Paris Metro anyday. Once I dig out the map again I'll upload a photo, but god it was stupid.
And there were Starbucks and McDonald's everywhere. We saw two Krispy Kremes, a KFC, a few Subways, two Pizza Huts, and some other things. It was kind of sad. But downtown anywhere is pretty much the same.
I was a little bit disappointed in the theatre part. There are like 40-odd musicals supposed to be playing there, and I thought the West End was supposed to be the theatre district. I was expecting to walk onto a street and be bombarded with huge signs and marquees like on Broadway. But no, not really. They're scattered all over the city and it made me sad over the lack of epic. Oh well.
MOAR PICTURES.
In sum: London was pretty cool. I'm glad I went, but I don't think I'd go back anytime soon. Unless maybe it were for a show (Spring Awakening opens March 21st! D:) and someone was paying the super expensive travel fees. It is really expensive there, even ignoring the awful exchange rates (I think 1 pound was $1.60 when we went?). And it just reminded me too much of Boston. Touristy things aside, it's just another big city. Crowded, loud, and expensive.
It had the most inefficient public transportation I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot compared to both the T and the GRTC. I'll take the Paris Metro anyday. Once I dig out the map again I'll upload a photo, but god it was stupid.
And there were Starbucks and McDonald's everywhere. We saw two Krispy Kremes, a KFC, a few Subways, two Pizza Huts, and some other things. It was kind of sad. But downtown anywhere is pretty much the same.
I was a little bit disappointed in the theatre part. There are like 40-odd musicals supposed to be playing there, and I thought the West End was supposed to be the theatre district. I was expecting to walk onto a street and be bombarded with huge signs and marquees like on Broadway. But no, not really. They're scattered all over the city and it made me sad over the lack of epic. Oh well.
MOAR PICTURES.
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