A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings: London Calling (Day 2)

Our second day in London started with breakfast and some Bananas in Pajamas (make sure you are saying that with a British accent). We had big plans for all the things we wanted to do but soon realized that we were going to have to prioritize.

High on our list was the Tower of London. I honestly knew nothing about it and didn't realize how extensive it was. It is a medieval fortification begun by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. It has been used as a military outpost, a prison, a residence for kings, and now a tourist attraction.

Traveling with a pre-teen, always fun.

We started out in this guided tour but after Luke fell
in the mud and all the kids decided they weren't interested
we set off on our own.

Medieval toilet.

Dragon sculpture.

Torture devices.
You can see the outline of a body as if it were
in the device.

The rack.

Actors performing a mock trial of a heretic.

You couldn't take pictures inside this building that housed
the crown jewels. They were really cool to see.

At some point the Tower housed a menagerie that included lions, bears, monkeys, birds, and elephants. In the early 1800's the animals were sent to zoos after several incidents of attacks on visitors, guards, and other animals. There was an interesting exhibit that had lots of menagerie fun facts (i.e. the zebras were allowed to drink beer, the animals were encouraged to fight each other, the ostriches were thought to digest metal and so were fed nails, multiple visitors had their limbs torn off because they got too close to the animals).

Caged up like they belong.

After a few hours at the Tower of London we decided it was time to get a late lunch. We found a fish and chips stand conveniently right outside the gates (location, location, location). I was glad we tried it, but I won't need to eat fish and chips again for many years. Just looking at the pictures makes me feel full.

Poor planing on our part not to have these two share.

Isaac made a solid effort and ate about 2/3 of his.

Next we took a water taxi down the Thames River. It was a great way to see the city and the kids loved it.

Tower Bridge

We only had about an hour to spend at the British Museum before it closed so we did a quick walk through of a couple of sections. Isaac really wanted to see the Rosetta Stone, which I'm glad he did.