Tuesday, the day we left, dawned sunny and warm, with no threat of rain or snow. We had chosen to fly out of Charlotte, NC, which is a 3 hour drive from home. That’s always a crap shoot, because if there is a delay in the flight, chances are you won’t hear about it before leaving the house. A layover in Newark made us a bit nervous too, because a winter storm was moving into the northeast.
When we got to Charlotte, sure enough, our first flight was delayed by 2 hours. We had a layover of only 1.5 hrs in Newark, so we were screwed. Amazingly, the gentleman at the ticket counter of United said “let me just see what I can do”. Next thing you know, we’re on a non-stop flight from Charlotte to Heathrow, leaving in a couple of hours. On USAir. How cool is that?
So after a Bloody Mary (or two) at the bar, we spent 6.5 hours trying desperately to fall asleep with no success whatsoever. Our plane was half an hour early into Heathrow because of massive tailwinds, and Alex’s plan to embarrass us from the first moment we arrived were foiled. Her plan was to stand at the arrival gate with a sign like you see chauffer drivers hold. Except it looked like this:
That photo? Yeah. Nice Photoshop work, Al …
All these imposing architectural wonders, where weighty historical events once took place – you might expect a bit of serious reflection from us, yeah? We tried. Really we did.
But that courtyard was so huge, and just meant for running around, chasing pigeons and daughters with cameras …
We then toured Westminster Abbey, walked past the Houses of Parliament, Number 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and had a mulled wine at a lovely old pub.
Day two we indulged our (my) love of all things macabre. But first, Alex attempted to lock me in a phone box.
We then viewed the monument to the Great Fire of London (1666), and then spent 
The Tower of London is an amazing place, especially for a history buff like myself. The fact that there has been a fortification in that particular spot since 200 AD is a little overwhelming. In fact, there is a significant portion of the original Roman wall visible nearby. It was a dull wall, and needed a little drama to liven it up:
 |  |
 |  |
Our tour guide at the Tower of London was a yeoman named Dickie. Charming, funny, and patient, he told the stories of death and torture with aplomb and humor. That’s no small accomplishment when you think of it!
Greg posing with Dickie, the yeoman tour guide outside the chapel where Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are interred. Apparently, in this chapel, a large number of people who were murdered by the crown lie unmarked and unremembered under the floor tiles of the chapel. Dickie said that in the middle of the night, grave diggers would slip in and pry up a floor tile, scoop out some of the underlying soil and toss in a body, cover it with quicklime to speed decomposition and then replace the tile. A sad ending to a life that had enough impact on the events of the day to require action by the crown, no?
Some of the best photos from the Tower:
 The Tower Bridge in the background, from the courtyard. |  Ivy on the gothic windows |
 The oldest building of the Norman era, the White Tower, begun by William the Conqueror in 1078. |  The Tower ravens |
While we were touring inside, a cloudburst blew through and the sky cleared, leaving the quintessential street scene of street lights gleaming on wet cobbles:
But we weren’t done! Next on to the Millennium Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub. This is a pub that was built in 1667, the year after the Great Fire. Ironically, it is an amazing fire hazard. Tiny rooms, skinny halls winding around and down a winding stairs to the basement – each time you leave I imagine you feel a new lease on life.
Tomorrow we go to York. Off to bed …
No comments:
Post a Comment