We started the day at the “Tower” or the Tower of London. Amazing place. They are currently filling the moat with some 888 thousand plus poppy replicas in memory of the Empire’s losses in WWI.
The original castle started again some thousand years ago. It has been the ruling seat of London, the mint, a museum, a torture chamber, a dungeon, the place of many beheadings, an armory … you name it.
The Beefeaters – these guys make the show. Keepers of historical facts, twisters of legends, and quick with a quip and poke at Yanks, Brits and everyone else in good fun.
Tower bridge, not too far away.
KZ posing in a guard house.
An actual guard as this can be used as a royal residence, but they also house the crown jewels here. No pics of that and they might shoot you if you try.
We took the boat up the river to Westminster.
The child must Snap Chat. Last time I was here, that was the hotel we stayed at (yes the once county building). It probably helped that we were travelling with higher ranked folks in the company.
Lunch selfie. Just before this we got soaked as we walked by the House of Parliment. It went from just sort of spitting to drenching us in three minutes. We hid out in one of the overhangs at Parliment.
We hit Westminster Abbey for the (free) Evensong service. Pics are not allowed but I snapped a couple before I saw that sign.
The singing in the halls by the choir was … well, exactly what you expected it to be but nonetheless beautiful and amazing. Of course about three minutes before it started, JZ needed to hit the can. Okay – no sweat. But at Westminster Abbey this is what it looks like above the bathrooms.
Back to the hotel on the District Line. The kids run it now like it is old hat.
I was commenting to TZ tonight that a lot of folks talk about how small they feel in the Grand Canyon, or the San Juans. I don’t feel that. I feel that those spots are grand and epic, but I can’t say I feel small next to them. I do have a feeling of smallness however in these man created places. I guess it is because I can’t fathom creating a Grand Canyon. I can fathom the level of effort, in some incorrect regard, as to what it takes to put the Saturn 5 together, or to build the Tower of London or Saint Pauls or Westminster Abbey. And I suddenly feel stupid for not being able to get a sprinkler head at my home fixed in a more timely fashion.
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