London - Day 1

So Mom and Dad were going to go to Italy this year, but then decided not to.  So I asked them if I could find a cheap fare to London, what about a two day trip there and they said sure!!  Though of course this was before I told Dad what time we had to leave to catch our flight...  It was only 3:30 am when we left for the airport.  Our flight left at 6:30 am.  I told him it was so we could have two full days in London, I am not sure he was real enthused but he was a good sport.  I had some wonderful friends that agreed to watch the boys, so we headed out on Monday December 2nd for London.  The last time I went was by car, so this was going to be a little different.  We were also staying near the London Bridge so we were closer to everything.  I will try not to repeat all my history lessons, because I have a few new ones.  I know you are ready for it!!!  Once we arrived in London, about an hour from the airport, we stopped at the Sherlock Holmes museum.

 

Mom taking a new case for Sherlock Holmes!!!

 

So I couldn't help myself, they had Mr. Peabody signs all of the place!!  They were great!!!

 

This one is for Michael.  He has started collecting snow globes from all the places we have visited, I figured this is one of the biggest around, but I couldn't bring it home for him.  Inside it is the Angel of Christian Charity, built for 7th Earl of Shaftesbury for all of his philanthropist work.  It is supposed to depict Eros, but is was created as his twin brother, Anteros, the God of Selfless Love.  It was also the first statue to be cast in aluminum.  It is located at Piccadilly Circus - which circus means circle or roundabout.

 

I thought this was interesting, the really old building next to a modern building.

 

This was Mom and Dad's first view of Big Ben. 

 

The Queen's horse guards, they stand or sit, from 10 AM to 4 PM everyday.

 

Dad and I at the London Tower!

 

One thing that was different than the last time I was here is the ice skating rink.  They seem to pop up everywhere in Europe during the winter.

 

Mom and Dad with a Yawman, nicknamed beefeater.  Interesting fact about them, they have guarded London Tower since 1826.  To become a Yawman you have to have 22 years military service, be sworn in by the Royal Household and you have to live on site.  All the Yawman and their families live at the London Tower.  They work seven days a week and have the full power of a police officer in the walls of the Tower.  They have to spend over a year in school about the history and then take a test before they can even think about becoming one.  Oh and they do have to pay rent to live there.

 

This was our Yawman we took a tour with, he was very interesting and funny!  He told us on Tower Hill there were 125 people executed.  Once killed their heads were paraded around London.  In the Bell Tower, Richard the Lionheart was a prisoner.  But like I said before, being a prisoner here you were allowed your family and a servant to live with you.

 

Inspection of the guards in front of Crown Jewels - getting ready to change shifts.

 

Mom and Dad in front of the Crown Jewels.

 

The monkeys- who doesn't love monkeys?  In the walls of the Tower, they had one of the biggest zoos for many years.

 

On the Tower Green here, three Queens were executed.  Along with two other women and one man.  Ann Belin - Queen of England was executed because she didn't give the King a male heir.  For the King to have married Ann Belin - he made everyone change their religion.  If they refused he killed them, nearly 36,000 people refused and were killed.  The second Queen was accused of witchcraft. The final Queen because the King, Henry 8th, said she was sleeping with other men (this was his 5th wife).  86,000 people were executed by Henry 8th.

 

Beauchamp Tower was a prison also.  The prisoners did ornate carvings on the wall.  Rudolph Hess, a famous German officer, was held in the Queen's house in the Tower of London for ten days until he was shipped off to Nuremberg for the trials.

 

Mom and Dad in front of the Tower Bridge.

 

Dad thinking about changing professions and becoming a knight.  After that it was getting late so we headed back to the area where we were staying.

 

We headed into a locals pub - Old King's Head - and had some dinner.  It was good and filled our bellies!  We went to be a little early since we had been up since 3 am.  But it was a good day!!