Sunday was an extremely busy day for the Caitlin's and Stephanie. We began by trekking down to Westminster Abbey for Eucharist. I'd never been inside the Abbey before, but I most definitely will be making a return trip to inspect the place more carefully. As we were there for a service, there are understandably no photos for me to post, but the architecture was beautiful, especially the stained glass windows. And to add to the wonder, the building is a "Who's Who" mausoleum; I passed Isaac Newton's coffin on the way in, and I'm fairly sure that I sat nearly on top of the grave marker for William Gladstone, one of Queen Victoria's most famous Prime Ministers.
After service we wandered down to Trafalgar Square where we happened upon London's St. Patrick's Day Parade; since the holiday falls on a weekday, a good chuck of the festivities were held early on the weekend, probably to prevent people from taking the day off. The parade was a very informal affair, full of school bands, teenage cloggers and various groups marching along just to have a good time.
After wading through the crowd (and using a few Underground Tube walkways to get from one end of the square to the other), we had lunch at a small cafe, then made our way to the Tower of London, a location I had yet to visit. We arrived just in time for a Yeoman Warder Tour, where we were introduced to the various roles the Tower has played (besides prison, the Tower has been a palace, a royal observatory, and a mint), as well as some of its more gruesome tales and interesting lore. For instance, the Tower is famous for its ravens. Legend has it that if these ravens are ever removed from the Tower, the monarchy and England will fall.
Another fascinating tidbit: to become a Yeoman Warder, one has to serve for at least 22 years in the Army or Royal Airforce (but Naval Officers are not allowed) and receive a ribbon for honorable conduct before one is even considered for the position of Warder. Phew! After all that effort, our "Beefeater," as Warders are nicknamed, was amazingly energetic and boisterous.
After the tour, we wandered around the Tower, seeing the Crown Jewels (my, those are big diamonds), as well as the Armory, which had fascinating displays about the different kinds of weapons that were used by soldiers over the years.
This memorial marks the spot where the more prestigious prisoners were executed, among them Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey.
A suit of armor on display inside the White Tower.
One of the infamous chopping blocks.
Prison "graffiti." When one has a lot of time on one's hands....
Later that night we met up with Hilary and Vanessa for dinner; coincidentally that meant that our dinner crew consisted entirely of USC girls. We ventured a bit off the beaten path in search of a pub called The Camel in search of pie and mash for dinner. Although we had a bit of a wait, dinner was worth it; I had a Steak and Ale pie which was quite good. On the way back to campus....or maybe not on the way, but more like in the course of getting back to campus....we stopped at Cookies and Creme, a local desert parlor, where I indulged in Brownie Temptation--brownie and ice cream drenched in hot fudge sauce.
Tonight I introduce the girls to Brick Lane! More amazing food lies in my future!
Cheers!
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