July 1st:
We started off the day with the Portrait Gallery where they store portraits of late kings and queens. A few very famous ones of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were in there which were very thrilling to see!
We even found a spot that was dedicated to Viven Leigh who plays Scarlett in one of Mom's favorite movies! She was happy to see that!
In one of the squares in town there was these two guys who were somehow suspending themselves in mid air. It was very interesting. No one could figure out how they were doing this.
Trafalgar Square: where Londoners celebrate New Years Eve!
It was a gorgeous day for two gorgeous ladies to be strolling around!!!
Me and Abe lol never thought I'd see a statue dedicated to him but here one is and it was very close to Westminster Abbey.
TADA!!! Westminister Abbey!!! I was only able to get outside shots of the building because photos were not allowed to be taken inside. Some cool facts though: almost all of the kings and queens are buried inside in above ground (well elaborated) tombs. Henry VIII is not buried there because he was the one to break away with the Catholic Church and at the time this was a Catholic Abbey. Plus since he changed wives so many times and he broke from the church when the people were still very catholic, he was not buried in a marked grave. He is buried with his favorite wife, Jane Seymour, however he is also buried with Charles I. This king was also very unpopular because he started a civil war in England. When he died they thought, oh here is an unmarked grave lets put him here. Well that was the grave of Henry VIII so there are three people buried in one tomb. Now you know!
Right out side the Abbey, there were a lot of families and young people just hanging out. It was neat to see the place is popular with Londoners and not just tourists.
Next, we went over to Buckingham Palace and St James Park, which is the park that is right in front of the palace.
The park was very calm and exactly what one would expect with an English garden. It was very green, many flowers, and nothing looked like it was in any order like it was natural.
TADA!!! THE PALACE!!! AND THE QUEEN WAS HOME!!
When the flag is out that means the Queen is home!!!
Mom and I got right up next to the bars to stick our heads inside and pretend like we were on the grounds. It had to be the best thing we've done together! We were at the Queen's Palace!!!
View from down the path that the Royal Family takes when they have parades here in London.
Next was another palace but also a prison, the Tower of London! We got there late in the day and didn't get to have a guide by the guards who still guard the Tower but we did get headsets to learn as much as we could about the Tower and its history. The guards, we found out, are all retired English Miltary men/women who were in service for at least 30 some years and reached a high ranking in the Service. They get to live on the grounds that they protect as well as their children and grandchildren if they wish. They protect the Tower 24/7 but the public is only allowed from 9am till 5pm. After 5pm, the place is theres. Talk about a great gig!!
Welcome to the Tower of London!!
There are two walls that protect the Tower that way if intruders came they could protect the castle better. At first this was built as a protection for the castle where the King and Queen lived around the 1070s. It soon became a prison and was one from 1100 to 1952. It became known as a feared prison during Henry VIII life and there after. Only 7 people were killed there and most of them by King Henry VIII. Now it is a tourist attraction as well as the location of the Crown Jewels.
The white/brown style was built during King Henry VIII's time.
Traitors Gate: where many of those beheaded by Henry VIII came into the tower, like Anne Boylen and Katherine Howard.
Some of the buildings that were built in the 1070s have not survived the changes of time however there still remains pieces of those buildings. The building that held Anne Boylen before she died is one of those building that did not survive. The building was destroyed in a fire and nothing was built over it so unlike the remains seen in the picture, there are no remains of the building that Anne was kept in.
They had an exhibit on the types of torture used in the Tower for prisoners they wanted to talk mostly used during Henry VIII's life.
This one is called the Scavenger's Daughter. The person was put in this in a crouched position and then the contraption was tightened until either they talked or they died from being crushed.
The Rack..
Manacles: where they hang the prisoner by their hands for hours or until they talk.
The White Tower where the Kings/Queens used to live when they lived here.
Henry VIII's armor in his younger years
And in his older years. What I found interesting was that he is portrayed and written about as a bigger man, even fat as some people will say, however his armor does not give that impression at all. He may have been a bigger man but not a fat man like I've always imagined.
This is an ancient German saddle believed to be a gift from Emperor Sigismund to King Henry V on his joining the Hungarian Dragon Order in 1416. There is bone plaque decorated with dragons.
Took this picture for Josh, it was one of the two armors presented to King James I in 1613 by Tokugana Hidetada the shogun in Japan as a diplomatic gift to signify the first trade agreement between England and Japan.
This had to be the coolest thing that we found in the White Tower... a dragon!!!
Now.... For my mother's and I favorite part.... the Crown Jewels!!! Unfortunatly its a security risk to take pictures so Mom and I bought post cards. :) But seeing them in person was fantastic!!!! They are so sparkly and shiny and just magnificent! All those diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and pearls.... oh man... Mom and I were in awe!!!
Me and mom at the entrance!!
We were happy to be there!!
Me trying to be super serious like the guard lol it didn't work.
OH NO! Attack!!
I accidentally found this guy, who is actually a statue, but it was hilarious to find. One just wants to shout look out! We're under attack!! Save the Queen!!
