May 31, 2025
We got up and headed over to the Tower of London this morning. The Tower is located just steps from the Tower Hill station. This is the one thing I really looked forward to seeing. We each sort of had a thing we wanted to do and this was mine. It was hot and I hate hot. It was crowded and I hate crowds. SL & Adam were looking like cute London tourists, and I was out here hot flashing and schvitzing like I was one of Henry VIII wives awaiting execution. Despite the hordes of people, I did enjoy what we saw. The poppies were on display for VE Day through May, so I was happy to see that amazing display. Seeing the ravens was the other big draw for me. They are much bigger birds in person. They are such intelligent creatures and mate for life which I always think is cool and sad at the same time. If you don’t know the lore of the ravens at the Tower of London, be sure to look it up. Adam wanted to see the Crown Jewels but decided the line was ridiculously too long to wait in the sun. He is our fair skinned ginger after all. The Crown Jewel access is included in the ticket by the way. Adam has been to London but had not really done the touristy things like this before. The views were amazing from the different towers and from Tower Bridge. I think I would go back again and enjoy it more when the weather is freezing and people are hibernating. We took time in the gift shops and got ice cream. SL could eat ice cream morning, noon and night.
From the Tower we decided to head back to Paddington and the hotel because by now, the kids were sweating through their cute little outfits and wanted to change and they needed a rest (eye roll). While they rested their young weary bones, I decided I would shop a little near the hotel and then try to make it to the Sherlock Holmes Museum before it closed. I told the kids I was going and they decided to go too. There were major underground disruptions today and it caused us delays and a bus ride and longer walks than we expected. By the time we finally made it to 221b Baker Street, we missed the store and museum by a few minutes. We were able to get a picture in front of the famous door at any rate and visited the Beetles store next door. From there the tired and weary travelers and their sweaty hot third wheel decided to knock out Big Ben and a thing on SL’s list, the London Eye. We headed to the Westminster Station and we stepped right out the door in the shadow of the famous gigantic clock and symbol of democracy. Driving past or even in pictures, Big Ben is big. Standing at his base, he is of Jack and the Beanstalk proportions. Big Ben is out here Big Benning. We marveled at the Great Clock of England that has kept time for over 160 years and headed past the statue of Boadicea and Her Daughters across the Westminster Bridge to the London Eye. We navigated more crowds of people posing along the bridge for pictures of the River Thames in the background. The kids rode the London Eye and I walked along the Thames and looked at the sunset and the boats. There were some street performers along the path in my search for water. Hot and thirsting to death, I purchased a water, and surprise, surprise, it was the same temp as the outside air. Why no refrigeration in all of England? Do they see an American coming and say “quick, get the tepid water?” I miss ice the most, and not really just ice but actual cold beverages even more than the top sheet and elusive wash cloths.
After the Eye, SL had to get another ice cream fix, and we walked back across the bridge and saw the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and a statue of Mr, Churchill. I also spotted my first English Corgi walking down the street. Well, he wasn’t walking as much as being walked but that would have been a story too. Adam and I tried to coax SL into walking another 18 minutes to Buckingham Palace but she dug in her heels on that. We were all very tired anyway and already had to walk back to the station. So we rode back to Paddington and walked down the street to Bizarro for the second time for a late dinner because Adam was jealous of the yummy pizza I had the night before and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
