Abbey's and Dungeons

Day 2 of Half Term:

The family and I ready for another day in Central London

My family and I woke up a bit later than anticipated. Well, it was around 8:00, but we had a lot planned for the day, so it was a late start for us. It was good for my family to get some real sleep though after their long flight. We went down for a continental breakfast, and there were so many options of food. It had been a while since I'd had a proper breakfast, so I especially appreciated the break from cereal and toast. Sausages and eggs were available every morning, and I enjoyed the cooked food as much as I could.

After breakfast, we took the long trek to Central London to tour Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. First we went to Westminster Abbey. We waited about a half hour to get inside, but it was breath-taking upon first entering. We were given audio guides and I was elated when I heard Jeremy Irons as our tour guide. I thought that was really great! The audio guides were incredibly helpful as well. Each area of the Abbey had a numbered marker that related to our audio guides and would play the correct track. There was so much information in the audio guide. It was nice to have a history to all the beautiful architecture we were seeing. The abbey was so beautiful and so full of history, I recommend a tour to anyone who is visiting London. I wasn't allowed to take pictures, so this really is something you ought to do if you can. There is nothing like it!

Looking on the lawn at Westminster Abbey

overlooking the Tower of London

After touring Westminster Abbey, we decided to tour the Tower of London. We spent nearly three hours touring the tower, and we didn't even see it all! It is huge! The place is a wonderful maze of old stone, staircases, towers, dungeons, and even jewels. I had so much fun on this tour. It started to get dark, so we had to call it a night, but not before we visited the crown jewels. The room is kept dark and the jewels on display are under lights which really help them sparkle! It was really stunning to see the crowns and scepters on display like they were. Again, no pictures allowed, so this is something every person has to go see for himself. My family and I visited the crown jewels shop before leaving where anyone could buy minuscule replicas of the crown jewels, but even the tiny ones are quite pricey. I ended up buying myself  a decorative teapot with a cup and saucer! By the time we left the tower, it was quite dark, so we picked a place nearby to eat before heading home. 

The Tower of London

We were all still tired, but Kristi (my twin sister) and I chose to meet up with some friends to watch the latest Bond movie, Skyfall. The film was amazing! It was the first James Bond film I've seen, but it seemed fitting to watch it in England, especially after I just recently visited many of the recognizable sites in the film. It was a good night out with good people, and the end of a really fantastic day.