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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A Journey Into Medieval London


Today I journeyed into what I think of as England’s Disneyland – The Tower of London. They had people dressed up as famous kings and queens and such (don’t worry, we chased down the really attractive King and got a picture with him). We explored the ruins – so fascinating!

There were displays of armor in the White Tower from centuries past. Our favorite was this gold encrusted one worn by King Charles I. It was all so unreal – such history and culture all in one place. I absolutely loved it. We saw the area where many famous people were beheaded, including two of Henry VII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. We saw the crown jewels – amazing! They wouldn’t let us take pictures, but it was awesome. I love the tradition of the monarchy. Sometimes I think it’s a little too much – some of the crowns and such had diamonds on them that were worth enough to feed a small country – but it is an amazing cultural tradition, something that has always held some romance for me. We saw the Bloody Tower where Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned for 13 years and where the mystery of the deaths of the two young princes, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York. They are rumored to have been murdered in the Bloody Tower, which is why (among other gruesome tales) is why it has that name. I bought myself a little souvenir knight and then went home to do some serious reading. It was a wonderful day!

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