HM Tower of London

I visited the Tower twice during the ten days I spent in London.

The first visit was during a weekday with several hundred other tourists. I won't recount the visit in detail, aside from the fact that I agree it is a "must-do" while in London. The Crown Jewels, the White Tower, Traitors Gate, and the Chapel of St. John are all worth a visit. The audio guide was especially useful, focusing on the numerous stories behind the surroundings.

The second visit was at night during the Ceremony of the Keys. This is a nightly event that is worth a look even for those who think they have seen enough pagentry and royal happenings. According to our guide they have only been late once during this ceremony. (While the city was being bombed during the Blitz and even then it was only by 6 minutes). Of note, it is a bit tricky to gain admittance and must be done well (2 months) in advance. Further information is available on the official website.

One of the must sees in London. We got there too late to get in the first day we were in London, so we got food from the street vendor and a bottle of wine and glasses from one of the pubs nearby and brought it back to eat and drink at one of the tables by the River Thames. One of the most enjoyable memories I have of London.

We did manage to visit the Tower of London later in our trip and it was spectacular. The White Tower, as well as the Crown Jewels, are not to be missed. The Crown Jewels had a little bit of a Disney Land feel, with the conveyer belts carrying you by the display to avoid people from gawking and creating a bottleneck, but are breathtaking nonetheless.

My husband and I thought the Tower of London was great. It is actually several buildings all surrounded by a large moat in the middle of London, surrounded by modern town and on the river Thames. It contains the old "White Tower" which is where most kings and rulers lived, including Henry VIII, the spot of the beheadings of various people, including Anne Boleyn, the treasury of England, where you get to see the crown jewels of England, and other buildings that I'm not sure what they were.

I must say that the crown jewels are a MUST SEE! They are awesome, the only way to describe them. The tower has the dungeon where they tortured some, you can see the Traitor's gate, where they brought Anne B. through in a boat, and you can have a guided tour there by a beefeater (in uniform) who will explain everything. I thought the raven story was interesting and there are still quite a few there. All in all, it was very interesting and the crown jewels makes it worth seeing at least once.