Around London

While in London we did the usual touristy things involving historical sight seeing. We toured the Tower Of London and saw the amazing Crown Jewels , as well as a fascinating armor collection going back to the Norman conquest in 1066.The stories and traditions are fascinating as you watch young soldiers standing guard in bright red uniform coats and traditional bear skin head covers.They are now carrying automatic British armaments of SA-80 designation which are unloaded during the day, but live ammo clips are very close at hand during emergencies. There are no such guards as "Ceremonial Guards", as all are in the regular British army and have been exemplary soldiers to be honored as Queen's guards or Tower Guards. The Beefeaters on the other hand are chosen from British Army ranks with at least 22 years active NCO service. Needless to say none of the guards are to be taken lightly.At one time the Tower of London hosted the Royal Menagerie , where over 60 exotic animals were kept for Royal Entertainment. Started in the 1200's by King John of Magna Charta fame, the zoo lasted for over 600 years. Polar bears ,lions , and tigers were kept as well as baboons which couldn't be confined due to their climbing skills. The only animals left are 6 Ravens ceremoniously kept for traditional purposes. All six wander the grounds at will, confined to the earth with clipped wings.There are wonderful life size animals on the site sculpted by Kendra Haste of wire. They look so real as to startle visitors.The legend of the Ravens says that the British Empire and the Tower of London will fall if the Ravens ever leave.The revelry of the Tower of London's past and historical significance is given a dose of reality as one can see the modern 41 story skyscraper named 30 St Mary Axe towering above the walls. Finished in 2003, the cylindrical tower looks like a space rocket towering over old London. Often called the Gherkin by Londoners, the building looked to many like a Pickle. It was featured in the Sharon Stone Thriller Basic Instinct 2.We

took a boat ride down the Thames at low tide and saw much of modern London's financial District.Standing starkly against the sky is the Shard,which at over 1000 feet is the tallest building in The United Kingdom.It looks like a monsterous piece of blue glass piercing the sky, hence "The Shard".Also dominating the London skyline is the London Eye, once the word's tallest Ferris Wheel at 443 feet tall. It was erected on the South Bank of the Thames to celebrate AD 2000. We rode the contraption for one of the best views of London. Each of the Glass enclosed cars holds about 25 riders and the thing never stops. It is moving as you walk on board and it is moving as you step off. A complete revolution takes about 30 minutes , and allows you a beautiful view of old London on the North shores of the Thames , as well as The Houses of Parliament and The Bell Tower, which is not "Big Ben". Big Ben is the clock inside the Tower. Later that night we went to see 42nd Street at the largest theater in London at Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. We had great seats and it was a lavish production. The truly weird thing about the theater experience was that everyone went up and paid 4 Pounds for little paper cups of Haagen Daz ice cream between acts, something unheard of in American theaters.Some of our group saw Sir Paul McCartney at the Savoy down the street from the theater. Paul probably wouldn't have known me.He's come a long way from Liverpool. Next day it was Dover and the English Channel.