London, day 2

   A visit to the Tower of London has long been one of Rachel's ambitions, no doubt fueled by all the bodice-rippers I catch her reading when she thinks I'm not looking. So we traipsed off to the ancient fortress first thing this morning. A Beefeater led us around the grounds, pointing out various sites & running over pieces of history associated with the place, and then set us free to explore as we wished.
   The crown jewels were a must see. Quite possibly the most gaudy and ugly pieces of jewelery ever made. Centuries worth of plundering behind armoured glass.
   Another must see, if you ever go to the Tower of London, is in the armoury - Henry VIII's suit of armour with its extra generously sized (length and width) codpiece. Maybe he was really well endowed. Or perhaps he liked keeping a bunch of bananas near his 'crown jewels'.

Deep in one of the catacombs of the castle.















In one room, formerly a jail cell, we come across an elaborate carving in the stone wall made by a former inmate who also happens to be one of Rachel's ancestors - Thomas Peverel. He was a naughty boy some time back in 1570. I had no idea that Rachel's behaviour could be traced back that far.



No visit to London is complete without a visit to Trafalgar Square. Rachel insisted on doing the 'I'm holding a lion in my hand' photo. *sigh*

























Navigator Rachel and her trusty 'A to Z'.









Buckingham Palace, which looks less like a palace and more like a government building.








   After all our wandering we took our sore feet off to an authentic British pub and had a few pints with Haydn and Stasa, our hosts here in London, before finishing the night with another authentic British experience - curry.