The first thing we did was get some ice cream at a Piccadilly Whip cart. Wasn't bad, but it wasn't the kind of ice cream I'd go back for seconds for. We ate that while heading toward the Westminster Pier where we could catch a boat down the river to the Tower of London. Our guide had a great sense of humor, and I learned some interesting facts!
The Ladies' Bridge (I don't remember the real name) was built by 85% of women due to the war at the time. Interestingly enough, its the only bridge in London to have been built on time and under budget, despite the expensive self-cleaning rock used in its construction. ("You go ladies," said the guide.) Also its illegal to advertise along the Thames.
After disembarking, we wandered around the area by the Tower, discovering the oldest church in London. Its the All Hallows by the Tower, its foundations laid in 600-something AD. At first we weren't going to go in and just keep on walking, but the minute Mom realized there was a crypt museum, we walked in anyways. That was the only place we explored while there. Evidentally the people were really short in 600 AD. Charlotte and I had to crouch under doorways. Mom too, but not as much.
That was when we hopped onto one of the Big Buses to go on a Hop-On Hop-Off tour of London, where we rode it all the way to our next adventure with a ghost-walking tour. There we learned about some interesting reports of ghost-like incidents all over London, like Green Park or the Royal Institute of Great Britain or the Magg Brothers Book Shop (Manuscripts and books so rare you can only enter with an appointment. Our guide speculated it might be due to the under of very strange and very frightening deaths in the house. They won't let their employees close up shop alone.). Eh, I'm not one for ghost stories much. It would have better if there hadn't been so much daylight when the tour began.
Hungry, tired, and not so keen on walking from the Tower of London back to Westminster, we all broke away from the group to go find somewhere to eat. (Apparently 2 out of 10 people you see on the streets are ghosts. Today we became those ghosts by disappearing on our tour guide.) But when we went to pay the resturant bill they couldn't take Mom's only card on her, her American Express card. This meant Charlotte and I had to sit and wait as collateral while she ran back to the hotel to grab her other cards. Wasn't that bad, waiting. We got free water out of it.
We also discovered the Kinder Surprise eggs that the US government doesn't like very much due to "choking hazards." Really though, there was a yellow egg as big as my thumb inside the hollow chocolate egg shell. What choking hazard are they worried about?
So we're back now of course, and about to head to bed. Our trip is almost over, and tomorrow is a busy day!
1 comment:
that's a good trick for when you're with friends...bring only a credit card they don't take, so someone else has to pay your tab! But she forgot you and Charlotte don't have any money.
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