We slept in a bit on Day 2, and then made our way down to the Tower of London. We ate at a pub called the Hung, Drawn, and Quartered. It is directly across the street from the Tower. Touristy? Yes. However, it was worth the stop in my opinion. Our group had our obligatory meals of either Fish and Chips or Bangers and Mash with some Carling Lager. The interior is decorated in rich wood paneling, old portraits, and a noose over the bar.
Becky and Jim at the Pub
After lunch, we ambled over to the Tower and took the beef-eaters tour. Standing gazing up at the Norman Tower which has stood in the same spot for a millennium, you really get a sense of the permanence of some of these buildings. So much history has happened in these grounds, and Britain still stands strong (yes, I am an Anglophile). I highly recommend taking the tour. You learn so much about the buildings and what events transpired where you stand (Anne Boleyn, the Princes in the Tower, Traitor’s Gate). Other highlights are the armory and the crown jewels. We had an afternoon coffee/tea break at the on-premise café and made a quick visit to the loo before heading back to our hotel. I mention this last bit, as a plaque in the restroom proudly proclaims that they were “an award winner in the 1992 loo of the year competition.”
Leaving the Tower we paralleled the Thames for a bit on the way back to the Tube and had some marvelous views of Tower Bridge and the HMS Belfast. Dinner and drinks followed again at Café Maurice and then a good night’s sleep.
