Day 3 - March 28
What time is it?
Jet lag hit me hard today! I woke up at 3 and could not go back to sleep. I kept thinking just one more chapter on my Kindle and surely I will be tired…and then I finished the whole book cover to cover! (The Pass by Rebecca Jenshak ⭐️⭐️⭐️) Despite my sluggishness, Karen helped keep me upbeat and we were able to see and experience some great places today!
Off With Your Head!
We started today with a visit to the Tower of London. I am pretty sure some of you should be concerned with how excited we both were to learn about the tortures and executions that went on there…it was like stepping into a Philippa Gregory novel! We went up many flight of windy staircases to see some of the most infamous towers home to: Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh, and the Two Princes (Richard and Edward) just to name a few!
Another highlight, aside from the gorgeous views of Tower Bridge, was seeing the Crown Jewels. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but it was amazing to see swords, crowns, and a golden punch bowl so large I could have fit inside! There were a few items off display to prepare for the upcoming coronation in May, but we were able to see quite a bit and have a peek into the wealth of royalty!
A Great Day for Up!
From the Tower, we hopped on the Tube over St. Paul's Cathedral. While impressive, I was most excited to see the crypts and climb the dome. I was disappointed to find that this was not like the spooky crypts in France with bones sticking out of the wall, but a room with plaques where famous people, like the Duke of Wellington, were buried. Again, some of you should probably be worried about my interests!
I then climbed up many flights of tight, spiraling stairs to the tippy top. It was 100% worth it for the incredible 360° views of the city. Absolutely breathtaking.
Exploring on Foot
Nearby St. Paul's is Millenium Bridge. So we decided to cross the Thames and head towards the Tate Modern. Exhaustion was starting to set in for me, so we did a quick peek around and then fueled up on coffee and pastries at a nearby cafe.
Since food is the cure for everything, we then walked over to Borough Market for an early dinner. There were so many types of food from all over the world it was hard to choose! For my main dinner I had a brisket pita from an Israeli food stall with a frozen lemonade –yum!
Feeling refreshed and reenergized we continued our walk along the Thames and past London Bridge. We then caught the tourist bus to take us around the city and towards Hyde Park.
A Stroll Through Time
As you can imagine, Karen and I were very excited to see Hyde Park. A place that has been mentioned so many times in our favorite books and movies, we were delighted to explore a small area of it this evening.
We walked along the Princess Diana Memorial path and saw the fountain erected in her memory. We also saw the Peter Pan statue, which we enjoyed!
The Total Count
After returning to the hotel for the evening, my watch vibrated with congratulations. Apparently according to it I climbed 55 flights of stairs and over 26,000 steps. If this does not help me sleep through the night, I don't know what will!
