The second part of Christmas Eve in London was spent traveling east to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. Here are the pictures:
Unlike most other attractions in London, the Tower of London has an admission fee. However, the it was closed today. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come back before I leave. All the pictures taken today are of the outside. Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump.
The Tower of London is basically a badass fortress that eventually became a royal prison and finally a historic monument. It was originally built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and currently houses the Crown Jewels. The site is also infamous for its royal executions.
The moat is now grassy. There’s something in the distance that looks like a trebuchet.
This is the main entrance.
Here’s another view of the entrance.
There’s a Christmas tree on the side.
You can see the Tower Bridge in the distance.
Here’s the back of the fortress. Originally, the pathway was a big lake and special visitors had to arrive by boat.
Another view of the Tower Bridge from the docks behind the Tower of London.
We passed under ‘Dead Man’s Hole’ and went up the stairs onto the Tower Bridge. The right walkway was blocked off due to construction, making it unfortunately impossible to get a good shot of the Tower of London from the bridge. So we stayed on the left.
Another shot from atop the bridge, showcasing the pedestrian walkways above. You have to pay to go up there. Also, you’ll notice the sky was getting really dark at this point. This picture was taken around 3:30p.
Here’s a look at what’s behind me.
The skyline here is really incredible. You can see a real juxtaposition of old structures (Tower of London) with modern skyscrapers. That egg shaped building is called The Gherkin.
There was a sign telling visitors to venture into the ‘engine room’ which was naturally closed. But I did manage to snap this great shot of the bridge from below.
Alleyways. Feels like something from a Jack the Ripper tale. Except, the building on the right is a Starbucks Coffee.
I didn’t have a map and didn’t want to get lose. So we returned to the Tower of London to get some fish and chips and coffee. There’s a skating rink right outside the Tower.
Here’s a shot of the river and the skyline on the south bank. This last shot was taken around 4:30p.
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