"It's nice, like our own double decker tour bus." Joey remarked.
We got on and were, in fact, the only ones aside from the driver.
This allowed us to get in the very front rows on the top and the views were excellent!
Here is the scene at the bus stop as we are looking out near Russell Square and the picturesque Russell Hotel. That window cleaner is working hard!
We all enjoyed the sensation of being chauffeured on a double decker.
The bus ride took a bit of time, but the day was clear and seeing the sights from the second floor was enjoyed by all.
Since we enjoyed the top floor of the bus, that meant we left without the stroller. Sammy was the most affected by this since Lanna would still get a ride in the baby bjorn. Sammy would have to walk. He would often proclaim, "I'm not even tired of walking!" although he was still on the bus at that point.
About 45 minutes later, we got off the bus and began the walk over Tower Bridge.
Walking across the Tower Bridge is like driving across the 520 floating bridge in Seattle: it never gets old. Despite the whipping wind, the kids and I marveled at the grandeur while gazing out on the Thames.
Outside one of the towers, we learned you could actually go up to the top of the Tower Bridge. Joey and Sammy's eyes lit up when they learned of it. I told them we would come back and go to the top.
They very excitedly made their way to the Tower of London with this news.
Now that we had one visit under our belt we felt good about moving around through the Tower of London.
Immediately after the entry point you could go to the left down the street to the Royal Mint. They spied open treasure boxes with what looked like gold coins and wanted to check it out! The boxes were recreations but it had sucked us in!
We learned more about the minting process and also found out Isaac Newton was in charge of the mint for a while! You can learn more about his role here:
http://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/history/people/mint-officials/isaac-newton/
After the mint, we wanted to check in on the ravens which have been living at the Tower since the 1600's. Seven in total are there and, as the story goes, if the ravens ever leave the Tower, the English kingdom will collapse!
Here you can see one of the ravens with the White Tower behind it. You can't see the chicken legs that were lying on the ground in its cage!
For more on the ravens, you can check it here:
http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit-us/top-things-to-see-and-do/the-ravens/
From the ravens we went up and behind the White Tower. Joey casually reported, "I would like to see some jewels."
So we went inside and checked out the Crown Jewels! Since no pictures are allowed, you can use your imagination with the splendor, opulence, and sheer sparkly nature of the crowns, scepters, and various items. Alisa was rather sad we didn't wait for her to see them together.
Outside the Crown Jewels exhibit is the Fusilier's Museum. This museum focuses on the military, with a specific examination of the infantry.
Joey and Sammy were more excited to play with the guns outside the museum than actually go in.
I thought the Yeoman Warders or other authority figures would not like Sammy lying on the cannon, but nobody hauled him off into the Tower.
Lanna, watching her brothers clamber across the firearms, was highly entertained.
With the brilliant sunshine and clement weather, we relaxed and strolled through the upper area of the Tower which has not only the Fusilier's Museum and Crown Jewels exhibit but also the area where the chopping block rested and the Royal Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula where many of the poor souls at the chopping block were buried.
From there we went into the Beauchamp Tower that housed many of the prisoners. In the upper stories the stonework contained amazing legacies of those prisoners who had plenty of time to carve their thoughts into the rock.
Lanna did not appreciate the carvings and enjoyed walking up and down the stairs more.
After returning to the upper courtyard, we saw a Yeoman Warder standing nearly alone (a rarity in the Tower as the Beefeaters almost always are guiding tours or having their pictures taken).
We approached him and the boys slowly moved from my sides to behind me as we got closer. The Warder smiled and began to talk to Joey and Sammy. He was amazing, charming them with stories and talking about his 3 year old son. He told them about Roary the Race car (an apparent Thomas the Train spin-off and only known in England).
By the end of it, the boys had stopped clinging to my legs and were hugging the Warder. I asked to take a picture and he graciously agreed. Given the picture turned out so well and captured the day, I'll save it for the very end.
After meeting the Warder the boys were elated and ready for their next adventure!
I took a picture with all of them before heading back to Tower Bridge.
On the way out, we eyed the Tower Bridge, knowing we'd be going to the top of it soon!
Lanna charmed the staff there and we took the elevator to the top.
It was an impressive view from those upper levels.
Even more impressive were the large glass floors which allowed you to look down 100 feet to the bridge below.
We trusted the engineers implicitly, both walking on the glass without concern and letting my children lie down on it.
They had a great time looking down at the tiny double deckers while still trying to spot some fancy cars.
They also learned a bit about bridge types and other world famous bridges.
A video also showed the construction of the Tower Bridge when in was built in the 1880's. Joey and Sammy watched it three times.
On the ascent down, we looked out the windows and remained in awe.
We also explored the pump room at the end.
The day was an epic success! We took the 188 all the way back home watching the sky darken as we rode on the top.
By the time the bus reached its last stop, we again were the only ones aside from the driver.
Looking back on that day, I'll always remember the kindness and skill the Yeoman Warder used to make Joey and Sammy so happy and to cement their love of the Tower of London.
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