Our guide Tom is hysterical, oh so British, and ridiculously knowledgeable. The best possible kind of person to take you around London. We headed to Westminster Abbey via the tube. The weather was rainy and bit cold but who cares...I'm in London! Tom took us on a tour of the major graves inside the Abbey, sharing some amazing history about the building and architecture. Who knew Elizabeth the First has such a big nose! He recited 'In Flanders Field' in its entirety just inside the doors as we stand over the grave of the unknown. Words fail me at the beauty of it in that historic place, the coronation chair just behind me encased in glass. I preceded to nerd-out, much to the amusement of the group and Tom, over Charles Dickens's grave. Tom was highly amused about having a romance writer in the group.
tower of London
The crown jewels! Trebuchets! Medieval Torture Devices! Off with her head! The Tower of London proved to be an amazing place to roam around in. The rain was falling lightly and the fog was a little heavy in the sky. The weather only added to the ambiance. It wasn't hard to imagine Richard III or Henry VIII roaming the grounds. Important tip, make sure not to refer to William the First as William the Conqueror in front of the Tower. This will cause your guide to playfully threaten to fetch a Beefeater and have you jailed in the Tower, after walking through the traitor's gate of course - I am an American after all. (The irony was not lost on me, much to Tom's amusement) A perfectly timed stop at Buckingham Palace gave us a straight on view of the horse guard riding by. Time for a cup of tea before the theatre calls me home tonight. Warhorse awaits.
Better and Better
We stopped just outside the Abbey before we headed down to catch the Ferry to the Tower of London. Tom pointed out something on the side of the Abbey. A new addition, he told us. My eyes tear up a bit with emotion. On the side of Westminster Abbey there are statutes to Martyrs of the 20th century. There stood Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One of America's great men immortalized on one of England's greatest buildings. I think Dr. King would approve. I get my first glimpse of how truly connected our nations are. There are tiny plaques and monuments all around that are easy to miss if you don't stop and breathe. I stopped whenever I could.