May 8, 2013–St. Paul’s Church, Tower of London, Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast Tour

We began our tour of St Paul’s Cathedral. It is just a bit smaller than St Peter’s Cathedral in Rome but far more ornate. It is remembered best for the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. It is Christopher Wren’s crowning achievement. If you remember the post from a couple of days ago, you will remember that he almost did not get a chance to build it. The king could not afford to rebuild the existing church on the site and wanted Wren to remodel it. The wooden scaffolding put up around the church caught fire during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The church was burned along with most of London and Wren got his chance to build his dream church. During the blitz of the second World War, there were 30 volunteers on site every night lest an incendiary bomb set fire to the church. Churchill recognized the importance of the national cathedral to the people of London and wanted to make sure it was protected. Unfortunately, photographs are not allowed to be taken inside so you will just have to go on line to get pictures of the inside.

Next stop was the famous Tower of London which has been a fortress since the Romans started the first military installation on the site. It was occupied last by Charles II and remains an official castle for the royal family although they do not use it today. It is a little stark. The two most famous features is the execution site of Anne Boleyn and the current home of the crown jewels.

Below is the famous “White Tower.” Got its name when the walls were whitewashed on the order of Charles I. It is no longer white, but as we have learned, in England, once something gets a name it sticks forever.

St George Chapel on the grounds of the Tower is still in use as a chapel for the “Yeoman Warders” (please do not call them “Beefeaters”) who guard the facility.

The execution site of traitors and other convicts and the site of Anne Boleyn's beheading.

This is a sculpture of the “Chopping Block”.

Ravens life on the grounds of the Tower. Legend has it that if the ravens should ever leave the Tower, the Tower will crumble and the monarchy will fail. Just to be safe they keep 6 ravens on site at all times and 2 in reserve. By the way, their wings are clipped to keep them from flying away. As compensation, they are fed twice a day. I will not describe the diet as was described to us.

You have heard the expression “sitting on the throne,” will this was the king’s water closet. The waste went down into the moat which was part of the Thames River tidal basin. It was thought that the 2 tides per day would wash the waste out to sea. In the 18th century when the moat was drained, it was found that the tide did not wash the waste out and there was an accumulation of 500 years!!! But at least it was ‘royal” poo.

A dragon sculpted from various armaments.

The execution chair of the last person put to death in the Tower. In 1942 a German spy parachuted into the country in civilian clothes with fake ID, several thousands of British pound notes and a radio transmitter. He was intent on spying and sending information to the Nazi’s via the radio. He broke his leg when he landed and a civilian defense corpsman caught him. Perhaps his carrying a German sausage was also a clue. He was tried and ordered executed. Note the notch in the top of the chair taken out by the firing squad executioners. Below are some of the weapons in the weapons room of the Tower.

Below are scenes from the Engine Room that raises and lowers the draw bridge that makes up the roadbed of the Tower Bridge. Originally powered by steam, I am standing in front of one of the giant boilers. Today the bridge is powered by hydraulics so steam is no longer needed.

The HMS Belfast has a rich history in the Royal Navy. It sunk many German U-boats and other war ships and was given the distinction of firing the first shots onto Omaha Beach on D-Day.

The tour ended here. 14,527 steps taken by the time we got back to the apartment.