Head Over Heels at the Tower

      Before going to England I watched a lot of shows that said the Tower was haunted. Well, I wanted to find this out for myself. To get to the Tower from my hotel, you had to sail on the Thames. While waiting for my boat to pick us up, we were able to admire the Eye and Big Ben again. Finally, it was time to board the boat. London is known for inclement weather, but luckily while we were there the weather was so nice every day! Since it was such a beautiful day, I wanted to sit on the top of the boat. While on the thirty minute boat ride, the tour guide talked about different things we passed. The most important thing I learned on this ride was not about anything we passed, but it was that if anyone asks you if you are American do not raise your hand. At the beginning of the ride, the tour guide said, "Is anyone here American?" Some people raised their hands, including my mom. Then he said, " Okay, I will be sure to speak slowly." It was funny, but a little embarrassing.
       My family and I finally got off the Boat and started walking towards the tower. We walked into the front of the tower and joined a very large tour group. We had a humorous tour guide who told us everything there was to know about the Tour. He told us stories about be-headings that took place in the courtyard exactly where we were standing. There were many stories about Henry VIII having his wives beheaded, but my favorite one was the story of Catherine Howard. After being unfaithful in her relationship with Henry, he ordered to have her beheaded. Her last words were, "I die a Queen, but I would rather have died the wife of Culpeper." After she said this, everyone looked around for Culpeper. Culpeper did the same, hoping nobody would find out who he was. I thought this story was funny, especially when the tour guide mocked Culpeper looking around.
      While at the Tower, we were also able to walk through some of the towers, which was not as exciting as I thought it would be. After the tour was over, there was a building where you could walk through and see the Crown Jewels. This was a must see for my mom and me because we love jewelry! When we reached the part where you were able to look at all of the Queens' crowns, I was amazed! They were more elaborate than anything I had ever seen before. Sadly, you were not aloud to take any pictures.
      When you are leaving the Tower, you walk out onto a street, and the Tower Bridge is right in front of your face! While watching the Olympics I would always see the Tower Bridge light up with the Olympic rings on it. It was so surreal that it was right in front of me! We walked towards it and we walked up some steps, then we were walking right on the bridge. The sight of the Thames was so beautiful, and I enjoyed the moment thoroughly. Once you were on the bridge, you could go to a little office and get in line to go all the way to the top of the bridge. We took an elevator up, which was a little frightening for me at first because elevators and heights are not my favorite things. Luckily, I got to the top safely, and being up there barely scared me. We walked down this long hallway which is the the very top of the bridge when you are looking at it from the outside. After walking for a little, we took the elevator back down, and walked off of the bridge. This day was unforgettable for me because I felt like I had traveled back in time.

Eye Can See all of London

Something that is on many postcards, or seen in many pictures from London is The London Eye. This was an attraction that I was looking forward to very much. When I watched the Olympics they would always show it all light up at night and it just seemed amazing to think I was going to see it in person! The day we were going to The Eye, we made a few stops along the way. In the morning we went across the street from our hotel to Buckingham Palace. There we saw the changing of the guards. This is just when the Queen's guards are changing, but it is incredible to watch. After we finished admiring the Palace, we started walking towards the Eye. If you are ever taking a trip to London I suggest you wear very comfortable shoes because you walk every day from very early in the morning to late at night. Especially if you are vacationing with my Granddad, all of the walking is done at a very fast pace. When I was going to the Eye from Buckingham Palace, one thing we saw on the way was Big Ben and the House of Parliament. The architecture of the House of Parliament was extraordinary. Big Ben was definitely close to being one of the things for which I was most excited. I could not believe how tall it was, and that I was actually seeing it in real life. We had to keep walking, but I was glad I had the opportunity to see Big Ben. Though the journey was arduous, it was worth it to be standing in front of the biggest Ferris wheel I have ever seen in my life. It is located on the River Thames. After walking all morning I certainly was not looking forward to standing in line. Luckily, we had the fast track pass, so we did not have to wait in line for 2 1/2 hours; just 10 minutes. As we were in the front of the line, I watched as people got off and on. While they were doing that I noticed the car did not completely stop as people got in and out of it. This was not good for me considering I am not that coordinated. Fortunately everyone made it on without any accidents. The car was a lot more spacious than I thought it would be. It fit about 15 to 20 people and there was even a little bench to sit on. Also, it was not as scary because there was glass keeping you inside the car. The ride was very relaxing, and it was wonderful seeing the city of London from 443 feet in the air. Even though I visited Big Ben an hour before, I enjoyed seeing it from the top of the Eye. I was thankful that I was able to ride the London Eye because seeing the city of London from the top of the world is an experience I will never forget.