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| Tower Bridge -- a drawbridge whose stone towers serve to conceal the very modern lifting apparatus that raises the two halves of the middle section in the traditional inverted V fashion. |
We boated from Greenwich to the Tower of London, taking the first leg of the tour as arranged by Carolyn's conference, and abandoning the tour group at the first stop. I might express regret for a bit of river scenery missed, but that afternoon proved a perfect time to give the Tower of London a quick walk-over.
| Here's the end of the Tower Bridge, before we make our way into that ominous edifice wherein failed politicians and conspirators lost their heads (along with a few innocents and sundry undesirable wives and relations). |  |
| The Tower looked quite inviting from the Thames; if I were to be held as a 16th. Century royal prisoner in the fashion of Sir Walter Raleigh, I can't offhand imagine a better place to be imprisoned. |  |
| Carolyn appeared royalty (rather than one of the mentioned royal victims) as she stood in the afternoon sun. |  |
| While I scrupulously kept my camera cased in the presence of the Crown Jewels and in other "no photos" areas, I did photograph the secret of England's military might -- sound armour and wooden horses. |  |
| I also snapped the lions sitting at the foot of a throne. The throne, by the way, appeared very uncomfortable: it featured a flat, hard wooden seat and a very, very straight back. |  |
| At this point I pause to take note of things I did not photograph: the huge suit of armour worn by John of Gaunt; the equally interesting suit of armour designed to fit the rotund Henry VIII; the axe which was used to behead Anne Bolyn (displayed with the disclaimer that she was actually beheaded with a sword); sundry cannons and the like retrieved from the remnants of the Spanish Armada; as well as those items (gold and jewels!) we were prohibited from photographing. |
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| And to wrap up: this edifice you'll have noted in the background of an earlier picture. |  |
| And now, on to Avebury | |
| Greenwich 1 / Greenwich 2 / Thames & Tower of London / Avebury / Regents Park / Trafalgar Square | |