The name Tower of London is really a misnomer. It is not a single tower at all but an entire fortification that was started way back in the 11th century and has been added to many times. Prisoners were held in the tower over the centuries (most notably many of the Tutors), and it is the home of the Crown Jewels. The assorted crowns, going back to Charles II, (after the English Civil War) are really something to see but that is not what impressed me the most. There is a ceremonial sword that is used during coronations that is indescribable. The scabbard is jewel encrusted gold with designs in relief in the gold as well. The blade is beautifully engraved from tip to hilt and the gold work and jewels on the handle are equally spectacular! The collection also includes other items used by the royals including a gold baptismal font and a punch owl, completely in gold, that is large enough to hold 144 bottles of wine! It is over 3 feet wide.
After exploring the site for a few hours, we headed back to the hotel. Eric and I stopped for dinner at a funny (quirky, that is, not haha) little restaurant called Bill's. Some tables had large candles in glass jars while others had silver candelabras. The food was very good. For starters, we had rosemary bread, cut in chunks and served with a humus dip. I had the best lamb ever! It was melt in your mouth tender. Eric had fish pie. It was cod, salmon, tiger prawns and scallops served a la shepards pie (wish a thick layer of mashed potatoes on top).
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