Tower of London and Harrod's!

On Thursday, since I did not have class and Alexa's internship doesn't start until next week, we made a trip to the Tower of London! When we arrived, I instantly had deja vu of my family's trip there several years ago- it's obviously a very memorable place. The Tower of London has been used for centuries as a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for higher status prisoners). Throughout the years, the Kings and Queens of England have added onto and changed the structure and uses of the tower, but at any time, even now, it is absolutely magnificent.
Alexa and I started by hopping onto a free hour tour lead by a "beefeater," or a yeoman warder, which is an iconic figure in London- they were originally Royal Bodyguards. The tour was really entertaining. Our tour guide's name was Bill Callahan (which obviously made me excited) and as we walked throughout the fortress he told us the most gruesome stories of torture and execution, while also including historic facts about the tower. We got to go into the main church that King Henry the VIII had built in a Spanish style for his wife Catherine of aragon. Also, several important people were buried here.
After the tour, Alexa and I wandered around the fortress ourselves. We first went into the tower where the most famous prisoners were kept. This tower is well known for the intricate carvings and markings on all of the walls that prisoners contributed throughout the years. The tower was cold and rather creepy actually- it was pretty surreal standing in the same place where people like Anne Boleyn had walked and been kept prisoner.
My favorite part of the Tower was probably the Crown Jewels. The crowns, rings, goblets, silverware, etc. that have been used in coronations and at banquets for centuries (and still today) are kept here. Up close, we got to see the biggest cut diamond in the world, which is part of one of the coronation crowns. Alexa and I walked back and forth in front of the jewels several times, admiring how amazingly beautiful they all were. It is so cool to see that the same crown that has been used for hundreds of years is still worn by the current Queen each year on the opening of Parliament. Alexa and I also went to see the famous White Tower, which was actually only partially open as it was under construction and restoration when we visited. In here, we saw the quarters where the royalty used to reside, and also tons of weaponry and armor used by Kings for years.
On our way out, Alexa and I stopped and took a ton of pictures in front of Tower Bridge, which is so pretty up close. It's funny that songs are written about London Bridge, as Tower Bridge is much more famous and attractive to look at. I will definitely be making more trips back to Tower Bridge before I leave London.

On Friday- Keetin, Madison, Summers, and I decided to hit up Harrod's- since their sale was ending the next day! Harrod's is the world's most famous luxury department store- and it is MASSIVE. On our way to Harrod's, we got a little bit sidetracked and ended up stopping at several stores, including an hour long detour at H & M's sale. Finally, Keetin and I made our way through the rain to Harrod's. I could have spent hours and hours inside. I'm pretty sure the most memorable part of Harrod's for me is the food, candy, and chocolate section. I have never seen so many delicious looking foods in my entire life. Keetin and I also spent a great deal of time admiring the designer dresses and purses, none of which we could afford of course. Places like Harrod's make you wish that you had an unlimited supply of money. I'm pretty sure we only covered about 1/3 of the store in the hours that we spent there, and since Harrod's is only one tube stop away from me, I will be making many more trips back to drool over things that I cannot really buy.

I will update you on more amazing sightseeing adventures very soon! I am loving London (in case you couldn't already tell :) )