Vacation Day 8 – Tower of London & Tate Modern

I last visited the Tower of London in early November 1964. I know this because we went the week before the Buntingford Branch line closed on November 16 1964. I’ve been to the Tower of London Many times, but that was the only time I went in. I worked for a year in the near-by American Square, which (in 2008) had the very appropriately named, to my mind anyway, Missouri Angel Bar across the road from the office. Most lunch times I’d walk around the Tower of London and visit St. Catherine’s Docks and look at the barges.

The tour of the Tour of London was very good and I highly commend it. Though you might like to consider leaving any pissy teenagers behind. Speaking of which, Lanie would not believe that the Crown Jewels were real, and initially didn’t realize that the display included some very precious items. She went back for another, closer, look once we’d enlightened her.

After visiting the Tower we took a stroll around St. Catherine’s Docks – mainly because I wanted to see the barges. Lanie & Ginger were more interested in a bunch of marines maneuvering a modern landing craft into a berth than with my thoughts on the finer details of the rigging and handling of a Thames Barge. I surmised the landing craft was probably related to the D-Day festivities and tried to ignore it.

We took a leisurely stroll along the South Bank passing the Globe Theatre and The Golden Hinde. We stopped for a while at the Tate Modern (I like the Tate Modern). Unfortunately all this walking had tired us out and it wasn’t long before we headed back to the train – beating the commuter rush.

Copyright © 2014 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.