I visited the tower of London for the first time on a half-day tour. Our tour conductor said, "Here is the tower of London." and we just took some pictures quickly in front of the entrance. I thought taking pictures was enough. I had seen the Tower of London. However, the tower of London is really worth a visit.
A long time ago, the king had lived in the tower. However, later on, many people were locked up , tortured and executed there ; so people began to think of the tower in a completely different light. There are a lot of dark stories related to the tower. For example, Edward ‡W's two sons were killed there by the order from Richard ‡V, Jane Howard, one of Henry ‡['s wives, was beheaded because of committing adultery, and Guy Fawkes who is famous for 5th November, Guy Fawkes's Day, was hanged because of planning to blast the House of Parliament with dynamite.
However, after the middle of 18th century, the government became stable, so the tower wasn't used as an execution ground any more. Now, it has become one of the famous sightseeing spots in London.
Altough the atmosphere inside the tower was dark and ghastly, I was deeply impressed by the gorgeous crowns and jewelry which were displayed in the Jewel House. When I saw Yeoman Warders and marching soldiers, I wondered which century I was in. If you want to see the Tower of London thoroughly, it will take more than a half day. Really, the tower has a lot to offer.
However, if you have a sixth sense, be cautious! There are a lot of ghost stories. They say that from one window, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth ‡T's mother, stands, looking at the place where she was executed.

upper left : A Yeoman Warder who stands in the entrance of the tower. They told us the story about the tower of London ; upper middle : You can see Tower Bridge from the Tower of London.
lower left : Princes who were murdered in the tower(at Madame Tussaud's) ; lower right : crows in the tower, whose wings were cut. It was because that they say, "When the crows leave the tower, our kingdom will ruin.", and this custom continues even now. I heard that donkeys in the tower had been blinded!

The following story happened many years ago. After coming back from England, when I was looking at some photos in the train, the man next to me asked. "Is this the Tower of London?" He said that he was a banker and used to live in London. "The tower seems to be unchanged", he said with deep emotion.
I think that the Tower of London won't changed and will always be just as it is today.

When you go to the River Thames from the Tower of London, you'll find ships which go to Greenwich. The scenery of the tower which you can see from there is pretty good. When ships which are taller than Tower Bridge come, the bridge will open and the ship will pass through. This following episode happened during one of my trips. Although one day, my friend and I went sightseeing separately, both of us could see the moment which Tower Bridge opened. I think that there was some time interval between my experience and my friend's, probably you'll have a chance to experience the moment many times during the day.
You can see inside Tower Bridge. After a short guided tour, you can walk alone and see the inside by yourself. When you see the River Thames from the inside Tower Bridge, you may see the River(left) in a completely new way.

After you cross Tower Bridge, you'll be on the side of London Bridge. There is the London Dungeon(right) where you can view the old execution ground, Jack the Ripper's London and so on.

(2002.4.29)

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Trip to England

I really love London!