London » Gallery #2: St. Paul's Cathedral & Tower of London
Day 2 of our trip -- 31 May 2002:
A beautiful, warm sunny day – a true rarity in London. We spent the morning at St. Paul's; if you ever visit, make sure you make the climb up to the dome – a view you won't soon forget. We then spent the afternoon at the Tower of London and vicinity. It is mind-blowing to consider that the original castle there, the White Tower, is nearly 1,000 years old. Click on any of the thumbnails to see the larger picture.
 St. Paul's Cathedral, looking from the nave back toward the entry |
 closer view of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren |
 John & Gabriel in front of St. Paul's Cathedral |
 The towers and front entrance of St. Paul's Cathedral |
 A pair of constables patrolling the St. Paul's beat |
 Gabriel playing in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. This proved to be far more interesting than the cathedral itself. |
 The wonders of a stick never cease to amaze and delight! |
 One of the highlights of the entire trip for Gabriel, "gardening" in a small park across from St. Paul's |
 Enjoying a picnic at the Tower Hill memorial, the execution site for the Tower of London (didn't realize that at the time!) |
 The site where they held the public executions of prisoners who were held in the Tower of London. |
 sign describing ancient London Wall (next photo) |
 The ancient London Wall; statue is of the Roman emperor Trajan, believed to have ordered its construction |
 The Tower of London from a distance. |
 Looking at the Byward Tower entry to the Tower of London from the River Thames. |
 Traitor's Gate, through which prisoners were brought to the Tower by boat in the deep of the night (Queen Elizabeth I being one of them) |
 The Bloody Tower: behind those windows are the rooms in which several famous people were imprisoned before their execution, including Sir Walter Raleigh and two boy princes murdered in their sleep. |
 Looking out from the Tower of London toward the Tower Bridge in the distance. In the foreground are the cages for the ravens whose presence is believed to be necessary to protect the monarchy. |
 The White Tower: built in 1078, it is the original palace where the royal family lived when the Tower of London was their main residence |
 The Waterloo Barracks, which houses the Crown Jewels and other valuables of the monarchy. |
 The front entrance to the Waterloo Barracks; the Crown Jewels are on the top floor. |
 The Royal Honor Guard inspection in front of the Waterloo Barracks. |