Tower Bridge – London Day 4

The Tower of London
– a safe-deposit box for the Crown Jewels.

The Crown Jewels are perhaps the major reason so many visitors flock to the Tower.

Here’s their website

Long Queue when I got there and since I was with my aunt and my cousin, it didn’t seem nice of me to get them to wait in line with so, next time then!

Besides, the Tower Bridge was so massive and magnificent upclose, I just had to see more of it sooner!

The Tower Bridge
– not the London Bridge! I’ll show you London Bridge in another post.

I can’t believe I’m really here! In my dreams! Funny how I used to always think this was gold in colour. I wonder where I got that from. LOL. So imagine how tickled my aunt was when I stupidly asked if the Tower Bridge underwent a repaint or something. :P

One of the most famous London attractions and just over a hundred years old, the Tower Bridge with its twin drawbridges, or bascules, each weighing about 1,000 tons have been raised more then half a million times since it was built.

It takes only 90 seconds for the bascules to be raised with electric motors which replaced the old steam engines. The closest tube stations are, Tower Hill and London Bridge.

I paid £5.50 per adult to take an elevator up to the viewing galleries of the Tower Bridge. There’s nothing much there really. Not worth the money. :)

Me with soleum looking Beefeater. You have no idea how frightened I was! Or shy. Haha!

Greenwich
– it is home of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the Meridian Line aka where time all over the world is measured.

It was WAY cool to have one foot at the eastern and the other at the western hemisphere! I was at the centre of World Time leh! About 30 mins train ride away from the centre of London, it’s easily accessible via the tube. Just stop at Greenwich!

Besides the Old Royal Observatory, another delightful sight for your eyes is the world’s last surviving tea clipper, Cutty Sark – which, when I was there, was undergoing restoration work. DAMN!

The long, cold tunnel that brings us from one side of the River Thames to the other where the Royal Observatory Greenwich (where I stand on what defines time!) is!

After the long, dingy tunnel and a long flight of stairs, out I came into the daylight!

Seems easy but it was like hiking to get up here to the Old Royal Observatory.

See the right line, followed downstairs by the “crack-like” lines down the door to the floor? I stood there and felt on top of the world! Haha.

I love this picture. Two really beautiful buildings, identical and standing proudly as if one were really a mirror reflection of the other. This is what they call the Old Royal Naval College and University of Greenwich. And that is River Thames.

Someone with a more camera skills and a way better camera could make this a desktop picture!

Oh and one tip, if you ever swing by here, come in the mornings! This places closes real early. Like 5pm?! :)