Today, I headed towards Hampstead to meet with Lucy who was working at a bakeshop called “Gail’s.” Because Lucy knows the people (as well as working there) I knew I could get free food or free tea or both. I had a lovely cheddar cheese and asparagus quiche…mmmmmmm….along with a nice pot of English Breakfast tea (nom nom nom). I stayed with her for a while because she looked so sad and lonely outside giving free taste tests of the new types of bread Gail’s will potentially start selling.
Eventually, it was too cold for me (and because I had things to see), I left her with the promise that I would see her later that evening (because Fia had a date and I was not going to sit in the flat alone).
So my next sight, The Tower of London:
Yea, I don’t know who the heck that girl is at the bottom, but she wouldn’t get out of my shot so here we are 😛
The Tower used to be a fortress/home to the Kings of yore. They had areas dressed up to give you an idea of how things looked back in the day:
Oh and apparently wild animals used to roam free at the tower until a monkey bit a kid in the face (or something equally as gruesome, I can’t remember). The animals were then transferred to the London Zoo. But these metal statues were to give the visitors an idea of the crazy sights of the Tower.
I also got to see the Crown Jewels (in the building pictured above) as well as the chapel where Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard were buried (both wives of craaaaaaazy Henry VIII). I was not allowed to take pictures (sorry!), couldn’t use my ninja skills here either 😦
In the center is the White Tower. It is here that all of the royal weaponry were stored. I saw the armor of Henry VIII, he was a big fellow (and by big I mean wide, like American wide) They had a nice little chapel:
As well as an amazing dragon built entirely of period weaponry. Bad ass!
I also could see the Tower Bridge:
No, this is not London Bridge (it’s actually further down on the Thames). This is the Tower Bridge.
Of course I got to stare at a Tower Guard:
I decided to be nice and NOT poke fun at the guard. But I did at least take a picture.
Thankfully it was near the end of my day that London had it’s monsoon. It wasn’t the light English rain but the rain that could rival Indiana (without the potential of a tornado, of course). This also happened to be the day that I decided to wear the new pair of sandals that I had bought. HA! Needless to say, I came out of the Tower of London looking like a wet rat.
I managed to dry off once I got back to the flat before I was called outside again by Lucy and her family to join them for dinner. I made the ten minute trek via tube and on foot to their home where I was greeted with delicious Thai food. The problem was I was not all that hungry. I don’t eat three big meals, I eat 6 mini meals (essentially I snack all day). But I felt bad that they ordered such delicious food. I still didn’t finish it, but I ate enough to know that I should have stopped a few bites earlier. Ugh! But so delicious!
Fia called me after her date because she was waiting outside of the flat (and I had the keys). It was a miscommunication on both our parts because she thought I would be home by then and I thought she was going to text me when she was heading home. Luckily Lucy lives near so I was back at the flat in no time.
In typical Peruvian fashion, Fia and I stayed up past our bedtime drinking tea and dancing to traditional Peruvian Sayas and to Grupo 5.
Twas a good day 🙂
Until tomorrow!
besos,
MLT
adventuresoflamari.com 