Quick Visit to the Tower of London

I feel sorry for the Europeans, well actually I don't, but there are so many clueless tourists (including myself) walking around taking pictures of everything saying things such as "Ooh look! It's a castle!" If I lived here permanently, it would drive me nuts. Going about your daily life, and foreigners are crowding the streets with bulky bags and flailing maps. Yes people travel from all over to experience the historical city, but you don't look smart if you point and announce the existence of the London Bridge. I say this because I am going to stop pointing and announcing from this point on.

I think the culture here, as far as daily living and sheer existence is concerned, is very straightforward and direct. In America, everyone has a feeling of being "special" in that they hold an "independent" self worth, regarding themselves as living an interesting life full of discovery, revelations, and reinventions. In Europe, the people get by with means of understanding that they are really not that "special" unless born into royalty, and they have to simply do what they can to live. This brings a pride to everything they do, such as 'yeah, I'm a bus driver. But this is MY bus, and I WILL drive it the best way possible! Jealous?' which is great. Perhaps it's because the country's been around so much longer than the States and people aren't jaded. It's move it or lose it around here. If you have a gimpy leg, move out of the way of others that are faster than you or you will get pushed around. If you're in a wheelchair, well you can't take the stairs can you? There are stairs everywhere, and people walk everywhere, so you better find an alternative route. Tough luck buddy, no "special individuality" for you! There really is a higher density of population in a very small area. I think America really is the land of opportunity, and I'm seeing that first hand.

We took a quick trip downtown to see the Tower of London. The tower was a fortress, built by William the conqueror in 1080 and was also a prison full of execution and torture. He basically built it to protect himself and his people from the city of London. It is a grand landmark, right along the river Thames and near the London Bridge. Admission into the tower is ₤15 (~$30 = DISNEYLAND!!), and it was to close in a couple hours, so we decided to postpone the interior tour for a later date. However, walking around and seeing the local sights were great on its own. The tower of London is beautiful over the river, and the closer you walk towards it, the more you realize its size. There are little hidden boat docking stations behind various buildings in the area. Plus we found the “Dead Man’s Hole” under the bridge. It was a spot where they would collect dead bodies found floating in the river. They would then stick them in a hole in the wall until they were identified.