Independence. I suppose this was the day I was really feeling that way. Alone, unsure, anxious but excited. The only set reservation I had was with Shakespeare, but that was later in the day.
Did I sleep in? Um…no, not really but I did sleep. The beds at Tower Hotel were very comfortable. I had a/c controls in my room (this is not always the case in England). I also had a cute little tea service set up and a SmartTV (although it still didn’t work with my Apple devices). My view was incredible and that was in the cheaper room. If I wanted the view of Tower Bridge, the would be a fair bit more.
So, on with it. What did I do on Day 2 in London? Let’s go…
- Coffee at Costas – Located adjacent to the hotel.
- Met up with Billy again (I’d forgotten my Apple Watch charger in his cab)
- Lunch at Vicinity – the Tower Hotel restaurant. Enjoyed proper fish and chips and a nice pint of Magners
- Tower of London – Pro tip: be prepared to climb. And I mean climb – those tower staircases aren’t only narrow but steep as all get out. So.many.stairs. I was really struck, though, with the number of female Yeoman Wardens…they made up at least half of the guards I saw.
- Poppies – What a sweet surprise! Poppies were growing in the area where the centuries old moat used to surround the Tower.
- TV Star? Just so happens, a tv crew happened to be following our tour group. I’m researching which production company is making the special on the Tower. Who knows…may I made it?
- Leadenhall Market – You might recognize it as the inspiration for Diagon Alley. Such a cool, very Victorian feeling market area with the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron (really a migraine help center) and an eerie section that was used as Knockturn Alley.
- Boots – The UK’s version of Walgreens because of course I forgot things.
- Tower Bridge – Walked across the Thames on this iconic bridge to reach the South End of London
- South Bank – I’m not entirely sure this was the actual South Bank which I’d been recommended. I was just following Google Maps and trying my best not to get lost. Walked by some very cool architecture, down cobblestone streets like those ripped straight from some period tv dramas (Call the Midwife or Peaky Blinders).
- Shakespeare’s Globe – Teenage wish list item unlocked.
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream – If you haven’t read (or watched) this classic, I highly recommend it. Shakespeare basically invented farce with this play and I’m here for it. The thing about watching a show at the Globe (note: the real Globe burned down long ago), is the emphasis is entirely on the actors on stage. No intricate set, no fancy tech. It was all about those performances. I was mesmerized.
- Millennium Bridge – Better known as the bridge that blows up in HP and Half-Blood Prince. This, along with London Bridge and many others, connect the South End to the City of London. I’ve learned so much about allllll the different areas of London. NYC’s 5 boroughs pale in comparison. This city is vast.
- Back to my last night at Tower Hotel – good thing, too, because I was completely knackered.
Alyventures 