Mojo Does London - Recap Oct 9 & 10, 2024

 Hello Fabulous Followers! 

Our friends, Richard and Beth, have left to go home and Joe and I are on our own.  We took a dry run to Wembley stadium today, so it will be easier to navigate for Sunday's game.  We had a relaxing day and in the room early. I am fighting sniffles (thanks to Skip and Beth....gotta blame someone) and slept in.  London weather is so unpredictable - sunny, rainy, cloudy, sun, rain, clouds, warm, cold......ugh!

I decided to go back and summarize by each day what we did, as a way for me to remember and look back on.  Hope you don't mind. I probably should have done this all along, but when you average 13,000 - 15,000 steps a day by night time you are exhausted and tired!

Let's start recapping.

Wednesday, October 9th

Arrived to London, settled into the Radisson Blu hotel in the Kensington area and took a stroll through Kensington Park getting a picture of Kensington Palace.  That is Queen Victoria's statue in front of the palace.  She lived there until she turned 18 years old and then moved to Buckingham Palace.  Until all the monarchy resided here.  Diana lived here during and after her marriage to Charles.  William and Kate live there now.  


Round Lake with lots of ducks and swans.

Tried beer in the Kensington Arms Pub and you can see how I felt about it.  I just do not like beer.

Thursday, October 10th - Tower of London

I loved this day!  I loved touring the grounds, listening to a beefeater talk and seeing the crown jewels. Lots of steps in this place.  One of the towers we climbed 204 stairs total, going up and down! Whew!

Speaking of beefeaters - they used to protect the tower.  Now they provide tours and entertain those who visit.  They and their families live inside their own community within the Tower. To be a beefeater, you had to serve in the military with a successful record, apply when their is an opening, and pass probation.


Check out the ravens!  Legend has it the ravens guard the Tower and if they leave, the kingdom and tower will fall.


Seeing the crown jewels was a big item on my bucket list.  I could not take pictures, but they were so beautiful. So many stones arranged to make all these different crowns.

The most magnificent crown was the Crown of the Queen Mother, last worn by Queen Elizabeth's mum.  It is considered a female crown, so Camilla or Kate will be the next women to wear it.  It has a 106 carat Koh-I-Noor diamond that glitters in the front.  Please google this to see its beauty.

Check out the executioner block where men and women were beheaded. One famous is Anne Boleyn.




Another interesting picture is the armour of King Henry VIII (when he was more heavy set).....yes his codpiece is quite noticeable!  There were young school kids on a field trip and all I can say is boys are boys everywhere.  They started laughing, and jabbing their friends in the shoulder and embarrassing the girls.  


Random pictures of the day. Eating at the Tower of London cafe, Joe "posing" as a guard and a view of the Tower Bridge.




One final picture from the day. Waterboarding does not compare to this torture contraption - if you were considered a traitor to the country, oh boy! 



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