The Tower of London

Even for us Americans, there is something truly special about visiting “the Motherland,” Great Britain.  A visit to the Tower of London is easily a full day’s adventure and teaches us so much about our Founding Fathers’ heritage.

Why separate Church and State, for example?  Centuries of turmoil, as royalty shifted from one faith to another, had resulted in countless imprisonments, persecutions, and executions.  Religious tolerance continues its slow evolution.  But visiting the tower, reading personal accounts, and hearing stories told, all bring the enormous site into perspective.

The Tower of London, with its many walls, towers, chambers, and wide array of purposes, clearly illustrates a dark and oppressive time, while it celebrates generations of royalty.  Touring included the famed crown jewels and a stunning array of armor, including the legendary set belonging to King Henry VIII, revealing signs of his need to also appear sexually “well-armored.”

This day literally sizzled with discovery and broadened our perspectives.  I’d visited London before and toured Westminster Abbey, stood under Big Ben, and watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.  Somehow, amidst all my sightseeing and visits, I had failed to visit the famed Tower complex.

Be sure to take a nice, compact digital camera with you.  There are delightfully worthy sights to snap at every turn.  Or try some of those snazzy new video camera eye glasses.  You simply must capture the images to delight and relive your memories after you return home.