Day 4 - St. Paul's, Tower of London, Imperial War Museum, & the King's Speech

Another long day in down town London. We started the day sore, tired, and mentally incapable of processing anything besides put food in mouth. The countryside walk really took it out of us. And, of course, we spent today walking up what felt like 500 flights of stairs.

Our first stop was St. Paul's Cathedral. Here is my favorite shot from the Millennium Bridge:

Okay, here is the best part about St. Paul's: We got to climb to the very top! Here is a panoramic view:

The climb to the top was literally several hundred stairs. It was absolutely painful after walking the  or so miles through Princes Risborough but completely worth it. This view was taken from the balcony right above the silver outer dome. Most domes built in this era had an outer and inner dome. The inner dome is obviously the smaller of the two and hides the supports for the outer dome. These supports are usually flying buttresses which are pretty ugly. Smart idea that double dome, huh?

Our next stop kind of was a downer due to a tragic event witnessed before hand. As we got off the bus and started walking towards the cross walk, we saw a guy look the wrong way and jump out in front of a van. He was very badly injured but still alive when we left. Seeing this really took a toll on all of us and gave us a bearing on the need to be safe when crossing the street in Europe. I really hope the young man is doing well and my thoughts go out to his friends and family.

On a lighter note, we went to the Tower of London next. This place is really amazing. Take a look:

The Tower of London is the original four walls of the royal palace dating back to before 1100 BC. The building pictured above is just one of many inside the walls and where the royal jewels are on display when not in use. Yes, there were actually pieces missing from the collection because they are in use. Also on display are royal wardrobes, suits of armor, and military artifacts. You can actually walk around the walls on two sides which gives you this amazing view of the London Bridge:

Next on the list was the Imperial War Museum. Dad, I wish you could have gone in my place because you would have loved it. Here are some pictures for you:

Outside the museum was this sign. I know this may disappointing to some, but it was my favorite part of the museum. I didn't really understand why it was there when I walked in, but after I went through the museum and saw The Holocaust exhibit, the reason was very clear.

Here is my soap box for the day: I have zero tolerance for racism. Yes, I am anti-war and that was made even more clear after seeing this museum. Boys, put away your pride. Okay, I am getting off the soap box now.

After the museum, we all headed back to the hotel to shower, change and eat before going to The King's Speech play at Wyndham Theatre. We actually got to see the very last showing of it ever. It was absolutely amazing! The cast did a fantastic job and it was far more entertaining than the movie. I just wish I could have gotten a play poster. Keeping up with a large poster for five more weeks without ruining it was not an option. Here are some pics:

It has been a super long day. I hope this post does it justice! Miss you all!