Conquering the Tower of London

Our quest to visit the touristy sites of London continued this weekend with a visit to the Tower of London. Also known as "Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress," the Tower of London was built in 1066 and sits on the bank of the Thames River in central London.

It has been used as a royal residence, prison, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and safekeeping for the Crown Jewels. Today, it still houses the Crown Jewels and is a tourist site that provides a look back in history.

The castle is huge, and has so many different areas to it. A glimpse into just a few of the areas and stories:

The Moat - Now the moat is covered in grass, but we watched a short outside performance of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.

Waterloo Baracks - A huge safe where the Crown Jewels are kept! You are able to go inside and see them on a moving walk way platform, but no pictures are allowed and there is tight security.

The Royal Menagerie - The tower was once home to animals that had been given as gifts from different countries to the royal family. Believe it or not, it was home to a polar bear that went fishing in the Thames River, an elephant, lions, leopards, monkeys, an ostrich and a grizzly bear.

The White Tower - Inside was a chapel, royal armouries collection and line of kings exhibit and brief history of the fortress.

Torture at the Tower - An upclose look at some replicas of torture devices that England used to use. There are also prisoner stories and graffiti leftover from some of the inmates that were kept in the towers.

The Bloody Tower - This story got to me. In 1483 two princes, ages 9 and 12, disappeared after their father, The King, died and their uncle declared his nephews illegitimate. Their uncle was crowned and the princes were never seen alive again. In 1674 two children's bodies were discovered underneath a staircase leading to the white tower. It is believed that these were the two princes.

Ravens at the Tower - There is an old legend that says the kingdom and the tower will fall if the six resident Ravens ever leave the fortress. There are seven ravens that currently wander freely about the castle. Their wings are clipped so they can't fly away.

After 3 hours we thought we had finally seen everything there was to see at the Tower of London...

... or at least most of it. But after 3 hours of walking around, it was definitely time to head home!