An 8.30am Underground ride from Victoria Station to Tower Hill started the day (in peak commuter hours!) and we spent till lunch time exploring the Tower of London. 
It was reasonably quiet when we started but by the time we left there were really long queues to get into some of the exhibits (like the Jewel Room). The audio guides are quite helpful in explaining what we are looking at but are not particularly socialable. We also sometimes caught parts of the stories being relayed by the Yeomen of the Guard to tour groups about the history at the fortress which was quite entertaining. 
The photo of what appears to be a round glass table is the memorial that marks the spot where the beheadings took place at the Tower and it is quite nice if you didn't think about what it represents. We had an up-close look at the Crown Jewels and many other coronation related items. No photos were allowed in this more secure section of the complex so you will have to take a look at the the internet or your favourite reference book about England if you want to see pictures of of the approximately half a ton of gold etc comprising this collection.
It was reasonably quiet when we started but by the time we left there were really long queues to get into some of the exhibits (like the Jewel Room). The audio guides are quite helpful in explaining what we are looking at but are not particularly socialable. We also sometimes caught parts of the stories being relayed by the Yeomen of the Guard to tour groups about the history at the fortress which was quite entertaining. The photo of what appears to be a round glass table is the memorial that marks the spot where the beheadings took place at the Tower and it is quite nice if you didn't think about what it represents. We had an up-close look at the Crown Jewels and many other coronation related items. No photos were allowed in this more secure section of the complex so you will have to take a look at the the internet or your favourite reference book about England if you want to see pictures of of the approximately half a ton of gold etc comprising this collection.The White Tower (which is a square building with a tower at each corner) was under restoration so was wrapped in scaffolding and cover sheets. Nevertheless, we visited inside and saw 3 floors of armoury from throughout the centuries. I (this is David for a change) thought the more interesting stuff was actually the construction of the building which, although built of stone, was supported in most places by massive pillars and beams of ancient wood.
Outside the ravens were still present in the Tower, so, as legend would have it, the Tower remains safe for now. We did wonder what would happen if they all caught Bird Flu but suspect they have some surplus ones stored somewhere! 
Our plan had been to cross and climb Tower Bridge but instead we decided to take a cruise back up the Thames (from Tower Bridge to Westminster) and view the city from a different angle. 
It also saved our feet walking all the way back. After a general stroll around the Westminster area we went back to Westminster Abbey to have a proper look through. 
This was a bit disappointing in a number of respects. Firstly, it was quite expensive as it was 15 pound per person (compared with 3 to 6 elsewhere) and seemed very commercialised. It came with the now familiar audio guides and the Abbey had numbers attached to all the significant areas so that you could follow the plan of where to go (however, in my opinion (G), this seemed to detract from it being a church that you could look through rather than a tourist attraction in and of itself). Secondly, the place was full of tourists and they did not seem to really respect it as a working church. For example, as with other places there was a short prayer read on the hour and everyone would stand quiet and/or join in if they wanted to. At Westminster a lot of people just keep doing what they had been while the prayer was being read over the speaker. I think we encountered 3 gift shops between entrance and exit here (but at the Tower this might have been 4!!). Although the Abbey is interesting, contains tombs of many well known people and has all that history of coronations for the last 1000 years, the spirit of the place just didn't seem to be up there with York and Salisbury. Again, photos were not permitted inside so we were only able to take outside shots.
It also saved our feet walking all the way back. After a general stroll around the Westminster area we went back to Westminster Abbey to have a proper look through. This was a bit disappointing in a number of respects. Firstly, it was quite expensive as it was 15 pound per person (compared with 3 to 6 elsewhere) and seemed very commercialised. It came with the now familiar audio guides and the Abbey had numbers attached to all the significant areas so that you could follow the plan of where to go (however, in my opinion (G), this seemed to detract from it being a church that you could look through rather than a tourist attraction in and of itself). Secondly, the place was full of tourists and they did not seem to really respect it as a working church. For example, as with other places there was a short prayer read on the hour and everyone would stand quiet and/or join in if they wanted to. At Westminster a lot of people just keep doing what they had been while the prayer was being read over the speaker. I think we encountered 3 gift shops between entrance and exit here (but at the Tower this might have been 4!!). Although the Abbey is interesting, contains tombs of many well known people and has all that history of coronations for the last 1000 years, the spirit of the place just didn't seem to be up there with York and Salisbury. Again, photos were not permitted inside so we were only able to take outside shots.
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