Visiting the Tower of London

October 22: Though its dwarfed by the modern buildings around it, the Tower of London still imposed itself on the city as a mass of stone and history. But the scaffolding and protective sheeting that climbed many of its walls made it seem a tad vulnerable.

As soon as the Tower opened, we rushed to the Crown Jewels to avoid the crowds. Judging from the Disneyesque stanchions in that area, lines of people in the high season would be horrendous.

You'd think the lady in us would enjoy the displays of diamonds, golds and precious stones. But since everything used the same Baroque royal style, one crown pretty much looked like the next. Or maybe the jewels proved ultimately incomprehensible because it would be hard to plan outfits to match such accessories. We spent more time winding through the stanchions and barriers than actually viewing the jewels themselves.

The man in us enjoyed the armory displays at the White Tower. Swords, axes, shields and knightly wear came in all shapes and sizes, even for children. Anthony enjoyed the few samurai armor pieces which were gifted to some king.

Nowadays, women can be beefeaters, though they're still a minority. Our guide was male.

Definitely worthwhile was the included one-hour tour by a beefeater, the blue-and-red-robed guardians of the Tower. With theatrical flair and a booming voice, our bearded guide clued us in to the historical machinations of this royal palace. He invited small kids to stand in front, so he could occasionally frighten them with loud emphasis or by comparing their ages to those of the boy princes who were murdered at the Tower.

We liked him a lot.

Lunch at the site cafe was both filling and reasonably-priced at 15 pounds for the two of us. I enjoyed a large sausage pastry, french fires with some Diet Coke, while Anthony ate cod and fries.