Yesterday was a day to remember - we left the EU after 89 days! Our flight from Gdańsk to London was smooth, but the border guard couldn’t believe how long Liam had been away for! After double-checking Liam wasn’t lying, the guard gave him an admiring nod.
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| Beautiful sunny day for our flight |
This time, we’re staying in the south of London with Liam’s family. We got in quite late yesterday, but after sleeping in, we still managed to get some sight-seeing in today.
Our goal was to see the Tower of London, something we missed in May.
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| First views of Tower Bridge |
We crossed the iconic tower bridge, and made our way into the Tower complex. I was surprised by how much there was to see inside!
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| Walking across the bridge |
We had to start with the most famous items - the Crown Jewels! It was such a unique experience to see these huge gemstones and ornate regalia which are still worn and used to this day. Photos aren’t allowed inside, so you’ll just have to imagine the opulence of these jewels.
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| Entry into the building which houses the Crown Jewels |
Next, we climbed through the White Tower. It houses a robust display of armour, weapons, and other royal curiosities.
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| The White Tower |
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| A wall of breastplates |
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| Intimidating battlefield armour |
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| The largest and smallest suits of armour in the world |
Additionally, we encountered a very important resident of the Tower - a raven. The ravens of the Tower have been famously kept there ever since a rumour was spread that the Tower would crumble once the Ravens left. No one knows the true origin of the ravens, but they are kept on the grounds and receive the royal treatment.
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| A beautiful, photogenic guy |
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| The raven cages on the Tower grounds |
Although the Tower of London used to be tall, it’s nothing now compared to the Shard, the tallest building in London. At 309.6m tall, it’s the tallest building in London and the seventh tallest building in Europe.
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| Looking up at the Shard |
We passed the Shard on the way to what I think was my favourite museum in London - the Old Operating Theatre.
This small museum is located up a narrow set of stairs, bringing you to the attic of an old church. Inside there are displays of medicine from the 180s0 and 1900s. The attic is full of medical instruments, herbs, pathology samples, patient records, and medicines.
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| An old apothecary table |
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| Herbs hanging up |
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| Baskets of labeled herbs and spices, each note describes a use for the plant |
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| A surgeons kit |
Most importantly, there is also the oldest known operating theatre in Europe.
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| Fangirling over the old operating theatre |
The name operating theatre comes from the fact that physicians and students would stand on raised levels, watching the surgeons work.
I loved learning about how surgery used to be performed, about the advent of anesthesia, and about simple innovations (like handwashing) that revolutionized the medical field.
After our day of visiting, we had to get some Fish and Chips, as a way to properly feel that we were back in England. But, since we were feeling extra snarky, we also got some Bao from Borough Market. Both dishes were, of course, fantastic.
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| My favourite English food |
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| The Bao was great too! |
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