Our alarms went off early that Friday morning. Of course, we were tired from the constant running around all week long, yet we were also enthused to get our last day started. We didn’t want it to end, but we were eager to get it under way and make the most of it. We first headed downstairs to get our day started with our last English breakfast. Looking back on it now, I really miss those breakfasts. Every single morning they were just what we needed and got our day started on the right note.

After breakfast, we leisurely took our stroll to the train station, enjoying the perfect weather and the London suburb sights along the way. At this point, we were one-day pros at taking The Underground, so we boarded the correct train and made our way to the center of London. While the train rides in the evening were awful, the morning train rides were kind of nice. There were no large crowds and it was sort of relaxing, in a way. After around 45 minutes, we finally arrived to our first stop of the day, and it was one that would take up a large portion of our day. It was the Tower of London.

Designated as a World Heritage Site, the Tower of London was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror, and is actually a collection of several buildings encompassed by walls and a moat. But it is the White Tower that people are most familiar with, having seen it on tv and in pictures. The Tower of London has been used for several various purposes throughout its long history, including being a royal residence, prison, place of torture, training ground for soldiers, armory, treasury, menagerie, public record office, and home of the Royal Mint and the Crown Jewels of England. These days, the Tower of London is one of the most popular attractions in the country for tourists, and a must-visit for any traveler to London.

As we walked around the grounds, and from room to room, it was incredible how huge the place was. I remember thinking how it seemed deceptively big because it seemed as if the number of rooms were endless. While it looked very large from the outside, it was somehow even larger navigating through it all on the inside. From the outside of the tower, with its border walls surrounding it, you easily could get a feel for “old London.” I thought it was really cool how “old London” was surrounded by “new London.” By looking at the tower, you could imagine you were transported back several hundred years ago, or more. Then, upon turning around and seeing the skyscrapers that make up London’s skyline, you were instantly transported back to the 21st century.

Walking through the tower’s rooms felt like being in a movie set. Each room was preserved/restored and furnished as if it would have looked back in its heyday. From royal chambers, to chapels, to the armory, each room was filled with very fascinating sights that transported you back in time. We certainly didn’t rush through it all, but definitely could have spent more time there. It is one of those attractions where you could spend all day there if you really wanted to do it right. One popular thing we decided to skip was seeing the Crown Jewels of England. Though we wanted to, we just didn’t think it was worth it to wait in an absurdly long line to go inside. It would have taken at least an hour, if not more, to finally be able to go inside and see them. And since it was our last day in England, we decided to pass on it. Instead, we opted for lunch inside the tower, a cafeteria where we enjoyed a nice hot meal and a beer.

Since the Tower of London is located right next to the Tower Bridge, we made sure to take our time and take in the sight of perhaps the most recognizable structure in London (either that or Big Ben). We stood alongside the River Thames and took pictures of the bridge, as well as just gaze at it trying to fully take in the moment. For me, it was one of those moments where it seemed more like a dream. It’s difficult to explain, but just to be standing there alongside such a famous and recognizable landmark, and piece of history, is simply surreal. It was one of those moments that made me take a step back and think about just how fortunate I am in this life.

After exploring the Tower of London, it was time to continue with our day. It was already the afternoon and there were still a few more things left to do. With a few people in our group being fans of the Arsenal soccer team, we hopped back onto the train and took a very short ride to Emirates Stadium, home of the Arsenal Football Club. Though we weren’t able to take a stadium tour like we did at Chelsea’s stadium, we walked around it, took pictures, and briefly visited the team store. It was a cool place to be at, even if we didn’t get to see the field. With the rich tradition of soccer in England, it was very neat to see several of the stadiums of teams that have been so important to the country’s athletic history.

After exploring the grounds of the Arsenal Football Club, we rode the train to our next stop, and also one of the more popular attractions in London: The British Museum. Established in a huge, beautiful building, the British Museum is completely free to visit, and in my opinion, a must-visit for anyone in the area. Founded in 1753, the museum was the first national public museum in the world. Inside, there are over eight million works dedicated to human history and culture from all over the planet. With the extensive history of British colonization spanning the globe, it made it possible for the country to get its hands on so many artifacts, thus leading to the largest permanent collection in the world.

Documenting human history from the very beginning throughout the present, the place absolutely will blow any visitor away, especially those who are fascinated with history. With several floors and countless rooms, there are so many different departments of the museum for visitors to walk through. These include Egypt and Sudan, Greece and Rome, the Middle East, Prints and Drawings, Britain/Europe and Pre-history, Asia, Africa, Ociana, and the Americas, Coins and Metals, Conservation and Scientific Research, and Libraries and Archives. In each department, various things can be found dating back to the beginning of time. One of the big things that I remember seeing was the Rosetta Stone. That was really cool to see.

The best word to describe the place is “overwhelming,” but in a good way. You could spend days in that place and still not see everything it has to offer. We walked around for possibly two hours, saw artifacts, mummies, ancient hieroglyphics, sculptures (like those of ancient Roman emperors), and touched a few ancient things that we probably weren’t supposed to touch. There were such an abundance of historical treasures there that we finally just had to realize that we had seen enough to get the experience of the place, and move on with our day.

Though we didn’t see as many different things as we’d seen the previous day in London, we saw some substantial things that took a lot of time. After wandering through the museum for a couple hours, it had become evening and time to figure out what to do with our final hours of the trip. We had seen pretty much everything we had planned on seeing in the city. And sightseeing took so much time. So, instead of figuring out another sight to try to trek to, we just decided to spend our final hours of the trip in a relaxing manner, and one that could allow us to stop for a little bit and take in the moment together. We took the train back to the Teddington stop, went to the pub to enjoy some good English food, to drink, wind down, and just talk and have a good time with each other.

We found ourselves back inside the Tide End Cottage pub, the same pub we visited two nights prior, grabbed a corner booth and all shared a good meal, along with beer and whiskey. I remember getting the steak and ale pie, an English classic, which was really good. Of course, the beer and the whiskey were good as well. But even better was having each other to talk about the trip with. Our favorite things we did and saw, along with some of the great memories made. We laughed and had a good time, cherishing the moment together. In a pub. In London. It was a perfect way to end the trip.

We woke up around 6 a.m. the next morning and headed to the airport. After turning our rental car in and being shuttled to where we needed to go, we sat and waited to board our plane. The long flight home was one that I dreaded, but was excited for at the same time. For as much fun as we all had on the trip, and even though none of us were quite ready to go home yet, it is ALWAYS a treat to go home. Two movies, four or five tv episodes, and a concert and a half later, our plane touched down in Charlotte. We were home. The trip was officially over, but we all had a great time and made memories that will last forever. Thank you England for treating us well. Cheers!

View of The Shard from the Tower of London

Chapel of St. John at the Tower of London

Armor and guns in the Tower of London armory

View of Tower Bridge from inside the Tower of London

Chair used for a death penalty execution. You can see where the bullet went through the top of the chair after going through the prisoner’s body

Ancient Egyptian sculpture at the British Museum

Garett

England Trip: Day Seven