The Best Tourist Attraction in London: The Tower

Tower of London

A fall trip to London would be smashing. Europe’s largest city has enough to keep tourists busy for months.  But, what if you only have time to visit one site? Which would it be?  Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the House of Parliament, the British Museum or the Tower of London?  I’d pick the Tower of London and in fact, highly recommend returning on every trip. Sounds trite but the UNESCO World Heritage site truly offers something of significance for most everyone.

Want history and architecture? William the Conqueror began work on the Tower shortly after he won his crown in 1066 . That’s nearly a thousand years ago.  He wanted to protect his important London base. Over the centuries, the stronghold evolved into a symbol of English royalty.

Today, visitors find a complex of castles, fortifications, courtyards and buildings including the famous White Tower started back in 1078. The legendary Bloody Tower held two imprisoned princes, sons of Edward IV, who were likely murdered by Richard III. Stroll around to the former scaffold grounds where notorious beheadings took place, including those of Queen Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas Moore.

Scaffold Site

Bird lovers enjoy the ravens who are guaranteed to be on the Tower Green. Legend says the kingdom will fall if they desert the property. Shh, the ravens wings are clipped.

The fortress acted not just as a royal residence and prison, but as a treasury and armory. Now a fantastic assemblage of medieval weapons and royal armor are exhibited. Those interested in religion are drawn to the simple Chapel of St. John, the oldest church in London, and a fine example of Norman architecture.

The Crown Jewels are securely stored in the Jewel House underground. They attract a line of visitors waiting to ogle over the vast collection of priceless gems and royal regalia.

Photographers shoot the view of Tower Bridge, seen from the  edge of The Water Gate, better known as Traitor’s Gate. Queens Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth 1, entered it as prisoners.  And no visit to London is complete without a snapshot of the flamboyantly costumed Beefeaters or Yeoman Warders. They guard the Castle grounds and give lively tours.

The Tower is London is, in my opinion, the city’s best landmark and its location is ideal for anyone looking for hotels in London city centre. The subway offers easy access via the Tower Hill stop. Even if time is short, don’t miss this historic and enthralling site.

A quizzical look from a Yeoman Warder

Hear ye, hear he: The Tudors are Back

“Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Lived.”  A tour guide at Hampton Court taught me that saying-an easy way to remember the fate of Henry VIII’s six wives. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Now for the Proclamation of the Day:  The new season of The Tudors begins tonight, April 5th at 9:00 PM ET, on Showtime .  Fireworks please.

Never fear, if you haven’t watched the first two seasons you can jump right in. Henry divorced first wife, Catherine of Aragon, who later died, and wed Anne Boleyn.  He breaks from the Catholic Church (because they won’t grant the divorce) and creates The Church of England.

Things don’t go well for Anne and he has her beheaded at The Tower of London. His two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, one from each former wife, are now declared illegitimate.  Juicy, I’d say.

This series is packed with fantastic acting and gorgeous actors (like Henry Cavill, who plays the King’s friend, Sir Charles Brandon.) The costuming is worthy of a museum exhibit (I would love to see them go on tour), authentic castles and countryside, high definition filming and expert production. But, the story itself is the winner: lust and sex, friendship and betrayal, births and deaths, religion, greed, power, war, as well as medieval torture.  What more is there?

Season three begins with Henry’s third wedding, this time to Jane Seymour .  But here’s my secret:  use this link to watch the new episode on your computer right now.  Not as good as big screen TV, but a tantalizing taste.

The Tudors Beet and Orange Salad

And speaking of food, to publicize the season premier Showtime asked Sara Moulton of the Food Network to create a royal feast .  I saw the photo spread in Gourmet magazine and  was enticed to make the beet and orange salad.  The dish was so impressive I’m featuring it and the recipe on my food blog .

It’s a royal day.  Please kind sirs, don’t call me tonight, I’ll be with Henry and Jane.

Bonus: You can catch up on the story with The Tudor Timeline.

England – A Day and a Knight at Alnwick Castle

Alnwick Castle

A Day and a Knight at Alnwick Castle

By Debi Lander

Peering skyward I see soldiers standing guard atop towers and turrets. Then I realize they are merely stone figures that fool the eye or play, as my daughter Laura calls it, “a medieval Home Alone trick.” This ploy is so effective, I laugh at the simplicity and myself. Still, ones imagination conjures images of terrifying battles over ramparts, archers with crossbows and sentries on battlements. I feel I’m cast in a tale of King Arthur, as I enter the grounds of 700-year-old Alnwick Castle and Gardens in Northumberland, England.

Stone Knight

My husband joins us and we cross the drawbridge of this ancient motte and bailey fortress. We see young ones enroll in The Knights School, taught in the old Training Yard. My daughter is too old, at fourteen, and I can sense her disappointment. In fact, I feel it, too. The little recruits dress in clothes of the time, play games, brave the garderobe (medieval toilet), fire a trebuchet (catapult), learn the art of swordsmanship and enjoy the joust. If they perform with courage and concentration, they progress from page to squire to knight and are dubbed with a noble title. Proud parents and grandparents alike watch the antics, shooting enough photos to fill the entire memory card in their digital camera.

The Knights School debuted on St. George’s Day, in March 2005, honoring the legendary hero who slew a menacing dragon. Clothed in his regal robe, the twelfth Duke of Northumberland opened the first interactive educational exhibition of its kind in Britain. He announced, ” many places try to describe life in medieval England, but we have taken it one step further by allowing the children to discover for themselves what life was really like.” Eight-year-old Jonathan Stevenson added,” The best bit is the sword fighting,” but, when questioned, didn’t have any positive comments about the smelly garderobe. He merely pinched his fingers over his nose. There’s no doubt, however, that memories of this day etch into the youngsters brains.

While my temperamental teen daughter usually prefers to “hang” with friends, Alnwick captivates her, making this a true family outing. We discuss the Scottish Border Wars she has studied in history class, and suddenly, the lessons make sense. She understands and can actually touch and feel the perilous history of this place. “Eureka,” I think to myself, “she’s got it.” Though camouflaged, my parental reward for traveling with a teen presents itself; she is learning and having fun. Like three musketeers, we descend the stairs to the terror and dank, depressing closeness that a confinement in the dungeon brings. And …she, especially, likes it.

Cannons in the Yard

We wander on through the upper and lower baileys and climb on artillery. Screams of delight pierce the air and we follow the sound to a crowd surrounding two Potter characters: Professor Dumbledore, Hogswarts Headmasters and Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys. Many little ones gaze up at seven-foot Hagrid in awe and ask for an autograph. These friendly fellows greet everyone in the same courtyards where Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry holds class. Sadly, unlike Harry, we are mere muggles and can only dream of flying to catch the golden orb in a game of quidditch. My family feels like extras on the movie set, awaiting our costumes and call.

Passing into the keep or castle chambers overwhelms us. While Alnwick’s exterior proclaims a feeling of strength, venturing inside soothes the soul. The Earls and Dukes of the Percy Family, owners since 1309, financed extensive renovations and restorations to achieve the “fit for a king” style. No wonder Alnwick is called the Windsor of the North.

Inner Courtyard

We tour guard chambers hung with ancient arms and armor, the chapel with Aubusson tapestries and palace-like rooms with original silk wall coverings, sculpted marble fireplaces and masterpieces acquired over centuries. Paintings include Titian, Van Dyke and Canalettlos, as well as furniture once belonging to Louis XIV of France. This ducal house, second largest inhabited castle in England, offers unique delights for all ages.

Getting a bit weary, we cross over the stonewalls to the garden, newly renovated with fountains, floral lighting and topiary extravagance. The current Duchess is the spearheading the massive reconstruction project spending millions of her personal fortune.

The landscape, similar to Versailles, highlights the Grand Cascade, an elevated water garden of immense proportion. Others play and get wet in the jets or collect water in buckets and splash. Grandparents meander into the fragrant Ornamental, Rose, Serpent and Quiet Gardens with fine garden architecture. The Poison Garden, recently opened amid controversy for growing cannabis and coca plants, features docents telling gruesome stories about nasty plants. Kids look out for secret places to hide in the nooks and crannies of the Woodland Walk. The Labyrinth, a bamboo maze of twisting paths rustles as they explore, holds youngsters captive for hours.

On our way back to the parking lot, we stop at the amazing treehouse, grander than the Swiss Family Robinson’s. This immense structure, rather Lord of The Rings style with an Ewok Village accent, is one of the largest wooden treehouses in the world. Nearly four million dollars were spent constructing six natural “rooms” with connecting aerial walkways and rope bridges. We order lunch and relax our tired feet while little ones frolic in the playground below.

Reflecting back on our vacation, we certainly covered a lot of territory. We toured Windsor Castle with it’s royal heritage, traveled to Warwick Castle, considered by some as the best Medieval Castle in England, and visited The Tower of London with it’s royal jewels, Bloody Tower and Traitor’s Gate but … our favorite castle was Alnwick in Northumbria. A sense of fantasy prevails over this little kingdom, returning visitors to a childlike state. Breaking out of the adult world- away from political, social and economic problems- is a good but rare thing. This magical feeling of freedom and abandonment, created by just being within the walls of Alnwick Castle, only becomes richer when shared with your entire family. I can’t wait to return with my two grandchildren.

Path to Castle

If you go:

Alnwick (pronounced “Annick”) Castle is approximately one hour south of Edinburgh or a 45-minute drive from Newcastle-on-Tyne, off the A1. The castle is open daily from April to October.

Admission prices are £ 8.50 per adult, £ 3.50 per child and £ 22.00 for families.

For further information visit http://www.alnwickcastle.com/.