Swordfights, Jewels, and Milkshakes

I am a blogging slacker. And for that, dear readers (if there are any of you left), I apologize. But who can really blame me when there is so much to do and see in London?

So I'm going to try and recount the past week, but probably in several posts, partly so its not overwhelming and partly because its already 1 AM here and I would like to get to sleep before class tomorrow. :)

Last Thursday was my first official cooking night in the flat and I am pleased to say it was another success. Pesto pasta with chicken, garlic, sundried tomatoes, and apples. Its making me hungry right now as I think about it...but maybe that's because most of us feel like we've been in a constant state of hunger ever since we got here, haha. This cooking stuff is actually really fun, but it doesn't beat a nice home-cooked meal.

I really love Fridays here in London. I only have my Portrayal of Royalty class, and it is so interesting, and then the afternoon always seems to bring about some sort of adventure for me and my London buds. This week it was the Tower of London. Which is featured prominently in the movie that shares its name with this blog, coincidentally enough. Yup, going to the Tower of London was pretty much a dream come true. ;)
But in all seriousness, it really was great! I am constantly amazed at the amazing historical artifacts and places in and around London. It is pretty much like a history book come to life, complete with a beautiful river view, of course. The Tower was great, after a lovely stroll there along the Thames River with beautiful views of the Tower Bridge. Which is not, in fact, London Bridge. Who knew? Not six ND students, that's for sure. London Bridge was more of an un-impressive, metal-looking letdown. But back to the Tower, which was actually more like several castle buildings situated near each other.
We saw where several of Henry VIII's wives were beheaded and buried and goofed around in the various exhibits about weapons throughout English history (Note: I would not have won a sword fight in the 1600s...observe Dan's superior dueling form).

We also saw the Crown Jewels, which were absolutely magnificent! My eyes almost hurt from looking at such sparkling diamonds. Contrary to certain information in an aformentioned film, there are no earrings in the Crown Jewels. But there are several beautiful crowns, scepters, and rings. My favorite was Queen Victoria's crown. It was this beautiful little tiara that was actually made because it was easier to wear with her mourning veil after King Albert died, which is kind of sad. But nonetheless, it was a gorgeous, diamond encrusted crown, and I'm thinking that if I ever run in to William or Harry, I'll have to ask them if I can borrow it for the next McGlinn formal ;)

I should also mention our fabulous tour guide, whose name now escapes me (this is why I need to blog sooner...). The guides are called beefeaters or Yeoman Warders and they are former military men who know work at the Tower. Our guide was absolutely hilarious and also incredibly knowledgable about the site. His best joke? He asked the crowd what you would bring to someone about to be burned at the stake, in order to lessen the pain. According to our wonderful guide, some delightfully intelligent Americans suggested a bag of marshmallows...
The real answer? Gunpowder to put around your feet so you would get blown up and die quickly, rather than burn at a painstakingly slow pace. A little morbid, but that seemed to be the theme of the day at a place that was the site of so much pain and death throughout history.

And what better way to end a tour of the Tower of London in 30-degree weather but with a milkshake? Unconventional, yes, but also delicious! :)