Hi there! My
name is Abbilyn Primus, Abbi for short, and I recently completed my junior year
at The College of St. Scholastica! I currently study Biology, Psychology, and
Chemistry, but have always had a passion for music. That passion drove me to
audition for a musical with the CSS Theatre, whose involvement in my life lead
to my journey to London!
Today started
with a tour of London via coach bus. With the marvelous Eleanor as our guide, we
wheeled our way through the city learning lots of tidbits about London and its
history dating back to the time of the Romans. Eleanor taught us to look for
the unusual as even the native Londoner will miss some of the most extraordinary
sights.
One example was the Odeon theatre on
Shaftesbury Avenue. The theatre itself looks ordinary enough, but if one looks
closely at the façade, decorative figures can be seen depicting eras of time throughout
London’s history including a group of dancers from the 1920’s, women in full
petticoats, and roman gladiators!
 |
| Please forgive the picture quality; it was a bit wet out today! |
After our coach tour
of London with Eleanor was through, we ventured into the Tower of London!
 |
| Photo credit for the group shot goes to Caleb Greseth! Thanks for sharing! |
Provided with an audio tour guide, my small group journeyed through the Tower
at our own pace taking in the nearly 1,000 years of history that is preserved
there. The White Tower one of the oldest structures on site (second to the remains
of city walls from Roman London) lies in the center of the complex and is known
as the keep: the strongest, best fortified location within the castle. The door
to the structure is well off the ground and is only accessed by wooden stairs
that could be removed in the case of a siege.
It was so
interesting to see first-hand how the structure of the Tower of London played
an integral part in its functionality. Multiple towers exist within the Tower
of London, each serving a distinct purpose, ranging from royal housing to the imprisonment
of traitors and beyond. With multiple levels of security and defensibility
provided by its walls, towers, and weaponry, the Tower of London remains as
important today as it had upon its original construction beginning in 1068 AD!
Hi Abbi,
ReplyDeleteI was really glad Eleanor pointed the figures on Odeon Theatre out. I never would have seen them otherwise! I've definitely tried to be more observant since then, which came in handy while exploring the Tower of London. There were so many inscriptions on the walls from former prisoners!