My European Adventure - The London Eye

This is the London Eye.  Pretty impressive, right?  Whats even more impressive though is the blue sky!

Hurry!  Look quick!  You might miss the blue sky!

 This thing is massive and moves VERY slow.  So slow in fact that they don't even stop it for you to get on and off.

 The views were amazing!

 Oh!  We are getting a bit higher!

 See that domed structure in the distance.  I'm pretty sure thats the building where the lady from Mary Poppins sings Feed the Birds.  I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

 And then it started to rain!  It's a good thing you looked at that piece of blue sky when you did.  It didn't last long.

 It's a bummer that it started raining.  It made the rest of my photos look all smudgy.

 Here we are at the top on our way back down.

 Another view from the top.

 I wish I had something clever to insert here, but I don't sadly.  

I'm almost coming to a close with my Europe entries.  One or two left!  What will I blog about next?!

My European Adventure - The London Tower

O.k.!  Moving on from Harry Potter . . . Here is the Tower of London!

 The Entrance

 Do you see the archers at the top of the wall protecting it?

 Can you spot one of the towers famous ravens?  It is believed that King Charles the second started the legend that says if the 6 resident ravens ever left the grounds the tower and kingdom would fall.  They currently have 7 ravens (the required 6 plus 1 spare!)

 Back in the day the street quite possibly could have been filled with sewage!  YUM!

 Many prisoners accused of treason are thought to have entered the castle through the gates of St. Thomas's Tower, better known as Traitors' Gate.  It was built between 1275 and 1279.  The King's barge would have been moored in the basin beneath the great archway.  In 1532 in was restored as part of the preparations for Queen Anne Boleyn's coronation procession. The procession began in 1533 and in less than 3 years the Queen would return . . . as a prisoner.

 London Bridge as seen from the Tower.

 Love the telephone booth

 This was one of the gift shops.  I love all the ivy growing over the top.

 This was our tour guide, other wise known as a Yeoman Warder or Beefeater.  They think the name beefeater comes from when they were required to try the Kings food first to make sure it wasn't poisoned.  He was very entertaining. 

 One of the queens guards standing outside the crown jewels.

 This is as far as I can take you to see the crown jewels.  Pictures were strictly prohibited!  And I mean strictly.  There were guards standing watch everywhere to make sure you didn't take any!  But what I can tell you is WOW!!  It puts any of my jewelry to shame! 

This is the famous white tower.  It was built to awe, subdue and terrify outsiders.

 This is an original Norman toilet.  It is one of six in the White Tower.

 This is one of the earliest know wall fireplaces in England and is one of four in the White Tower.  These fireplaces pre-dated chimney stacks so the smoke was allowed to escape through two holes in the side of the building through a flue built into the thickness of the wall.

 I have no idea what this was really!  Maybe it was made to scare off the ghosts that are said to roam the Tower of London.

 This was part of the armory.

 Look at this!  Back in 1974, a bomb that was placed in this room exploded and killed 1 person and injured 35 others.  This is some of the damage it did.

 It was kind of fun to see these guys walking around.  They were dressed in period clothes and they would answer any questions you might have.  They would also periodically put on little skits.

 A torture device.

 Henry the fifths sword

 His armor.

 Not to be perverted, but really!  Come on!

 I took this following picture for my girls who are obsessed with horses right now.

 And what trip would be complete without seeing an execution block including ax?  I know mine wouldn't, at least I'm sure thats what my dad wants me to think!

My European Adventure - This is the last one I promise!

O.K.  I promise this is my last Harry Potter post!  Who knew I would take so many pictures there?  Lucky you, right?!  

Here are some of the letters Harry Potter received telling him that he had been accepted into Hogwarts.

Here are the floating candles.  At the beginning of filming the very first movie they actually had real candles filled with oil that were hanging by wire that could be removed later digitally, but when the candles were lit a couple of them actually broke free from the wire and landed on the tables below.  So for the safety of the actors they removed the candles and just added them in later digitally.

 Here is the mirror that would show you your deepest desires.  I can tell you that if I looked in that mirror it wouldn't show me in yoga pants and a work out shirt which is pretty much my everyday attire!

 And who could forget the fat lady.

 These are all the main wands from the films. 

The golden snitch.  I recently made truffles and sprayed them with edible gold paint to make them look like snitches.  They didn't look as cool as this one though.  Sure tasted better though, I'm sure!

The deluminator which is more than what it is in the first movie we come to find out later.

Tom Riddles Diary

 This is where Dumbledore held all of the thoughts for the pensieve.

 I couldn't show you the thought holder thingy without showing you the pensieve.

 The Tri Wizard Cup

 The golden egg that was part of the tri wizard tournament.

This was beautiful.  It's the ice sculpture that was at the ball in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of  Fire.

These were all of Umbridges' rules that Filch would have to hang up.

 This is Mad Eye Moody's broom in front of a green screen.  It's actually on a motor so it can be ridden!  How cool is that?!

 And this is the chest that Mad Eye Moody was locked in.

 Look at the detail on this door!

 Some of the sweeties.

 The Marauders Map

 Copies of the Quibbler

 This is the tapestry that hung in Sirius Blacks home.  Again the detail that went into each and every prop was and is incredible.

 A bunch of Harry Potter nuts on the night bus.

 Here are those same weirdos in the Weasley's flying car

 Here is the book used for Hagrids creatures class.  Do you remember how you are supposed to open it??

 Once opened, did you know it actually looked like this?

 More mechanical things

 This is the werewolf head that could sit on top of an actors head.

 Toward the end of the museum they had all of these incredible paintings of scenes throughout the various movies

 Before creating any of the structures they also created these amazing 3D mockups.

 Here is the Whomping Willow

 And at the very end they had a wand room.  Each and every person that had a hand in the making of the films had a wand box with there name on it.  So so many wand boxes.

 These 2 pictures don't even begin to give you an idea of how many there were.

O.k.  I've got the Harry Potter thing out of my system and I will move on!