Day 11, The Tower, The Clock and The Eye

This morning we got up about 8am, my back is still sore so it takes me about an hour to warm up( starting to piss me off ). Sandy has had to be the pack horse for the last week, I am forever grateful. 

We got the hop on hop off tour this morning to the Tower of London, call me stupid but I thought it was just that ... a tower, but no it is a whole castle with multiple towers. It is being surrounded at present by 88000 ceramic poppies to commemorate the 100 years since WW1 and the soldiers who lost their lives, very special.

This is also where the Crown Jewels are held, no photos were allowed, but never have I seen so much gold and diamonds in the form of crowns, sceptres, platters, jugs etc, an amazing sight. 

It was then a trip on The Thames to The London Eye. 

FACT: It is about 350kms long( marginally longer than the Torrens but about the same colour). Supplies about 2/3's of Londons drinking water( let's hope there is some form of treatment before it reaches the tap).

We motored past Big Ben and disembarked on the opposite bank. After the usual security checks we got into our pod with about 12 other strangers and got an amazing birdseye view of London and it's surrounds.

After this we made our way to Oxford st for a very poor shopping effort of which I am hoping to improve on but with limited time left.

Our London Discovery: A very expensive city, everything is approx double. I.e petrol £1.35/ litre, Sandwhich £6.95, Shaw and Smith wine at Hestons £75.  If everything had a $ sign instead of a £ sign it would be on par, maybe if they sold of some of those jewels they could subsidise us poor Aussie tourists.

P.S. This Griswald now has a cold and is subsidising the British economy with her regular trips to Boots Chemists.