We started off the rainy morning with a little bit of relaxation. We hung around the room and colored, played “family” and “camping.” We had lunch at our hotel, which featured some delicious cheese, crackers, and fruit at the buffet. Then we decided we were ready to take on the town again.

Today we planned to see the Tower of London. We were disappointed that our laziness caused us to miss the guided tours by the Yeoman Warder, but we picked up some printed guides and headed straight for the Crown Jewels. They look heavy! At left is Riley’s favorite crown...she has good taste. It is the Imperial State Crown, and is set with over 3,000 gems. This crown incorporates many famous gemstones, including the diamond known as the Second Star of Africa (the second largest stone cut from the celebrated Cullinan Diamond, this piece alone 317 carats). Apparently the Queen wears it each year to the State Opening of Parliament.

After indulging our love of shiny things, we made dinner back at our room (it has a small kitchenette, which has been very nice for breakfasts and many dinners) - ravioli and salad- and packed up for our trip to Paris tomorrow.