A Couple of Days in London 

I had an opportunity to spend a couple of days in London recently. My friend Rafael's partner Tim was there on business, Rafael went along for the trip, and I found a cheap fare and headed to the U.K. I hadn't been to London as a tourist for 22 years, so we did very basic tourist sightseeing like going to the Tower of London, walking around the Covent Gardens neighborhood, and going to a show in the West End.

 Here are some shots, mostly from our tour of the Tower of London, which is a huge castle connected to the Tower Bridge that holds the Crown Jewels. (No photos of them, as it's not allowed.)

The beefeaters serve as tour guides. Here's ours, who was extremely good: knowledgeable and funny.
There are 6 ravens on the tower grounds. Legend has it that if they ever leave, Britain will fall.
Cannons on the grounds...

And the nice soldier who was standing guard by them. 
The Tower Bridge.
There is a small museum in the Royal Armories that has a lot of interesting and very old war gear. A suit of armor.
And an armored horse.
Another view of the armored horse.
Then Joe, who nearly fell in.
Suit of armor for King James I.
This is a fanciful gun rack.
Detail from another gun rack.
In one part of the museum, there is a row of beautiful carved wooden horses.
More horses.
My friend Rafael, standing in front of a sculpture of a gilded lion.
Coat of arms, reads "Mon Dieu et Mon Droit." (My God is my strength.)
Another view of the bridge.
And the ravens.
Turret on the outer wall of the castle.
Walking through Covent Garden, we stepped into this really great cheese shop. I love English cheeses and this place was full of them.
More cheese!