Big Ben and the Tower of London

After I collected my bags at London Heathrow, a predicament emerged. I had with me the luggage from four months in Denmark, which is way too much to manage by myself in one trip. So I settled on leaving half of my belongings behind at the luggage desk, dropped the rest of my bags at my hostel and set out to find my flat.\nFind my flat I did -- it is sandwiched between London's Hyde Park and world-famous Harrods department store. After marveling about the fabulous location, I dashed off to Heathrow again to pick up my dad for a weekend of sightseeing around town. My dad -- in London somewhat regularly for business -- actually has never seen the sights of the city in all of his trips, so we headed off together to see jolly old London.\nAfter a brief stop into a tube station to purchase day tickets for travel, we were on our way. The first stop of the day was the Tower of London. Once a royal residence, its name will forever be linked to the imprisonment, torture and executions that took place on its grounds.\nThe interior of the Tower is certainly worth the visit. The friendly yeoman warders -- more commonly known as Beefeaters -- are happy to illuminate the oft-bloody history of the Tower and its inhabitants. They seem to revel in the grim monikers of some of the buildings, like the Bloody Tower, where two princes were murdered in their sleep. \nEvil-looking ravens stalk the grounds uninhibited. Legend states that if the birds ever leave the tower, the monarchy will fall and chaos will grip the kingdom. There is even one yeoman warder whose sole job is to maintain the ravens to prevent catastrophe.\nHowever, the highlight of the Tower of London is the Jewel House, where the crown jewels of England are housed. Presented with the pomp and circumstance of the videos of the coronation of Elizabeth II, the size, quantity and historic value of the jewels are mind-boggling. Not only are diamonds the size of a fist displayed with equally large sapphires, rubies and emeralds, but the royal robes and gold-encrusted dinnerware are shown as well.\nAfter a few hours at the Tower, we walked along the Thames River and got an eyeful of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey looming on the horizon. Illuminated against the night sky, it is easy to see why the yellowed buildings symbolize London for people around the world. Across the river is the largest observation wheel in the world, the London Eye. Jutting up from the city, it offers some of the best views of the skyline.\nAfter dropping my dad at Heathrow to send him to the Netherlands, I decided to check out St. Paul's, the largest cathedral in London and the first Protestant-specific cathedral built in the world. The church, which is approaching its 300th anniversary of completion, was largely untouched by the bombing that plagued central London during WWII. Though it is currently being restored, the exhausting climb to the top of the dome is still open. After I made my way up the 500-plus stairs to the top, I was rewarded with a wonderful view of London's financial heart. \nIn one weekend I barely scratched the surface of what lies to be seen in London. In six weeks I don't know how I am going to see all of what I want -- but I am going to give it a go.