Tower bridge

Took time to leisurely walk about the Tower bridge yesterday.  It really is a magnificent work of architecture, but it is actually the historical significance of it makes the real value.  To have built something of that sort on a river is quite demanding - atleast in past when it was actually built (1886-1894).

Built close to the Tower of London in the fortress of London is what it derives its name from.  However, the most iconic structure of London, is all about doom and death - something it closely shares with the Tower itself.  Besides the walk/drive across the bridge, the only other point of attraction on the bridge itself is the Dead Man's hole (quite pricey though).  (Of course, I couldn't but smile when I saw a street performer "earning" his two-bit doing the classical 'guess the ball' game with three overturned cups. And I should say the audience was quite amused.  Back in India it is considered nothing less than gambling!)

Somehow the whole walk around the Tower and the Tower bridge is all about gloom, destruction, and death.  But the place is neat and very elegantly maintained.  So the whole history of capture, decapitation, torture... is camouflaged by the scenic tourism that now envelopes it.

On the whole, appreciate greatly the English sense of preserving historical places and maintaining records.  Besides, the attention to details and facilities in and around such places is really exceptional.