So, it's my last day in London.

I got up early and went over to the Tower of London, and since it's chilly and drizzly today, it was a perfect London day to see it. I had a great time exploring all the different things to see, but my absolute favourite, of course, was the Crown Jewels exhibit. I've heard people say it's a letdown, but after seeing it myself, I have a sneaking suspicion that people say that after they've queued for two hours or more to see it. Today, there were only about fifteen other people there, so we were able to go straight through to the shiny stuff. And it is indeed shiny! I'm a fan of sparkly things to begin with, and there's enough sparkle in the Crown Jewels to keep me satisfied for a long time. There's also a convenient shop nearby selling faux sparkly things, so I treated myself to a pair of earrings and picked up my last couple of Christmas presents. I'm down with the bling, yo.

The rest of the Tower was equally fun, but I think I got more out of just wandering around and soaking up the history than any of the interactive displays (most of which are geared toward kids anyway). I could definitely have stayed all day, but I had an appointment to keep.

The London Eye is the world's biggest observation wheel, and it's run by British Airways, so the whole experience is promoted in terms of a "flight over London." It is definitely not for those afraid of heights, which fortunately I'm not, so I enjoyed myself greatly. Most of my friends never went on it while they were here, claiming it's too expensive for a student budget (which, frankly, it is), but those that did went on it in their first few days in London. I can see it being good for that, as a way to acquaint yourself with the city, but for me, the best part of the experience was seeing all the places I know in this city I've grown to love over the last four months. As a goodbye to London, it was unbeatable.

After my "flight," I went over to the Marriott for the afternoon tea part of my package. The tea room is done up like an old library, which makes a nice cozy atmosphere, and I had a lovely view out the window to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The tea was good, the champagne was better, the food was abundant, and the staff treated me like a princess (or at least minor aristocracy). It was an excellent way to celebrate all the things I have to celebrate right now, and well worth the money.

I got some great photos today, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to upload them tonight or not (depends how the packing and cleaning go). If not tonight, they'll be up sometime on Friday.

Next post, from Cleveland...