Live, Laugh, London (Part 2): London's Treasures and Bridges

- June 23, 2026, Monday.

- London is a big city and the most strategic way to navigate it is to do it by area. On this day, I focused on the eastern side of London. This is where the Tower of London is located, as well as other major bridges that were built above the River Thames.

- I had a brief stopover at the 17th-century St. Paul's Cathedral (St. Paul's tube station) to have a photo with the red phone booth behind the cathedral. Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to enter the cathedral at that moment, or at any time during my whole trip (maybe next time!)

St. Paul.

This is a popular photo spot it has its own entry on Google Maps haha.

Cathedral from a different angle.

- I later passed by London Bridge to behold the full glory of the River Thames. London Bridge, by the way, appears simpler compared to other bridges. The bridge's current incarnation was only built during the 1970s. 

On London Bridge.

View from London Bridge. That ornate bridge is called Tower Bridge - that is NOT London Bridge, contrary to what many people think.

With Tower Bridge, and The Shard behind me.

See, this bridge says London Bridge. It's not too far from Tower Bridge.

- The Tower Bridge was constructed in the late 1800s, and is recognizable for having the ability to open up to let bigger ships pass through the river. Both cars and pedestrians can pass through the bridge.

Tower Bridge from the pedestrian area.

I had enough time to take an infinite number of photos before the Tower of London opened for the morning.

- Near the bridge is the Tower of London, first built in the 11th century as a castle and citadel. It is known for housing the crown jewels (no photography inside this area, unfortunately) including the Koh-i-noor; this was one of the largest diamonds owned by Indian rules before being taken by the British and further cut to be part of the crown jewels. (Best to book tickets beforehand as tickets can get sold out.)

Tower of London.

Entrance to the crown jewels (no entry, unfortunately.)

With the Yeoman Warders (commonly called "Beefeaters"). They're obliged to take care of the crown jewels.

Ravens. Yes, they're real. And yes, they're larger than I expected!!

A reaaaaally long canon!

The main tower/castle.

Royal armor.

Castle chapel.

Royal sabers.

DRAGON!

Palace guard and many canons.

I love this shot so much! So much depth.

Throne.

- I also decided to visit the Tower Bridge since I was in the area anyway. Fortunately it was easy to book tickets on the spot! Not only do visitors get to see the towers' interiors, but visitors can also cross the bridge with a glass floor! The ticket also gave access to the early hydraulic systems that were used to open up the bridge.

Inside Tower Bridge.

Glass floor!!

Boilers to burn coal.

Machines inside the tower to make the bridge open.

- I rode an Uber to Borough Market because I didn't think I could walk too much that noon (near London Bridge tube/train station). I planned to have lunch there but as usual, the crowd was too much and there wasn't enough proper space to eat. So I found a nearby restaurant to try my first full English breakfast in the UK!

Borough Market.

I like the open look of the market, but not sure if it was the crowd or the hot sun, but I really just couldn't stand being there at that time. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat comfortably.

Passed by Shakespeare's Globe. Though built in 1997, it is a reconstruction of the 16th-century Globe Theatre - where Shakespeare's plays were staged!

English breakfast....for lunch haha.

- The early afternoon was devoted to Tate Modern. Located inside a former power station that was converted to a museum in the year 2000, this museum focuses more on contemporary art. In contrast, Tate Britain showcases British art throughout history. 

Turbine hall. This often has some massive artwork that takes up the main space. I guess they didn't have anything this time.

Museum interior.

Andy Warhol!

Works by Filipina artist, Pacita Abad.

Mondrian! (I should have worn my Mondrian shirt for my trip to the museum!!)

Salvador Dali!

Museum facade.

Cross the Millennium Footbridge, located just outside Tate Britain. The church at the end is St. Paul's Cathedral! (Yes, the church you see at the beginning of this post.)

- My trip to London had to take a pause after my visit to Tate Britain. I'm coming back to London towards the end of my British adventures. For now, I had to rush back to my hostel as I had to catch the train to my next British country: Wales!