These gents are yet more royal guards, the Beefeaters. Tourists are attracted to the colorful costumes, and sign up in droves for the guided tour of the Tower led by the Beefeaters. The tour groups soon thin out, however, once everyone realizes that the guides speak with an impenetrable accent, sort of like watching the movie Trainspotting without the subtitles. And as we slogged back to the hotel to pick up our bags and head to the airport in our drenched clothes, we at least had the consolation that we didn't have to wear period costumes in the pouring rain.

We visited the Tower of London during the worst weather of the trip. It's the most historically important building in London, and many of England's most famous people have spent some time locked up here, with a few ending up with their heads on pikes displayed outside the tower. The famous crown jewels are also on display there, very dramatically presented, but the endless lines in pouring rain were enough to discourage us this trip.