Four Towers

Mankind has a thing for towers. Either as a way to look down on people, or to get people to look up, they usually "tower" over places where people congregate. As I've wandered the planet this year, my travels have included visits to a variety of towers.

In April I had the chance to revisit the Tower of London. What I find fascinating about it is not all the gory Shakespearian mythos of the place, but its Norman architecture. The original White Tower was completed by William the Conqueror by 1100. Compared to other fortifications of the period in other parts of the world, it's Norman architecture seems almost delicate and artistic.

One of the displays inside housed representations of faces of the various King's of England. My family on my father's side traces our minority English ancestry to Norman invaders who accompanied William. I thought it interesting to study his face for any similiarities. He certainly has my big nose!

The fortifications themselves are also fascinating; incorporating the original Roman walls which defended the city of Londinium founded by Rome. The outer Lion Tower had drawbridges and housed the royal menagerie. The fireplace flues were designed to vent sideways to prevent the enemy counting signs of smoke and estimating enemy strength. Even the toilets were fortified to prevent attackers from crawling up the sewer. Of course there were the usual fighting galleries, tower stairs descending to the left, and an interesting example of hoardings.

I found the original Norman chapel of St. John to be moving; sitting in the space used by William the Conquerer himself. The Chapel is still used today by the Order of the Knights of the Bath's vigil before coronations.

The Burj Khalifa is equally delicate and artistic. Currently the tallest building in the world, it is all curves and spires reaching 2,717 feet in the air. The view from the Visitor's Observation Deck is reminiscent of looking out an airplane window during an airport approach. Yet when one looks up, there is still an entire office building above you.

Like all things in Dubai, it is modern, sophisticated and designed to entertain. The fountain show at its foot is visible from the deck. It is a creation of WET Designs; the same firm that designed the Bellagio water fountain. The Dubai Fountain is perhaps more impressive, if such a thing is possible.

The tower visit process is a microcosim of Dubai itself. You buy tickets in advance online or at the entrance which is housed in The Dubai Mall; a gigantic, high end shopping mall. The ticket and entrace lines are filled with an international mix of peoples from all walks of life. The silent, sleek elevators whisk you to the top with appropriate thematic music. On the way out you learn that the tower is the product of a cosmopolitan mixture of the best minds from around the world and United Arab Emirates financing. It is all a very Dubai experience.

In striking contrast is the central tower of the National Cathedral in Washington DC. Designed to impress in cathedralic style, it is covered in gargoyles and has an awe-inspiring set of bells. Apparently, one of the gargoyles on the cathedral is Darth Vader, and they sell chocolate lollipops of the "Dark Lord" at the gift shop so children can bite his head off.

The cathedral, though Episcopalian, is intended to be a national place of worship for Americans of all faiths. During our visit one Sunday morning in July we stopped to listen to the organ music of the service, before wandering the stained glass windows. Our favorites was the "Space" window, in addition to the impressive rose window. We also met Abraham Lincoln and George Washington along the way and visited the resting place of Woodrow Wilson.

Perhaps just as restful are the outdoor spaces. We enjoyed defeating Vader in the small, fieldstone pavillion in the Bishop's herb garden. We also stopped to play in the fountain in the courtyard. In all a pleasant reprieve from our gruelling itinerary about the city.

We also made a visit to the Smithsonian Castle and its towers; one of which I worked in many years ago while a German-language research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Famous for "Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," my children enjoyed visiting the gardens and the merry-g0-round in between seeing Able the "proud Capuchin monkey" at the National Air and Space Museum and Dum-Dum the Easter Island head at the American Museum of Natural History.