Posted May 21, 200718 yr Here are some photos from my recent trip to London. Yes, they're the typical tourist shots.... Tower Bridge - Crosses the River Thames and was opened in 1894. City Hall City Hall and The Gherkin in the background Tower of London - Located on the north bank of the River Thames. The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original stark square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the Tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings set within two parallel rings of defensive walls and a moat. The Tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I). It has also served as a place of torture and execution (i.e. Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, etc.), an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, a mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) The oldest part of the Palace still in existence dates from 1097. The palace originally served as a royal residence but no monarch has lived in it since the 16th century. Most of the present structure dates from the 19th century, when the Palace was rebuilt after it was almost entirely destroyed by a fire in 1834. The House of Commons section was rebuilt in the 1940s, having been bombed in WWII. The building is an example of Gothic revival. One of the Palace's most famous features is the clock tower, a tourist attraction that houses the famous bell Big Ben. The latter name is often used, erroneously, for the clock itself. Westminster Abbey - A mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and served as one from 1546 - 1556), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs. The plaza in front of Westminster Abbey. Downing Street - The street in London which contains the buildings that have been, for over two hundred years, the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers, the First Lord of the Treasury (an office held by the Prime Minister) and the Second Lord of the Treasury (an office held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer). The most famous address in Downing Street is 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister, although Tony Blair chose to use Number 11 as his actual residence because it was more suitable for his young family. The Horse Guards Off duty guards drinking tea, watching tourists, and flashing peace signs. Horse Guards Parade grounds Admiralty Arch - The building was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria, although he did not live to see its completion. It was completed in 1912. A Latin inscription along the top translates into "In the tenth year of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria, from most grateful citizens, 1910" Outside Buckingham Palace The London Eye Harrods - the famed London department store Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Piccadilly Circus Trafalgar Square - The square is a popular site for political demonstrations, is the site of Nelson's Column, related sculptures, the National Gallery, and pigeons (although it is now illegal to feed them). St. Paul's Cathedral - Seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century, and is generally considered to be London's fifth St Paul's Cathedral
May 21, 200718 yr Beautiful! "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 22, 200718 yr Trafalger Square is, in my opinion, one of the greatest public spaces in the world. It remains a high energy place way into the night.
May 25, 200718 yr Fantastic...can't wait to see the other installments of London from you! I might have said this before, but I love how London mixes old and new architecture so well!
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