It’s Christmas Eve and the streets are bustling with activity! Here are some pictures from my trip to the Westminster area. The first set of pictures were taken at around 1:00p to 3:00p.
Of course, the first thing one sees when exiting the station is the iconic Big Ben towering above your head. It’s a pretty cool sight. But more on this area later. For now, it’s time to head north and take pictures of all the nearby structures.
We start with the streets. As always, the sky was overcast and completely depressing. Notice the barely visible sun, struggling to peek through the dense haze.
Here’s 10 Downing Street, the residence of the Prime Minister. There appear to be more guards here than outside Buckingham Palace.
A monument right outside celebrating the women of WWII.
Further down the street is the Cavalry Museum. This is the front. There are guys in uniform here shouting at each other and marching to and fro for the amusement of tourists.
These guys guard the front. The horses will certainly come in handy in the next war.
Here’s the back. Magnificent.
Lots of statues and empty open areas for the riders. Not pictured are the spiky chains and cannon balls.
At the end of the Mall is this statue of Captain Cook. He’s known as the guy who discovered New Zealand, Easter Island, Hawaii, and other places. Beyond the arch is Trafalgar Square. I went there yesterday, so decided to turn back and go to St. James Park instead.
Here’s the park. You can see the London Eye in the background. The path here is called the Princess Diana Memorial Walk. There are a lot of waterfowl all over the place, including pelicans.
We noticed the same crest in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens too. It’s a long walk.
By the way, St. James Park is featured in the beginning of 101 Dalmatians.
There’s a random private house in the park. No idea who owns it. But it’s crawling with gray squirrels who are not afraid of people and will chase you for food.
Continuing on past the War Museum, here’s another glimpse of the Big Ben. To the right of my location was the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Here’s the front of Westminster Abbey.
The Dean’s Yard or something like that.
The side of Westminster Abbey.
If you turn back, there’s a Methodist center. They have a cafe inside called Wesley’s Cafe.
More architectural goodness.
St. Margaret’s Church has a sundial.
From the courtyard, you can see both the London Eye and the Big Ben. The building in the back looks like some kind of wicked steampunk factory.
Ah, even in London, there are Iraq War protests. The signs on the very right are boycotting Sri Lanka and Tesco (a convenience super store).
Outside the Parliament building is this statue of Oliver Cromwell. His head doesn’t look so round to me.
Unfortunately, only British citizens are able to enter. The rest of us can only take pictures from the outside. My girlfriend was a British citizen when she was born. But Hong Kong is no longer part of the Commonwealth, so… too bad.
The building is very tall up close.
Here’s a view of the Parliament Building taken from Westminster bridge. Regardless of whether you’re in the House of Lords or House of Commons, these legislators have a pretty nice waterfront view.
Here’s another shot. I love the view. Makes me want to fly by on a broom.
Finally, a good view of the London Eye from the bridge. From atop the wheel, you can see all of London. Or… you could use Google Maps.
The second part of Christmas Eve in London was spent traveling east to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. Here are the pictures:
Unlike most other attractions in London, the Tower of London has an admission fee. However, the it was closed today. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come back before I leave. All the pictures taken today are of the outside. Check out the rest of the pictures after the jump.
The Tower of London is basically a badass fortress that eventually became a royal prison and finally a historic monument. It was originally built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and currently houses the Crown Jewels. The site is also infamous for its royal executions.
The moat is now grassy. There’s something in the distance that looks like a trebuchet.
This is the main entrance.
Here’s another view of the entrance.
There’s a Christmas tree on the side.
You can see the Tower Bridge in the distance.
Here’s the back of the fortress. Originally, the pathway was a big lake and special visitors had to arrive by boat.
Another view of the Tower Bridge from the docks behind the Tower of London.
We passed under ‘Dead Man’s Hole’ and went up the stairs onto the Tower Bridge. The right walkway was blocked off due to construction, making it unfortunately impossible to get a good shot of the Tower of London from the bridge. So we stayed on the left.
Another shot from atop the bridge, showcasing the pedestrian walkways above. You have to pay to go up there. Also, you’ll notice the sky was getting really dark at this point. This picture was taken around 3:30p.
Here’s a look at what’s behind me.
The skyline here is really incredible. You can see a real juxtaposition of old structures (Tower of London) with modern skyscrapers. That egg shaped building is called The Gherkin.
There was a sign telling visitors to venture into the ‘engine room’ which was naturally closed. But I did manage to snap this great shot of the bridge from below.
Alleyways. Feels like something from a Jack the Ripper tale. Except, the building on the right is a Starbucks Coffee.
I didn’t have a map and didn’t want to get lose. So we returned to the Tower of London to get some fish and chips and coffee. There’s a skating rink right outside the Tower.
Here’s a shot of the river and the skyline on the south bank. This last shot was taken around 4:30p.
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