[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f we thought seeing the Westminster Abbey left us awed, catching our first glimpse of the House of Parliament and its famous clock tower, Big Ben (now officially called Elizabeth Tower) was short of incredible. Built in the middle ages, the House of Parliament is where laws are debated and passed. It also serves as the meeting place for the House of Commons and the House of Lords—the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—to conduct their affairs. Now most us are familiar with the famous clock Big Ben, but what you might not know is that the Latin inscription “Domino Salvam Fac Reginam Nostrum Victoriam Primam” meaning “O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First”, is located at the base of each clock dial.
Driving along Whitehall, a road in the city of Westminster, we were treated to a quick view of several government departments and ministries. We were told the British Prime Minister lived and worked in one of the buildings just beyond the guarded gates. Equipped with this nugget of information, we had our cameras ready in case we caught a glimpse of David Cameron.
Unfortunately there was no prime minister in sight, but we did capture several of the famous red telephone booths we have come to associate with Britain on film. As we continued on the hop on hop off bus, we noticed these vibrant flowerpots hanging on several light posts throughout the city. And we weren’t the only ones since we saw a few daring tourists trying to leaning over the rails in order to get a closer shot of these fragrant flowerpots.
Not long after we were passing Kensington Gardens and the amazing Royal Albert Hall. Directly north of the Hall was the Albert Memorial, a memorial commissioned by the late Queen Victoria for her husband, Prince Albert. Although we only got to see it from the bus, we loved the nod to gothic ciborium architecture with its beautiful mosaics.
One of the best things about London is how every street is different then the next. There is always something that appeals to the senses. In our case, there was a fun little pub called The Stanhope Arms (great name by the way) that looked like any classic Irish pub that is until we spotted several jerseys from key star soccer players painted all along the front windows to celebrate the World Cup games. Now as diehard soccer fans, we just had to capture the moment.
Finally we spotted the River Thames in the distance. And within minutes we were driving on the famous Tower Bridge. It is absolutely incredible how London, and Europe for that matter, has continued to preserve its rich, historical architecture, all while looking to the future. We have become so accustomed to seeing old charm replaced with newer construction that it’s great to see centuries of British history reflected in every street corner.
This brings us to another one of London’s most iconic tourist attractions, the Tower of London. There is so much to see here including the Crown Jewels, which one of the world’s most famous diamonds (the Koh-I-Noor) can be seen among the collection. Now for many of us history buffs, we also know the Tower also has a gruesome past. This historical venue was once a place of torture, death and beheadings. Some of its famous prisoners include Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and Sir Walter Raleigh. We suggest visiting the Tower of London in the morning, right as it opens to avoid the long queues later on.
Heading back to central London, the tour bus took us around the retail district in Knightsbridge where some of the best shopping stores are located, including the world famous Harrods. Again, we chose to remain on the bus and go souvenir shopping the next day.
Another striking element is the assortment of parks you find throughout the city. A popular one is Hyde Park, which is right in the center of London. We loved the large archways just at the mouth of the park. Speaking of parks, we noticed several beautiful paintings being displayed along side on the parks nearby (later to find out it was Green Park) for people to buy. Goes to show the diversity of activities Londoners and tourist alike get to sample from.
The final attraction on our bus tour was the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. We were told this art museum houses more than 2,000 Western European paintings dating from the middle ages to the 20th century. You can find works of art by Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, Botticelli and many more. Outside the museum and in the center of the Square, we noticed four impressive lion statues guarding the Nelson’s Column, a monument built in honor of Admiral Horatio Nelson.
After Trafalgar Square, we decided to get off the bus and walk to our hotel on foot. By no plan of our own, we ended up in Belgravia, a district in central London. The area had some great little art and antique shops, and restaurants with outdoor tables. We couldn’t resist a little window-shopping on Elizabeth Street. The first thing that caught our attention was a lovely pink shop called Peggy Porschen Cakes. This cozy little shop had these beautiful couture cakes, cupcakes and cookies on display that looked mouthwatering. Unfortunately, the shop was close before we could satisfy our sweet tooth. We moved along the bustling street, stopping to see the Jenny Packham store with gorgeous jewelry gleaming away on their window display. How we resisted temptation was beyond us.
Back at the hotel we again enjoyed a round of roast beef sandwiches on gourmet wheat bread, fresh fruit, and uncorked another delicious red wine we picked up at Sainsbury yesterday. And to complete the meal, a packet of digestive biscuits (tastier than it sounds) for dessert.
By far one of the simplest meals we have enjoyed in our travels. But after a long day of sightseeing, it was actually a wonderful relief to not have to do the whole five star restaurant and simple pick up our feet, dig into our makeshift meal and sip on a glass of good wine before heading to bed. A lovely conclusion to equally wonderful day.
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