Okay. So I just want to point out one little mistake I have made. Because I got confused by the hundreds of signs in the city, I mistook the Duke of York Memorial as the statue in Trafalgar Square (both are big, tall statues). I have sinced fixed it in my post, and I am happy to say that today I visited the real Trafalgar Square.
This may be my most favorite place I have been to in the city. And it is much larger than the picture shows. There are two large fountains which had many people sitting around and cooling off from the hot sun. Again, today was gorgeous!
The tall monument in Nelson's Column. It honors Admiral Horatio Nelson who died in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The statue itself is guarded by four lion statues.
Again, they are much larger in person. So, this is the place where I started my day, and this is where I ended it by eating lunch on the steps leading down into the square. People watching is something I secretly like doing from time to time. And now that I am abroad, I like to try to spot fellow Americans. Here is one clue that you are looking at an American: when you pose provocatively by famous monuments or landmarks while wearing skimpy clothing. Seriously, please stop. You are giving us a bad name. And enough with the duck faces. I am going to write a How to be the Perfect Tourist guidebook and start handing them out to people I see acting like idiots.
Today was also the day I finally did that bus tour. I know, right?? I was excited, too!
I stated off in Leicester Square and continued around the whole city. Today was the day I saw everything I wanted to see while in London. I love these hop on/hop off busses. I try to ride them in every new city I go to as it is a fun and relaxing way to see everything. And knowledgable as well, which is not always the case when exploring solo. The trip today lasted about 2.5 hours and I stayed on the whole time.
Above we have the Parliament, again, from the other side of the Westminster Bridge. But did you know you can't actually see Big Ben? Big Ben is the bell that resides in the tower, called the Elizabeth Tower. The Queen even has her own entrance, and not because she is the Queen, but because she is not allowed to use the front entrance. This is to keep the monarch and the government separate.
Let's see, what else. Oh! Here is an old style double decker bus!
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| Marble Arch |
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| More Banners! |
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| Stillwater Statue |
Even though I saw everything, I really didn't do anything, so I don't have much to report. And unfortunately, as soon as we came up to the Tower of London, my camera battery died! It was a sad moment, but thank goodness for cell phones, right? I was excited to also see the city of London skyline with buildings such as The Shard and The Gherkin.
The Shard
The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe, while The Gherkin is named so because, apparently, it resembles a pickle. Which is basically what a gherkin is. A pickled cucumber. Never the less, they were both cool to see in person.
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
It was very neat to go through the older parts of the city. Narrow side streets were kept to show the actual size of the first streets the city saw hundreds of years ago. They look like narrow alleyways.
I also saw a lot of cool Pubs.
And Twinings Tea shop!
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| Such a tiny little store! |
Goodnight! (for me anyways)
Reading! And enjoying!! Very well written, too.
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