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Early up and out to catch the train. We didn't leave the house until after nine to avoid the rush hour traffice. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the station. The neighborhood is truly ethnic and you see many interesting people in different types of dress. The train was on time at 9:30. We arrived at the Victoria Train station 20 minutes later. Off to see the queen. The walk from the train is another 15 minutes. Huge crowds surrounded the palace and we arrived just as the change of guard was taking place. We saw the last few minutes. You need to get there early and wait. Unbelievable, there are so many people.
The skyline as we cross the River Thames.
The Royal Mews is the Queen's stables where the horses, carriages, and equipment are kept and cared for.
A view from behind the Queen Victoria Memorial. The memorial to the Queen was completed in 1924.
Looking through the gates at the Buckingham Palace. Originally built in 1703 as a country house, it was expanded in 1837. This was then known as the royal residence. It has 772 rooms on 42 acres of gardens, mostly daffodils and tulips.
St. James park on the side of the palace.
On our way to Trafalgar Square for a quick sightseeing, we passed this interesting building. It is the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. A club and meeting place for members, it was built in 1896. Its purpose is for chartered surveyors around the world to maintain standards and review regulations.
The London Eye is a major attraction in the city. 135 meters high, it sits alongside the River Thames. There are 32 capsules. It rotates at an average of just under 1 km per hour. 3.5 million people board this "ferris wheel" for great views of the city. We're not big on attractions, so we admired it from across the river and listened to kids asking parents to let them go for a ride!
Oliver Cromwell sits in front of the House of Commons. He was the Lord Protector and signer of the death warrant for King Charles 1st. "Tyranny to some and democracy to others".
As we passed the House of Commons we saw that they have tours. We asked some guards on the side of the building where the entrance was and if tours were going on that day. The guard asked us what our purpose was and we told him it was to see the architecture. He gave us a tip. Go two gates down, ask to sit in on a debate and you will not only see the interior but you will be able to see Parliment in action. Best thing we could have ever done. I'm sure we have all watched the news from the House of Commons as well as our own country's government in action on cable television. This was a rare opportunity for us. I'd love to do the same with the U.S. and Mexican Senates.
It was quite a process to go in with security checks and all. Once inside we walked down this great hall in a building built in the 11th century. The piked roof was added in the 14th century.
On the floor at the entrance we saw these three bronze plaques. This is the spot where royalty have lain in state. The three are Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, and King Charles the IV.
I'm not getting old and shaky yet. I was writing on an old wooden bench. This is my visitor's pass for the House of Commons. I took the picture as a souvenir because they had to collect it to enter. After, they take you to a staircase and up three floors. From there you surrender all of your belongings, including cellphones. There are benches just like the ones in the Parliament for visitors to sit in from above and watch, in this case, a debate on global funds to eradicate polio, measles, and the continuing issue of poverty and famine.
In the main hall before you see the entrance to the House of Lords, eight statues line the hall. This particular statue is interesting. In 1909, a suffragette named Marjorie Home chained herself to the statue to protesting the treatment of women. They were forced to break the chains, breaking one of the spurs on the right foot of the statue.
After leaving the debate we headed downstairs. On the way to the bathrooms we passed this wall.
The plaque below says, "The wall behind the screen, which includes some examples of medieval masons, is part of Westminster Hall. The Hall was completed in 1099 and is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster. The hammerbeam roof was completed in 1399 for King Richard II, whose white hart emblem can.be seen carved on some of the stonework inside".
As I read that, I found it hard to imagine a building of this magnitude, style, and quality being built and preserved for so many years. And to think, three hundred years later, they added the piked roof. Three hundred years had passed and yet the United States as a country has yet to reach that age.
This beautiful building is Westminster Abbey. We really wanted to visit, but justifying the $35 US to enter. We're finding in London that senior discounts are almost non-existent.
The Clock as they call it sitting next to the House of Commons. It shines from various angles depending on the sun which we are happy to say has been shining everyday so far.
Walking along the River Thames. "The Thames is liquid history". The phrase was coined by MP John Burns one hundred years ago. He compared it to the St. Lawrence and Mississippi Rivers, stating that the Thames is liquid history.
