19 Nov A Photo Essay: London, England
London, England. I’m still not quite sure how I feel about this cosmopolitan city. In college, I spent a couple of weeks exploring London on a study abroad trip and left with no real desire to return. Perhaps it was because it followed 2 weeks in Paris, a city I absolutely adore, or maybe I just didn’t click with London itself. Whatever the case, when we made plans to visit Ireland, it ended up we had a one day stopover to explore London. Suddenly with a new-found excitement to explore London, I set out to research how to best spend our one day. Well, it turns out, it really didn’t matter what I had planned to see because I wasn’t feeling well, and the only way I could manage to spend the afternoon was to take a nap. Thankfully, I started to feel better soon after the nap, which was perfect timing because we had dinner plans with some friends that we had met in Paris last fall. They invited us over for a delicious Sunday roast and apple crumble for dessert and we spent an awesome evening filled with music and great conversation. I guess I will have to make another visit to see how I really feel about London, but until then, here are the photos we managed to snap during our few outings that day:
Walking through Green Park affords a grand welcome to the Buckingham Palace with beautiful gates that line the grounds.
Bright and beautiful flowers in the Queen’s Garden were a nice surprise in the fall.
The Victoria Memorial sits outside Buckingham Palace. The memorial was dedicated to Queen Victoria in 1911.
The ever popular Queen’s Guard protecting the palace.
Trafalgar Square is located in central London and is home to fountains and statues, most notably the lions. Many events are held here such as holiday celebrations and political demonstrations.
The Sherlock Holmes Pub gives fans a glimpse into the sitting room and study of Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson. You can see the nostalgic study room from many dining room tables as well as from a view in the hall.
London architecture is such a great mix of old and new, but even so, for some reason, there always seems to be so much construction going on!
Can you spot Big Ben way in the back? Big Ben is located at the Palace of Westminster and is over 150 years old.
A man paints passerby’s out for a Sunday walk on the Hungerford Bridge.
The London Eye rests alongside the River Thames, and I still have yet to ride it. Maybe it will be in the cards on our next visit.
“Please mind the gap between the train and the platform”–a London Underground saying that has become quite famous can be heard at many stops today. It’s always comforting to hear that familiar greeting when pulling up to your stop.
We stayed in the Mayfair neighborhood and loved the charming atmosphere and convenient location. We enjoyed getting lost (at midnight nonetheless) while wandering amongst the beautiful buildings.
The tallest building in London, the Shard, lit up at night.
The famous Tower Bridge shining in all its glory. The Tower Bridge is often mistakenly called the London Bridge, but the London Bridge is a simple bridge that we are standing on for this view.
The London Bridge Underground sign. I love the convenience of public transportation in many European cities!
We couldn’t resist stopping to take a photo of the iconic red phone booths in London.
Road signs made into street art. I love how anywhere you go, you will find artistic additions on all types of displays.
Have you been to London? What are your thoughts on the city?