London

My mother, sister, and I just spent two weeks traveling around Europe; it was an incredible trip! Anyway, London was our first stop. We had round trip tickets to/from here, so we spent the first and last days in this great city. Both days were beautiful weather-wise, so we walked and walked to everything--with random stops at cafes and restaurants to rest and eat outside! Here are some photos of the places we visited...

St. James's Park is the oldest Royal Park in London. It was originally created by King Henry VIII as a deer park, remodeled in the 17th century as a formal park for King Charles II, and finally reshaped in the 1820s to its present style. It covers 58 acres and is surrounded by three palaces: Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, and the Houses of Parliament.

The Mall is a street that borders St. James's Park. It is the Queen's ceremonial route from Buckingham Palace. It is also the finishing point of the London Marathon. And, soon enough, it will be part of the path that Prince William and Kate Middleton take to Westminster Abbey for the Royal Wedding. After, they will use this route again to return to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession.

Buckingham Palace was built in 1702 and has been the official residence of the Royal family since 1837. It has 775 rooms! The monument directly in front of the Palace is the Victoria Memorial. It was completed in 1911, a decade after Queen Victoria's death. (She reigned from 1837-1901.) Londoners sometimes refer to it as "the wedding cake" monument because of its tiered shape.

The last day of our trip (compared with the first) showed how London was preparing for the Royal Wedding. Just within those 13 days, temporary gates and buildings were erected around Buckingham Palace and a gazillion more flags were put up around the city. Before getting to the UK, I was not following the wedding craze, but it was hard to ignore the excitement while there. It was all over the news and everyone was so enthusiastic about it. (I even bought a Prince William and Kate mug ha!)

The Queen's Guard is the soldiers that guard Buckingham Palace and St. James's Palace. Changing the Guard is the process involving a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard. The ceremony occurs every other day or daily, depending on the time of year.

Westminster Abbey was built in the middle of the 10th century and has been the coronation church since 1066. It is the final resting place of seventeen monarchs and houses numerous other tombs and memorials. It has also been the place of many of the Royal weddings; Prince William and Kate Middleton are to be married here on April 29, 2011.

The Houses of Parliament and the Clock Tower hold Great Britain's largest clock; the minute hand measures 14 feet long! Big Ben, one of London's most famous landmarks, actually refers to the clock's hour bell, the largest of its five bells. Fun (possible) fact: the clock's rate is adjusted by adding small pennies on the shoulder of the pendulum.

The London Eye is a giant observation wheel that gives you a 360 degree view over London. It takes 30 minutes to complete a turn, but you can see up to 25 miles on a clear day.

We crossed the River Thames via the Westminster Bridge to get to the Southbank Centre. It was a happenin' place with local crowds drinking beer outside and tourists watching all the street performers. There was even a chocolate fair that was in town that day and the treats were incredible. Later, we found some pubs hidden in little alleyways and joined the Londoners drinking outside. Finally, we enjoyed dinner on the open rooftop of our hotel. It had a great view, but it was difficult to capture with a photo!

Cheesy, I know... but I could not resist!