The Big Landmarks

A few days ago we went on a bus tour to see some of the big landmarks throughout London, which more or less overwhelmed me and caused me to pinch myself multiple times. Seeing these places in person was an exhilarating experience, and I certainly had a difficult time containing my inner geek. I was worried that I would scare off my friends with my ramblings and pointing out who got married here or who was buried there, who stood on those steps and what the name of this or that tower was. Luckily they took it all in stride, and (I hope at least) found it entertaining and perhaps a bit enlightening.

Tower Bridge, which we got to drive across. The pictures I tried to take through the windows of the bus did not come out as well as I had hoped though. 

Looking across the Thames at the Tower of London, former royal fortress, prison, and now a museum and home of the Crown Jewels.

The obligatory photograph in front of Tower Bridge.

Me with part of my new group of London friends. Not everyone in the group signed up for the bus tour.  

Driving up to St. Paul's Cathedral. St. Paul's is the largest cathedral in London and sits on the highest point in London. For a number of years, it was the tallest building in London and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. One of the most iconic images of World War II is a photograph of St. Paul's dome rising triumphantly above billowing smoke during the Blitz, when German air forces relentlessly bombed the British capital. 

Statue of Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch of Great Britain. Her death in 1714 (she had no surviving children) paved the way for the German dynasty of Hanover to assume the British throne. 

I am standing on the steps of St. Paul's. Looking at the below photograph, these are the same steps where the Prince and Princess of Wales descended from after their wedding in July 1981.

In 1897, the first Diamond Jubilee celebrations were held to commemorate the 60th year of Queen Victoria's reign. However, at age 78 and in increasingly frail health, she was unable to easily climb the stairs into the cathedral for a planned service of thanksgiving. Instead, it was decided that she would receive the service from her carriage when it stopped outside the cathedral, and the above inscription commemorates the spot where that took place. Until 2012, Queen Victoria was the only British monarch to have reached their Diamond Jubilee.

One last shot of St. Paul's.

Trafalgar Square, with Nelson's Column towering above. Trafalgar Square is one of the most-visited squares in the world, and has often been the site of protests and rallies at various points in British history, including the 1990 poll tax riots that was largely credited with signaling the deeply growing unpopularity of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She resigned seven months later.

After having lunch in Covent Garden, a popular shopping area, our bus tour ventured onto Parliament Square. Being the tourists that we were, we had all wanted to take the obligatory photograph with the famous red phone booths. This one, with the west entrance of Westminster Abbey towering in the background, was too perfect of a shot to pass up. 

The Elizabeth Tower, with the London Eye in the background. The tower is commonly (but mistakenly) known as Big Ben. In fact, the name Big Ben refers to the bell inside of the clock. The tower itself has long been named the Clock Tower. In 2012, it was announced that the tower had formally been named Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. 

Victoria Tower, part of the Palace of Westminster (more commonly known as the Houses of Parliament). This tower was named in honor of Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

Me standing in front of the western facade of Westminster Abbey, the site of the coronations of British monarchs, the burial place of countless kings, queens, and illustrious figures such as Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, and the site of numerous royal weddings, including the weddings of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and most recently Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

After Parliament Square, our cortege made its way to what was for me the most anticipated site of the day - Buckingham Palace.

This was what we first saw as we walked up to the palace. It was difficult to tell at first, but the closer we got the more I began to see its recognizable facade, accompanied by a rising feeling of excitement in my stomach and an increasing spring in my step. 

Looking at the right, I could see the back side of the Victoria Memorial; my anticipation growing with each second.  

Finally, here I was. One of my lifelong goals has always been to see the Palace in person, and here I was, standing right in front of it. It was chilly and had started to drizzle lightly, but the less than idyllic weather did nothing to dampen my spirits. 

The Union Jack flying above the Palace indicated that the Queen was not in residence that day. If she were at the Palace, the Royal Standard would be hoisted upon the flagpole. At this time of year, the Queen is at her private winter home at Sandringham, where she gathers each year for Christmas with the rest of her family and typically stays there until early February. Despite being the official residence of the British monarch, Buckingham Palace is in fact not one of the Queen's favored homes. She and her family consider it to be more of an office than home. On the weekends she typically stays at the enormous Windsor Castle outside of London, which she considers to be her actual home. She also has her aforementioned winter property at Sandrindgham and her Scottish home at Balmoral Castle, where she and the royal family go for their annual summer holiday. 

The famous balcony of Buckingham Palace. I was astonished by how easily you could see the balcony from the gates. Just imagining the numerous generations of royals that have stood on this balcony and waved to thousands of people during times of celebration - weddings, coronations, jubilees, the annual Trooping the Color celebrations - filled me with a profound sense of awe. 

Looking down The Mall from the base of the Victoria Memorial

From the Victoria Memorial, I was able to barely make out Clarence House. It is the white building that you can just see in between trees, directly to the left of the woman's umbrella. Clarence House is the official residence of the Prince of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. It was previously the London home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who moved in there after she was required to vacate Buckingham Palace following her husband's death and her daughter's ascension to the throne. 

The state of Queen Victoria at the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace. 

One last look at the Palace before we returned to the bus and made our way back to campus. Believe me, I will be making numerous trips back during my time in London. The Palace opens for tours in April, and I fully intend on visiting at that time.