Sights in London, UK

Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews

The home of the British Royal family, Buckingham Palace is currently underway with planning and preparation for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.  This is to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's reign.  When we walked to Buckingham Palace on the Sunday morning, The Mall (the street leading to the Palace) was closed to cars and so for us pedestrians it was great.   When we reached the Palace, we found the structure in front of the Palace under tarp, as it is undergoing restoration for the big event next year.

The Royal Mews is the home of the royal Rolls-Royces, the royal carriages and the horses that pull them.  

Clarence House
This is the official residence of The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.  It is located on The Mall, a short distance from Buckingham Palace.

No. 10 Downing Street
No. 10 Downing Street is home to the British Prime Minister, David Cameron and as expected it was heavily guarded.  

Big Ben
Big Ben is the nickname of the great bell and clock tower that stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster.  The tower was erected in 1858 and is today one of London's iconic symbols.  

The London Eye

The London Eye is a 443 feet tall Ferris wheel that is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames.  It used to be the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until it was surpassed in 2008 by the Singapore Flyer which stands at 541 feet.  The photographs below were taken from the Savoy Pier, the pier at the back of The Savoy Hotel.  

St. Paul's Cathedral

The first mass at St. Paul's Cathedral was celebrated in 1710.  Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece was recently restored to its former glory, with a 40 million pound restoration project that took 15 years to complete.  This is the first time the Cathedral has been comprehensively restored on the inside and outside.  Unfortunately on the day I visited St. Paul's Cathedral, it was closed due to the Occupy Wall Street movement and so I was not able to go inside.  The outside however is breathtaking.  

Occupy Wall Street Movement

The Occupy Wall Street Movement was in full force in London, with the protesters camped outside St. Paul's Cathedral.  Unfortunately due to the protesters, St. Paul's Cathedral was closed to the public, but fortunately everything was peaceful outside and on the streets.

Piccadilly Circus 

Picadilly Circus was a short walk away from The Savoy Hotel, so I walked past this area a few times on my way to Regent and Oxford Streets to do some window shopping.  

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square was conceived in the 1820's as homage to Britain's naval power.  Trafalgar Square is home to Nelson's Column, a Corinthian pillar topped by a statue of naval hero Horatio Nelson.  On the Sunday that we walked past Trafalgar Square, the Trafalgar Day Parade was on.  This is an annual event that is held by the Sea Cadet Corps on behalf of the Royal Navy.  The 206th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson was being commemorated.  It was during this battle that Admiral Lord Nelson defeated the French and Spanish fleets off Cape Trafalgar in South West Spain, and lost his life.

The Queens Walk, the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London

The Queens' Walk is a lovely promenade located on the South Bank of the Thames River.  After my visit to Tate Modern, I stayed on the South Bank and walked past Shakespeare's Globe toward the London Bridge.  I then found myself on The Queen's Walk where I continued until I reached the Tower Bridge.  It was a lovely walk along the promenade with great views of the Thames River, the financial district and the Tower Bridge.  I then walked across the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London, but unfortunately I did not have enough time to go inside.