After a day of relaxing, it was time to go back to London for a second time. I had a checklist of items I wanted to see in the day, since it would be my last day traveling into the city.
The obligatory first stop was Buckingham Palace, a 10 minute walk from Victoria station. The lines for tickets were long and the crowds were huge in general. Pictures weren’t allowed inside at all, only after exiting at the back garden.
It was like other palaces I’ve seen in the world such as Dolhambahce Palace in Istanbul, full of ornate furniture and paintings. The most interesting part to me was seeing the gifts that other nations gave the Queen during her state visits.
From here, it was off to the house of Palace of Westminster. This is where the house of commons and the house or lords are located, aka the Parliament. This sounded very interesting, but again pictures were banned.
To me, the most interesting part was the room where the actual debating takes place. I could only imagine what kind of bantering takes place there when in session.
Big Ben, another highlight of London, was closed for repairs, so I just got a view from outside. Note the typically gray London sky.
I also didn’t have the time or the patience to wait in long lines to get in the London Eye, a gargantuan Ferris wheel, but did get a snap of that as well. This is considered a London highlight.
I didn’t feel like paying the money to go into Westminster Abbey, moreso for the principle that places of worship shouldn’t charge admission. However, I must admit it looks beautiful from the outside.
From here, it was off to Somersot House. I don’t know the significance of it besides being told that some scenes of Downton Abbey were shot here. Upon arrival, I was told that it is now an art gallery. I must admit it was yet again another beautiful and picturesque piece of architecture.
Finally, I made a stop at Trafalgar Square, the central square of the city so to speak. It was buzzing with a full crowd of people. I found the fountain to be particularly nice. If only the weather in London was like this year-round.
There was a gate at the edge of the square that looked like something out of the Roman times. I probably found this to be the most impressive thing I saw in the city.
From here, it was back to the train to head back home and plan for my last event in the greater London area: Changing of the guard at Windsor Palace.