Sunday, June 26, 2005

London (Days 2 and 3)

All of the streets in London have either "Look Right" or "Look Left" painted on them, depending on where traffic is coming from. Just in case you couldn't tell by actually looking at traffic.
The ravens at the tower of London. There's a cool story about them (Google it!).
The queen's quarters at the tower of London. Despite the fact that no queen has lived here for hundreds of years, they still have a guard posted at the door per tradition.
Interior buildings at the Tower of London. The one on the left houses the crown jewels (no pics allowed).


Traitor's gate, where such traitors as Sir Walter Raleigh and Anne Boleyn were brought in.
More of the Tower of London...the wall on the left is the Bloody Tower. Cool stories about that exist as well. Check them out.
The Middle Tower, where you enter the Tower of London.
The Gherkin. Also called "London's Egg". Dirty jokes abound.
Exterior of the Tower of London. One of my favorite places from the trip.
Obligatory red telephone booth pic.
Roses outside of St. Paul's Cathedral.
Big Ben - is the bell! Not the clock! Not the tower!
Me in front of Buckingham Palace. Not much of a palace if you ask me. Where are the turrets?

Guards lining the street outside of Buckingham Palace. I wanted to touch the hats so bad.
Me and a guard outside the palace where Prince Harry and Prince William live when in town (which they weren't - I checked).

I really wanted to get a "Mind the Gap" t-shirt but kept forgetting.
I love that elevators are 'lifts'. I also love their symbol for women - look at her cute poofy skirt!

Tower of London, which was really freaking cool.
Victoria Station. I don't know why I took a picture except it was pretty.

Westminster Church (NOT Abbey), where we went to church on Sunday, instead of getting to shop more.
London cop on motorcycle and also the Sweetest. Picture. Ever.
The palace where the princes stay when in town. I couldn't find a way in. I tried.
I don't know why I took a picture of this, either. I think there's a palace back there somewhere. It's a safe bet. There're all over the place. (Update: Apparently, it's Parliment.)

The London Eye and County Hall.
St. Paul's Cathedral, the second largest church in the world.

View out my hotel window. Booyah.
Covent Garden, where you can buy anything. Miles of vendors. Note the POURING F-ING RAIN.

Fountain at Leiscester Square. I want that fish.
View of London Streets from Trafalgar (spelling? too lazy to look it up) Square.
Me looking damn cute in front of a lion at Trafalgar Square.
The troupe of girls walking down the street. Note the restaurant on the right named "EAT." I think that's the most brilliant name for a restaurant ever.

17 comments:

Christopher D. Bate said...

London always scares me and I'm from the U.K. You looked like you made the most of it. Right on, girl!

Maki said...

EAT. I was dumb enough to waste digital film on a blurry picture of one. So yeah, they do exist. I'm starting to miss London already, though my wallet does not share those sentiments. It's funny how many of my pictures are the same as those...

And yes, Trafalgar is spelled correctly.

Anthony said...

that must have been amazing...

lucky--napoleon dynamite

Unknown said...

Cool pics! You do look damn cute in front of that lion ;)

Peace.

SS said...

these pictures are great too. it looks so beautiful there!

Shari said...

Amazing pics. I loved St. Paul's Cathedral. It is the most beautiful church I have ever seen...and what a jaunt it was up to the tower.

I even miss the London Underground..."Mind the Gap". Sigh....

Weary Hag said...

Gorgeous pics... looks like a great vacation!

Martin J Davies said...

Glad you enjoyed our little capital. Sometimes I'm so tied up with my life here that I forget how far people travel to be here, and what a great city it is.

The original nickname for 30 St Mary Axe AKA The Swiss Re building was "The *Erotic* Gherkin" but now it's just plain old gherkin, which I think is worse.

That motorcycle pic is outstanding BTW.

Eaglet said...

Dammit I really really want to go back there (= I thought I had successfully quelled the need, but YOU have made it come back stronger. When I was in London I got 'mind the gap' socks and gave it to all my friends. Love the pics, and WANT that fish too.

D7 said...

Glad u liked your trip to England and Europe (dont confuse the two though - Great Britain and Europe are not the same lol ;-) )
A Gherkin, apart from the nickname for that building is *not* a penis but a small cucumber, often found pickled in jars and a good accompanyment to salads.

Looking Forward to Better Things said...

AMG, those pictures are simply amazing, and this is coming from a guy who shot 17 rolls of film in Alaska. I've always dreamed of going to Europe. Someday I'd love to go to Moscow and St. Petersburg Russia. I'll have to make a stop in Rome, I need to go to the pantheon too... I'm jealous.

CJM said...

You're all welcome, any time you like. It's not scary at all.
Buckingham Palace is a great Palace (a quick wander inside the place is enough to prove that).
And there is no palace at the back of that road (the one with the gates and the policemen). It's the entrance to Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives, so I suppose you lost that bet.
And EAT is an awful place to eat, trust me, I live in London.

Brianne said...

We actually got a smirk out of those guards when one of my friends tried to hold his hand. Our group happened to be in London on the Queen Mum's birthday so I got a faraway photo of Her Majesty.

Where did you stay in London? I can't remember the name of the hotel I stayed in - just that they robbed me.

Coincidentally, it was raining when I shopped at Convent Garden too.

Simply Sophia G said...

its prince harry and william not prince henry and william. just a brit who is a lil picky about our royal family names lol

Woodey said...

Hi AMG
your blog looks really good how do you lay it how so well

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