The first time I visited London, I was mesmerized by Big Ben. Yes, I know Big Ben is a bell, but people normally refer to Big Ben as the famous clock tower. As it glimmered, it looked like pure gold. It was attached to the Houses of Parliament, and if you wait in a long line, you can go in and hear very dull conversation carried on by men wearing powdered wigs. (Can you believe it?)
St. Paul’s Cathedral is majestic and domed. Beautiful stained glass windows adorn the inside, and you can climb the stairs to the top to look out over the city. The whispering galleries are a bit creepy, since your friend can whisper to you along the dome, and you can hear the person clear across the room. Westminster Abbey is another cathed
ral that is stunningly beautiful, with biblical scenes depicted in the stained glass. Famous poets are buried in the Westminster Abbey crypt.
In front of Buckingham Palace (with gold and black gates) you will occasionally see the changing of the guard. This is a magnificent marching of tin soldiers, except they are real. The guards wear red jackets, and on their heads they wear tall black hats that sometimes have mops attached to them. Supposedly the guards aren’t allowed to laugh, and they keep a somber expression in all their grandeur.
The British M
useum houses the best collections of national treasures from all over the world. When the sun never set on the British empire, the British government paid many countries huge sums of money for their original treasures that were thousands of years old. It will take you a full day to see it all if you walk quickly. Otherwise you will have to skip most of it and choose your favorite time periods and countries, and spend more time on those.
You will not want to drive a car in London. There is nowhere to park, and the streets wind round and round. Besides, the Underground (the subway system) is so efficient and fun to ride. (“Mind the
gap” means to pay attention not to fall between the platform and the train.) You will get to your destination much faster, since you only have to wait about two minutes between trains. Also, don’t forget to ride on a red double-decker bus. You feel really tall as you go around the city.
I could mention so many more sights in London. Tower Bridge is a gorgeous bridge that opens up to let ships pass. You can go inside to see how it works. The Tower of London is a castle where the crown jewels are kept. Kew Gardens are absolutely beautiful; if you love plants and it’s the summertime, you can’t miss that. So many literary connections are in London; if you go to Baker Street, you can se
e the Sherlock Holmes museum. Many portrait galleries house famous paintings from all over the world, the originals from the most famous painters of all time. There is just so much in London that I’m glad I spent two years living there. I still didn’t see everything, though!
