London
If you could only visit one city in England and wanted to see as many historically significant places as possible, London would be that city. Within easy walking distance of each other are Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Horse Guard's Parade, Cleopatra's Needle, Houses of Parliament with the tower of Big Ben, the London Eye, and of course, the River Thames. A short taxi ride, or in our case a river tour boat, and you're at the Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, and St. Paul's Cathedral. In spite of all the history, London is a truely modern city with all the big city problems such as traffic, noise, and lost tourists.
Click on pictures to enlarge.
Westminster Abbey, seen in the first three photos, has been the traditional site of the coronation of the reigning monarch since the time of William the Conqueror in 1066. Inside (no photography allowed) are the crypts of most of the past Kings and Queens of England. The building itself is awe inspiring, but when you consider you are within just a couple of feet of the remains of Queen Elizabeth I, Edward the Confessor, or Mary Queen of Scots, it is overwhelming. In the second photo, the church next to Westminster Abbey is St. Margaret's. It is somewhat smaller is the burial site of Sir Walter Raleigh. The far right photo shows a stature of Oliver Cromwell who, although heavy handed in his tactics, was the founder of the modern system of government in England.
Cleopatra's needle is an obelisk that was given to England by the government of Egypt. It dates back to 1500 B.C. and is situated right next to the River Thames.
The left two photos are Scotland Yard. On the right is a sailing ship used to train young Navy officers.
Here are some interesting sites on the World Wide Web concerning the subject of this page.
Londontown
Westminster Abbey
Cleopatra's Needle
Photo Guide to
London