First Day in London

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It's crazy how easy it is to travel these days. I woke up in Paris, and after only a short 2 and a half hour train ride, which goes literally underwater, I arrived in London, pretty much walked across the street from the train station to my hotel, checked in, and was ready to start exploring by like 12:30ish. Almost too easy.

Today it was nicely overcast in London, and sprinkled every now and then. Nice to have it cool again. Started by taking the underground to the greatest church in England, Westminster Abbey. This place really is all that it's cracked up to be. All of English history is right here. You're surrounded by the tombs of kings and queens, and all of the major events in England have in some way involved this church. Also loved Poet's Corner, a little part of the church dedicated to the great writers of England. Awesome to see the monuments honoring T.S. Eliot and D.H. Lawrence - I just finished writing 2 dissertation chapters on this two authors.

From Westminster Abbey I took the traditional stroll from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament down Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, the true heart of London. Along the way I passed the Prime Minister's house, and the Banqueting Hall, a famous royal room that famously marks the sight where Charles I was beheaded. I basically spent the rest of the day in Trafalgar Square, going mainly to the National Gallery, London's equivalent to the Louvre. In Trafalgar Square, though, I did thoroughly enjoy stumbling upon a statue of George Washington tucked away in one corner. George Washington in Trafalgar Square is like a statue of Henry VIII outside the White House. Such an odd placement, but made me smile. Washington is still sticking it to the Brits after all these years.

Tomorrow I go mainly to St. Paul's Cathedral, the British Museum, and down to Buckingham Palace.

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Photos

Westminster Abbey
You can see Big Ben in the distance.

Side-View of Westminster
This is actually where you enter.

The Thames
From Westminster Bridge, and there's the London Eye.

Parliament and Big Ben
How perfect is it that a double-decker bus was driving by right when I took this photo.

Inside Banqueting Hall
Unique because it survived the Great Fire of 1688, and was the home of Charles I, the guy right there.

Banqueting Hall Exterior
Right in front of this building is where Charles was beheaded.

Trafalgar Square
Named after the battle won by Nelson against Napoleon. Nelson is on the top of that column.

The Lions in Trafalgar
Symbol of England, and a famous part of the square.

The National Gallery
Another massive museum, and, like the Louvre, lined with masterpieces.

Back Towards Big Ben
Liked the clouds in the distance.

St-Martin-in-the-Fields
The Washington statue is up against the end of the Gallery on the left. This church inspired nearly every church in New England. Doesn't it look like it belongs in Connecticut?

A Free Concert
St. Martin's is famous for its concerts, and I happened to stumble upon one.