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February 2005

West and Central London

David Aaronson
2005-10-01 21:44:57

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It was cold and grey and damp during most of our days in London. Exactly how it's supposed to be. This of course is parliament and Big Ben and the London Eye in the background (1). Our first stop after the obligatory post trans-Atlantic flight nap as we figured we might as well get all the mandatory stuff out of the way early. Parliament was not in session on this particular day so we didn't go inside, but we've seen it on C-Span a few times and it sure looks like fun.

Before visiting the more famous Westminster (just next door), we visited St. Margaret's church (2). This is where everyone famous who isn't a member of the royal family seems to get married. Far far older than Westminster (it was built in the 11th century originally), the church seems most notable for the sheer volume of monuments inside it. Every available bit of floor space is filled with tombs. The walls several meters up are full of monuments, even the pews, the stained glass windows and the stand the fire extinguisher is on (check it out!) are dedicated to someone. It's basically a form of sanctioned graffitti wherein you also donate to the church.

Westminster abbey (3). No pictures allowed inside, so this is all you get. Inside, is the tomb of every person you've ever heard of who was born in the UK, and a few who weren't but seem to have been adopted anyway. (There's even a monument for Edgar Allan Poe) There's a basic roll call of English monarchs buried inside along with sections for politicians, war heros, scientists, poets, artists and composers. That's not counting the cloisters. Between this and St. Margaret's you'll never want to see another tomb again. However, the 13th century chapter house is worth the price of admission alone and was the one thing I would've really like to take pictures of.

Opposite the clock tower that contains Big Ben is the second major tower ...