Photos of London

[woodstock]

I took these photos this past February, on a 4 night mid-winter trip to London. Airfares were cheap, the pound was down, who could resist? I will be doing something similar next week - airfares are not down but I will earn double miles on United, pound is going back up again - oh well - and this upcoming trip will be only 3 nights. I do expect marginally better weather though.

I spent a large part of this trip just walking. Jetlag be damned (the first day for me is always a killer but I walked no less than 6 miles and likely closer to 8 the first day) and rain and chill be damned - I spent most of the days outdoors, taking chill-breaks in museums and sit-down meals (and nice hot shower before dinner). I rarely took the tube or bus, instead, when I got sick of walking I raised my hand and the magic cab would arrive to whisk me to the next stop.

It was surprising to see the number of people sitting at cafe tables outside despite the chill. Throughout Covent Garden and Soho I saw a lot of people bundled up and sipping their coffees or beers at outdoor tables. Look out Paris!

These photos show some of my trail over the days. The Strand, Fleet Street, St. Paul's, Millennium Bridge, South Bank up to Westminster Bridge, Borough Market, Royal Horseguards, Cabinet War Rooms, Trafalgar Square including a few by night (I took my tripod) and finally the Changing of the Guard. I haven't watched that since my first visit to London in 1993. My last half-day in town was sunny and 60 (it figures) so I wandered over to the British Museum around the corner from my hotel until my cab arrived a little after noon. This time I'm going to stretch my cab-time to 1 PM so I can fit in a London Walks at Westminster Abbey that Monday morning. My flight home departs at 430 so that should still be enough time.

I hope you like the photos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/sets/72157613941677481/show/

 

[TMetzinger]

OK, first Paris, now London.

Dear Elizabeth,

You suck.

Love, Tim

 

[ScottM]

Millennium bridge sure looks nice after it was rebuilt form the death-eater attack

Those bring back so many memories. I loved living there, well just outside of London. But would spend almost every weekend in town. I was visiting just a couple of years ago and was going around to all my old haunts. I was with a colleague who live in Ipswich and I would tell him about all this stuff and show him things in London. He was shocked that some yank new the city so much better than he who lived in the UK his whole life.

 

[woodstock]

Millennium bridge sure looks nice after it was rebuilt form the death-eater attack

Those bring back so many memories. I loved living there, well just outside of London. But would spend almost every weekend in town. I was visiting just a couple of years ago and was going around to all my old haunts. I was with a colleague who live in Ipswich and I would tell him about all this stuff and show him things in London. He was shocked that some yank new the city so much better than he who lived in the UK his whole life.

I know London better than I know DC. I've certainly spent a lot more time wandering around London and it's far more interesting.

 

[Ghery]

Great pictures. Looks like you had good weather for February. We enjoyed London this summer, too. Mid 70s after 3 weeks of about 100+ in the eastern Med felt great.

Had to show this picture to a friend from the UK in a meeting last month to find out what it is. He had to look it up, just an office building. What was the architect thinking?

 

[gprellwitz]

Had to show this picture to a friend from the UK in a meeting last month to find out what it is. He had to look it up, just an office building. What was the architect thinking?

I don't know, but I get some weird vibes off of it!

 

[woodstock]

It's the Gherkin! The Swiss Re building. It's pretty cool. You'll see it in a variety of movies, for instance A Good Year. Probably most movies about London that want to someone show the money/power side of London.