Just about every visitor to London strolls along historic Whitehall from Big Ben to Trafalgar Square. Using Rick Steves guided walk, we’ll try to give a bit of background to the touristy ramble.
Westminster Bridge is a good place to start. It was closed during our first visit due to blocking the route for the Queen’s Jubilee – but if you get a chance start here for that “Wow, I’m really in London!” feeling. You get a close-up view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Downstream you’ll see the London Eye, the city’s giant Ferris wheel. Down the stairs to Westminster Pier are boats to the Tower of London and Greenwich (downstream) or Kew Gardens (upstream).
En route to Parliament Square, we pass a statue of Boadicea, the Celtic queen who unsuccessfully resisted Roman invaders in AD 60. Julius Caesar was the first Roman general to cross the Channel, but even he was weirded out by the island’s strange inhabitants, who worshipped trees, sacrificed virgins, and went to war painted blue. Later, Romans subdued and civilized them, building roads and marking this spot on the Thames – “Londinium” – a major urban center.
We waved hello to Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square. To Churchill’s right is the historic Westminster Abbey, with its two stubby, elegant towers.
The White building (flying the Union Jack) at the far end of the square houses Britain’s Supreme Court.
As we leave Parliament Square, we find a row of red phone booths lining up… a great spot for a phone-box-and-Big-Ben photo op. 🙂
We head up Parliament Street, which turns into Whitehall, and begin our walk towards Trafalgar Square. We pass by a thought-provoking Cenotaph in the middle of the boulevard, reminding passersby of the many Brits who died in the last century’s world wars.
We continue on up Whitehall, coming on our left to the barricaded and guarded #10 Downing Street to see the British “White House”, the traditional home of the prime minister since the position was created in the early 18th century. Rick would tell us to break the bobby’s boredom and ask him or her a question… but everyone is on alert today since the jubilee parade was getting ready to start. It was also hard to see the door, since there were tour guides leading tours all over the place. My picture simply shows you the barricade and the direction of #10.
Continuing our stroll, in a few short blocks we come to Trafalgar Square. This “square” is the the intersection of Westminster, the City, and the West End. It’s the climax of most marches and demonstrations, and is a thrilling place to simply hang out.
A remodeling of the square has rerouted car traffic, helping reclaim the area for London’s citizens. At the top of Trafalgar Square sits the domed National Gallery with its grand staircase. We visited the Gallery – it will be the subject of our next post. 🙂
In the center of the square, Lord Nelson stands atop his 185-foot-tall fluted granite column, gazing out toward Trafalgar, where he lost his life but defeated the French fleet. Part of this 1842 memorial is made from his victims’ melted-down cannons.
He’s surrounded by spraying fountains, giant lions, hordes of people, and-until recently- even more pigeons. A former London mayor decided that London’s “flying rats” were a public nuisance and evicted Trafalgar Square’s venerable seed salemen.
It was a nice morning for a wander. And to see Jackie’s eyes and smile sparkle made the gloom burn away… 🙂