Wandering through Westminster

With my time in London coming to an end, I have been going out on every sunny day to see and shoot as much as I can. A couple of weeks ago I spent the afternoon wandering through Westminster. Upon exiting the tube I was met by Big Ben - he really is pretty impressive...

There was a very shiny limo that provided the perfect reflection shot - me with two London icons - the phone box and on the other side of the river, the London Eye.

And me again - as I travel alone so often, shooting my reflection became a way of having pictures of me in the place I am visiting without asking a stranger to take a picture of me. Inevitably I was never pleased with their kind efforts. This way only I am to blame... also I just love the multiple layers of these images...

This elephant sculpture by Salvador Dali is about 15 feet tall and stands on the South Bank outside the entrance to the Dali Universe gallery that houses over 600 of the artists works.

I stayed for a while watching the artist patiently await patronage. Many a passer-by looked, but sadly very few droped anything into his basket...

Where the Parliament Buildings now stand has been a location for Britain's authority for over 1,000 years. Originally the palace of Edward the Confessor in 1065, it is still officially a royal palace and referred to as the 'Palace of Westminster'. It remained a royal residence until a fire in 1512 forced Henry VIII to leave. Westminster Hall was first built in 1097 and since then has been extensively developed and rebuilt due to fire, war and time...

Sea Gulls - where they should be - near water. I have a flock of about 20 that hover above my flat and squalk 24/7. I'm no where near the river... well today is my last day here. They have driven me crazy - but I'll probably miss them...

Me...again. Behind me is the incredible ornate gate that surrounds the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.

2009 is the 150th anniversary of Big Ben. I had a look online for some interesting morsels to include on the clock tower's history - it is rather long - so if you are interested - click here. This is my favourite time of day, with the gentle evening light making everything warm and yummy.

I crossed through St Jame's Park, passed Buckingham Palace (not as many furry hat clad guards as I remember, thought there are now soldiers equipped with machine guns) then up through Green Park to arrive home just as it was dark. Another divine afternoon in London...