The Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This is an iconic landmark for anyone visiting London. The Elizabeth Tower, which is often referred to by the name of its main bell, "Big Ben" is the first thing we saw as we rose up from the tube, or subway. It is as elegant as it is large and is quite a site to see in person. You grow up seeing these famous places on television, but it's not until you see it in person that you appreciate it's beauty and size. We didn't get a chance to tour any of the facility, but like so many places in England, I'll have to target that for my next visit.
The Shard The Shard, the newest skyscraper in London, is located in their business district. It was topped off this past in March and opened in July. The Shard is the tallest completed building in Europe, and is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom. The tower is 1,016 feet tall, with a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor. Its irregular pyramidal shape is covered entirely in glass. This high view was taken from the London Eye.
Ready for the Olympics London looked great. Everything was clean and ready to entertain the world. The people were friendly and even the English policemen had a sense of humor (not that I gave them reason otherwise). I'm not sure how friendly and nice everything was after the visitors left the Olympics, but my guess is that the British humer and pride is just as strong.
