Marble Arch once stood at the entrance to Buckingham Palace. Only the royal family and royal troops are allowed to pass through the arch. It was moved from the Palace because it is said that the Queen's carriage is too large to pass through. It now stands on Speaker's corner, across the street from Hyde Park. Across the street from Marble Arch is the area known to history as "Tyburn," where until the 1783 over 65,000 people were executed! Today the sight is only identified by the three brass triangles and a plaque.
These are the original gates to the City of London, which are now located at Paternoster Square, near the
London Stock Exchange. I cannot recall how old they are or where they were originally located (sorry.) But they do look very, very old.
Trafalgar Square, across from Buckingham Palace. A popular place for protests and visitors alike. Once famous for feeding the pigeons, the sale of birdseed at Trafalgar Square was outlawed in 2000, and in 2007 an outright ban on feeding the birds altogether, was secured.
Probably one of my biggest, or perhaps, only disappointments in London, was the changing of the royal guard at Buckingham Palace. Although we arrived an hour early, there was a mob of approximately 100,000 lining the streets. We couldn't even get close to seeing the actual changing of the guard, the closest we came was the gate (pictured below.) However, since they are planning a big bash for the queen's birthday next month, the royal guards have been practicing their parade 3 times a week, so we got to see them marching, bands, horses and all. Not exactly as fun as the Rose Bowl Parade, or the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, but definitely formal and interesting.
Marble Arch once stood at the entrance to Buckingham Palace. Only the royal family and royal troops are allowed to pass through the arch. It was moved from the Palace because it is said that the Queen's carriage is too large to pass through. It now stands on Speaker's corner, across the street from Hyde Park. Across the street from Marble Arch is the area known to history as "Tyburn," where until the 1783 over 65,000 people were executed! Today the sight is only identified by the three brass triangles and a plaque.
These are the original gates to the City of London, which are now located at Paternoster Square, near the London Stock Exchange. I cannot recall how old they are or where they were originally located (sorry.) But they do look very, very old.
Trafalgar Square, across from Buckingham Palace. A popular place for protests and visitors alike. Once famous for feeding the pigeons, the sale of birdseed at Trafalgar Square was outlawed in 2000, and in 2007 an outright ban on feeding the birds altogether, was secured. 
Probably one of my biggest, or perhaps, only disappointments in London, was the changing of the royal guard at Buckingham Palace. Although we arrived an hour early, there was a mob of approximately 100,000 lining the streets. We couldn't even get close to seeing the actual changing of the guard, the closest we came was the gate (pictured below.) However, since they are planning a big bash for the queen's birthday next month, the royal guards have been practicing their parade 3 times a week, so we got to see them marching, bands, horses and all. Not exactly as fun as the Rose Bowl Parade, or the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, but definitely formal and interesting.
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