Sunday, June 19, 2011

Buckingham

Buckingham and the Union Jack : London, UK

I'll just confess it right here, right now: London underwhelmed me. Don't get me wrong--it was exciting to see where the Queen lives and great to see icons like Tower Bridge and Big Ben, but all-in-all I found London a bit average. Part of that could be that it looked so much like parts of the eastern United States, I felt like I'd seen a lot of this type of architecture and buildings before. Plus, I made the grievous mistake of comparing it to Paris. I was quite disappointed to find Buckingham Palace surrounded by asphalt. Compared to Versailles, it was rather plain. 

Buckingham Palace : London, UK

That said, though, I loved London for its shopping and dining, both of which are fabulous! And, in all fairness, we only did touristy stuff one day, so we didn't have time to visit museums like the National Portrait Gallery or the Victoria and Albert Museum or take tours of the Tower of London or Buckingham or take in a show. I'm not writing off London entirely as one of Europe's cool cities to visit. I'll be going back. But for this trip, the photos and the limited time we spent, I am sure, do not do justice to this great city.

The Queen's Coat of Arms : Gates of Buckingham Palace : London, UK

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 6/11

2 comments:

Maya said...

We also did not have the best light with the off and on rain. I do like the shot of the palace with the flag in front!

Janet M Kincaid said...

Maya: Fair point. When we go back to London, we'll have to shoot some of these sites in the evening or at night.