Big Ben

Here are some photos of the area near the House of Parliament. The first photo shows Rafe in front of Westminster Abbey. This was a site that we just didn't have time to go into. It seems we arrived each day after visiting hours were over. A lot of the royal functions are held here, and there are all sorts of famous people buried inside.

Across the street from Westminster Abbey is the House of Parliament (2nd photo). This is an amazing building that was originally a royal palace. It still has that status today even though the royal family doesn't live there. The first building was put on the site around 1097, but was later rebuilt after a fire in the 1500s and 1800s.

The last photo shows Rafe's favorite site in London -- Big Ben! We had lots of contests as we were walking around the city to see who could see Big Ben first. The nickname for the clocktower is actually from the bellmaker who was named Benjamin. The clock and other sites here were located just one block from our hotel.