Tower Bridge, c. 1894.

London, very briefly

In 2004, I had two day-long stopovers in London on my way to and from Pakistan.

Thunderstorm over Tower Bridge.

Greylag goose (Anser anser), London.

I liked London a lot: all street names were familiar from literature, it was great to see some architecture after seven years in the USA, and some people buried in Westminster (Darwin, Kipling, Livingstone, etc.) were almost like personal friends to me. The place was even good for birdwatching! Smew (Mergus albellus), London.

Smews, London.

Westminster Abbey, c. 1045-1400.

The Tower of London, c. 1098.

Of course, I didn't have enough time to see everything. I can't wait to get there again, to explore the Tower, the museums, and all the other places I could only see from the outside this time.

Entrance to the Tower.

Assyrian relief, 9th century BC, the British Museum.

The Tower of London.

Street corner.

Just walking the streets of Central London is a great experience. American streets usually aren't much fun to walk along. Exploring old cities by foot is the thing about Europe I miss the most.

Savoy was the world's first building with electrical lighting.

Streets of London.

Guard, St. James's Palace.

Despite its infamous weather, Central London is a great place to walk around with a camera: splashes of color against grey and brown walls, mixture of modernity and tradition.

Guard, Whitehall.

Whitehall complex, c. 1622-1890.

Crimean War Memorial, c. 1861.

London is a living monument to the fascinating history of the British Empire: the Age of Exploration, the Raj, the countless wars on all continents.

Crimean War Memorial.

Queen Victoria Memorial (c. 1901) and Buckingham Palace (c. 1705).

The Houses of Parliament, c. 1840-1888.

Roofs, London.