November Sightseeing in London: Photo Essay

by Jason B. on November 29, 2011

London in November. That phrase just screams tourism and sight-seeing doesn’t it? Actually, in spite of the fact that it is usually chilly and cloudy, there was a gorgeous bright, sunny, and almost warm day recently. So I took the camera out and explored the English capital. Here’s some stuff I found. 
 
 
The above picture was taken in front of Westminster Abbey, which really is an impressive building. It’s right across the street from Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and other big sites. That block is pretty impressive, but it’s even more impressive when you imagine that it probably looked almost the same a few centuries ago, long before the first skyscraper was ever built. I imagine people came from far and wide to see it, and burn witches.
 
The poppies and crosses you see in this picture are part of a really impressive display on the grounds in front of the Abbey. There are plots of these, and each one represents a different British combat unit. I’m not sure how far back they went chronologically, but they seemed to go back to the 19th century. Each cross is in commemoration of dead soldier. It’s pretty moving and and the Abbey is a really somber, yet grand backdrop for it.
 
 
This guy was creating giant bubbles on the path next to the Thames, not far from the London Eye. He was making huge, tantalizing bubbles for kids to pop. I restrained my desire to knock down a four year old so I could pop one first. What? I had been waiting longer than her!
 
 
 
A Christmas Merry Go Round. With Dragons. I’m not sure if the English have the same Santa story as Americans….
 
 
 

That list to the right is all the different kinds of fudge this booth in the Christmas Market offered. Look at them all! How could you ever choose? (Well, I know I wouldn’t choose Cloted Cream. Is that like a blood clot?)

 

 

If your going to sell meat at a family Christmas Market, you’ve got to choose a sexually suggestive name, right? To stand out from the crowd?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found this so disappointing. This was in front of Covent Gardens. This is fake. It’s not a real giant topiary of a reindeer. It’s plastic.

Whats the point of that? If it’s fake anyway, why not just make a giant fake reindeer? Why go through two layers of deceit to get to a giant reindeer when you coud do it in one? Or why not just be honest and bring in a real giant reindeer?

 

 

 

 

This was, believe it or not, a second Christmas Market. This is the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, which is much better, bigger, and sells way more Booze than the riverfront Christmas Market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guy was roasting chestnuts. I couldn’t tell if it was an open fire underneath there, but I’m going to say it was. Also, that Coke belonged to his partner, a gigantic Polar Bear, who was shy about being photographed.

 

 

 

I wanted to go on this so bad! I regret not doing it. It looked like so much fun. Maybe I’ll go back. Or maybe not. It would be weird. Maybe I can borrow somebody’s kid to go up there with me so I’m not a grown man going by myself. Borrowing a kid is less weird than that, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tagged as: Big Ben, House of Parliament, Hyde Park, London, London Tower, parl, Thames, Westminster Abbey, Winter Wonderland

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

MarkG December 12, 2011 at 1:13 pm

Have you seen the Tower of London? It is nowhere near Westminster Abbey!

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A Consummate Generalist January 24, 2012 at 1:03 pm

I too went to London in November, 2010 – took almost some of the same pictures – the poppies at westminster were lovely and the christmas market were fun – and ice skating rinks all over the city.  I’ve since told my family we should plan for EVERY Thanksgiving in London, but they won’t bite.

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Locationless Living January 25, 2012 at 11:08 am

Thanksgiving could be a tough sell. After all, isn’t Thanksgiving sort of the celebration of escaping England? (Or should I say surviving the escape from England?)

I’m kidding. But I do agree with you, November in London is great.

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