St. Paul’s Cathedral – Ever So Lovely And A Must-See!
St. Paul’s Cathedral is ever so lovely, and a must-see! It’s an impressive building located on Ludgate Hill in the City of London. It was one of the tallest buildings for many years, and the funerals of many important people have taken place here – such as Sir Winston Churchill, Lord Nelson, and Margaret Thatcher. Weddings have also taken place here, with one of the most famous weddings being that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on July 29th, 1981. Guess what – today on the day of my visit to St. Paul’s – it is July 26th, 2014 – it’s almost the anniversary of Diana’s wedding.
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
Here are two pictures of the royal couple at St. Paul’s Cathedral as shown on my Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452048881322877823/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452048881321260757/
You will want to get off at St. Paul’s tube station to get to St. Paul’s Cathedral (take the red line – the Central line).
St. Paul’s Tube Station, London
St. Paul’s Tube Station, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
It is really enjoyable walking around the grounds of St. Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
Walking down the stairs from St. Paul’s Cathedral is the replica of the Queen Anne statue, and one of the side streets near St. Paul’s.
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
This is what it looks like inside the Cathedral at the entrance
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London – The Queen Anne statue
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London – The Queen Anne statue
My little Princess was ever so happy to be here
St. Paul’s Cathedral
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
Paul at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
John Wesley statue at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
John Wesley statue at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
My other Princess (my oldest daughter) is also happy to be here, and is standing by Queen Anne’s statue.
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London
I can’t believe I haven’t shared these pictures yet! It’s already been eight months since we were there – how quickly time flies! Well, until next time – by the way, Happy Spring!
A Trip To The Savoy Hotel, London
Ahoy there, I went to the Savoy!
Well, what you may ask is so special about that? It is that I got through the doors of this establishment and was able to take pictures without having to pay hundreds, if not thousands of pounds a night for a room. I spent forty-five minutes or so, went in and took pictures and got out – and had quite a pleasant experience. This is after all, the hotel that is supposed to be London’s most famous hotel, and one where many celebrities have stayed. It is located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Here are some pictures:
Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy, London
This is the lobby area as shown in the two pictures below, then if you walk down a few stairs, you will see a beautiful gazebo, and a restaurant/bar/lounge area
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The Savoy Hotel, London
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The Savoy Hotel, London
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The Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy Hotel, London
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The Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy Hotel, London
Savoy Hotel, London
You might just want to get a little something sweet in their delightful little treat shop
The Savoy Hotel, London
Also, I have to mention, the bathrooms in the Savoy are quite an experience too. Best bathrooms in the world! There was even a cloakroom attendant outside the bathroom, and I should have had my camera with me just to take pictures of the entry area of the women’s bathroom. Oh, my gosh, there were framed pictures – it was like an art gallery. I think there was music too. Perhaps, it was good that I didn’t have my camera, and had left it upstairs with my family! I think people would have thought I was a little odd taking pictures there.
The Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy Hotel, London
So, what do you prefer – the Savoy or the Ritz? It depends on your level of glitz. I have shown some pictures of the Ritz in an earlier post. As for me, I was quite happy with the London Trafalgar Hotel – it suited me just fine.
A Bit Of London From The South Bank with St. Paul’s Cathedral And More
I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas. I’m so sad that it’s already gone by, I wish it was always Christmas – it certainly is my favorite time of the year. If there was one place that I really wanted to be this Christmas – it was in London. London is spectacular when lit up for the most wonderful time of the year.
Anyway, I need to share more pictures with you. These pictures are still from my third day in London during my recent trip in July of 2014. When we left the London Eye, we were in the South Bank area and just look at this double decker bus. Fancy giving yogurt that name though – I am surprised! That name, not mentioning names has quite a colorful meaning.
Snog Frozen Yogurt Bus, South Bank, London
This is Charing Cross Station in the background
Charing Cross Station from the South Bank, London
This beautiful building reminds me of a castle or palace
Beautiful Palace as seen from the South Bank, London
That’s me in the South Bank area with Big Ben behind me. Oh, how I wish I was back there right now!
South Bank of London
Spectacular London with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from the South Bank, London
Here’s another mini London Eye – actually it’s just a kid’s ride – some kind of swings. It looks nice though, doesn’t it?
Forgot what this building is called, that’s exactly why I should have written my posts as soon as I came back, but who has the time? If you know, pray do tell.
London as seen from the South Bank
Well, this whole area near the South Bank, including the bus in the first picture is ever so colorful!
Wow, doesn’t this look nice? It might be a bit dark though.
London in the glow of sunset
Now, you will get treated to the same picture with the Snog Bus in sight
London in the glow of sunset
Me and my three kids with the River Thames behind us basking in the sunset of a London evening
Me and my kids in London
Oh, how majestic is St. Paul’s Cathedral – this place is so special. It’s where Princess Diana got married to Prince Charles.
St. Paul’s Cathedral seen from the South Bank
St. Paul’s again
St. Paul’s Cathedral seen from the South Bank
Either it turned dark quickly or I have been watching this man a while, or perhaps it was just my camera that is somehow curiously taking pictures with different lighting.
St. Paul’s Cathedral seen from the South Bank
Here’s St. Paul’s again basking in the glow of London as seen from the South Bank
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St. Paul’s Cathedral seen from the South Bank
St. Paul’s yet again. I guess you know that I like St. Paul’s?
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St. Paul’s Cathedral seen from the South Bank
Seems like someone else likes it too as he’s taking a picture of it or is he looking the other way? If so, I know there’s good views that way too.
St. Paul’s Cathedral seen from the South Bank
More of the London skyline
London skyline
London skyline
St. Paul’s Cathedral seen from the South Bank
This is the building I showed you above, but here it is glowing in the London evening
Now it’s glowing less, but basking in the sunset
London evening
London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
I’m not sure what this building is either, but just feel compelled to share with you how lovely London looks in the evening.
London in the evening
This picture is quite blurry, but I’ll throw it in anyhow.
Southbank, by the River Thames
Anyway, I hope you liked my evening pictures of London. I don’t have a great camera that takes brilliant evening pictures, but still – I think they’re okay. Have a fabulous week ahead, and Happy New Year to you all!
The London Eye – Oh My!
The London Eye – Oh My!
The views
The beauty
The thrill
Oh My!
I’m not rhyming!
Oh, well!
Seriously, I really enjoyed the London Eye, and thinking back, I think it was one of the highlights of our recent London trip. Here’s some more pictures of the view you will get of beautiful London from the inside of the London Eye.
The London Eye
The London Eye
The London Eye
The London Eye
View From The London Eye
View From The London Eye
These people seem to have one of the greatest spots in London, right next to the London Eye, overlooking the River Thames, with a view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Can life get any better? I bet they even have a cup of tea!
View From The London Eye
Here’s beautiful Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The View From The London Eye
Here’s me in the London Eye
Here’s me and my daughter – we were so lucky to be in the Eye during sunset!
The London Eye
The London Eye
I can’t remember how I got this picture, I might have taken a picture of a picture – I think that’s my shadow you see on the top of the picture – I give credit to the London Eye for the original of this picture.
The London Eye
Okay, so now we just left the London Eye – here’s the immediate area outside of the Eye
I believe that’s the same building that I took pictures from within the London Eye – now you can see it from street level
That same evening, this is a picture I took of the London Eye.
I hope you enjoyed my pictures of the London Eye, and I hope you are all having a fantastic December so far. Can you believe that these are still only pictures from Day 3 of my trip to London – I still have two more days to cover! Anyway, I will cover those two days soon. Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate, and Happy Holidays to all the rest of you! Until next time!
The London Eye – Here’s Why
London Eye
The London Eye
Here’s why
You can’t escape it
Every which way you go when you are in Central London
It’s before your very eye
(Two examples below: you can see it from Big Ben, you can see it from Buckingham Palace at the Queen Victoria Memorial, and you can see it from Trafalgar Square)
Big Ben with London Eye
Queen Victoria Memorial
The London Eye
Why would you want to give it a miss
When riding it can give you bliss?
Inside The London Eye
The London Eye
Will take you to the sky
Or so it will seem
As you circle the earth
You’ll think you are in a dream
View From The London Eye
The London Eye
Don’t even think of not going
Rain, shine or snow
You must go
To the London Eye
I hope you liked my attempt at a poem! I tried.
The following pictures were taken on our approach to the London Eye.
London Eye
London Eye
London Eye
London Eye
London Eye
Want to know how much it costs – that will be £20.95, please for an adult.
Ticket To The London Eye
Getting On The London Eye
London Eye
London Eye
London Eye
London Eye
Here’s another picture taken from within the London Eye
Inside The London Eye
Here are some pictures of the view from the London Eye
View From The London Eye
View From The London Eye
View From The London Eye
View From The London Eye
View From The London Eye
View From The London Eye
So, I’m sure you’ll want to know if I recommend it? Of course, I do! When I used to live in London, the London Eye was not a part of London. Then when I started returning to visit London, I used to pass it and not really consider going on it, because I used to think it was a waste of money – for a ride that was very costly. However, now that I have been on it – I think it’s not just a ride, it’s an experience. Try it and you’ll love it!
The South Bank, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye and More
Continuing with Day Three of my trip to London in July. Wow, has it already been nearly two months since I came back? How time flies?
Okay, fast rewind back to that day. We went for a walk all the way from our hotel – The Trafalgar – to the South Bank. It was a lovely walk, it drizzled just a tiny bit at one time, and other than that it was nice and warm – perfect weather for a walk. Do you know that London is a fabulous place to take a walk? Oh, the parks, the sightseeing, and the architecture! This is some of what we saw as we got closer.
The London Eye – isn’t it lovely?
The London Eye
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament – aren’t they just magnificent?
Big Ben and Houses Of Parliament
London, isn’t it wonderful?
Big Ben
Okay, I won’t ask you any more questions, I’ll just let you take a look at the pictures.
Big Ben and Houses Of Parliament
The London Eye, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben
The London Eye, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben
Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben
I don’t know what the name of the castle or palace type building is so I’ll just call it “Beautiful Palace”
Beautiful Palace type building on the South Bank
Fancy a ride, you could go on this carousel or the London Eye which you might see if you look closely at the picture.
Carousel At the South Bank
Fancy a walk? London is a terrific place for taking walks. Oh, how I would love to be taking a walk there right now!
South Bank, River Thames and Big Ben
South Bank, River Thames and Big Ben
That’s my 17 year old daughter’s beautiful hair – it looks even more spectacular with the sun shining down on it!
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
Time for bubbles!
Bubbles and Big Ben
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
Have you ever seen such a big bubble or seen one as beautiful?
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
Wow! Now, it’s really massive! This man is good, and I think he’s magical!
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
I will always remember the Bubble Blower of the South Bank
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
So, we left the bubbles to get closer to our ultimate destination – the London Eye.
Now, we are getting closer to the London Eye
Here we are really close, in fact – we are at the entrance of the London Eye!
So, you’ve seen pictures of the entire wheel, you may have seen what it looks like up close – if not, this is what it’s like
and just for you, another picture…..at a slightly different angle.
Well, until next time…..and here’s a sneak peak at my latest video of the South Bank, the Bubble Blower and the London Eye. Let’s just say I love London, and I hope you like the pictures, and the video.
Dean’s Yard, Westminster Cathedral And Victoria
Are you ready to see more of my London pictures? I hope you are! Well, back to London and my continuation of Day Three which was July 25, 2014. Not too far away from Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey is a gorgeous building called Dean’s Yard – I absolutely love it!
Dean’s Yard
So, I took another picture
Dean’s Yard
and another
Dean’s Yard
and again! You’re lucky that I’m not showing you all of the pictures I took of Dean’s Yard!
Dean’s Yard
As we walked away from Dean’s Yard, we saw this building – The Albert Pub – across the street not too far away. The pubs in England are somehow decorated outside quite often with the loveliest flower displays. I think that makes it look rather charming!
The Albert Pub
The Albert Pub
The Albert Pub
Then we saw Westminster Cathedral – I really love the design.
Westminster Cathedral
I kind of feel I am in Italy.
Westminster Cathedral
Across the street from Westminster Cathedral is this building which houses shops and and you can see the reflection of Westminster Cathedral in the glass building.
Victoria Street
Victoria Street
London Street Scene
I love Victoria Station – when I first came to London, this is the station I arrived at, so I will always fondly remember Victoria Station and the surrounding area.
Victoria Station
London Street Scene
What a nice elegant building, and it happens to be a theatre!
Victoria Palace
Victoria Palace
Here you can see samosas, alongside sausage rolls and cheese and onion pasties in display cases in most newsagents or small convenience stores.
Pasties, Samosas and Sausage Rolls Display
Just another street scene in Victoria
Victoria
British people like their pasties….and I love cheese and onion pasties. Oh, how I could do with one right now.
Cornish Bakehouse
This is such an interesting building, and since I don’t know it’s name – that’s what I will call it. One of my pictures shows that one of the bars on the entry level is named “bbar”
Interesting Building in Victoria
Interesting Building in Victoria
This interestingly named pub is on the corner of Buckingham Palace Road and Victoria Street
Bag O’ Nails Pub
Bag O’ Nails Pub
Bag O’ Nails Pub
I had to pause and look at this building – after all – it’s the Royal Mews.
Royal Mews
Look at this guard, he is so well-behaved.
London Guard
So is this one.
Stable Yard Road Guard
Well, even though we visited Buckingham Palace yesterday, it doesn’t hurt to go back again for the second time
Gates near to Buckingham Palace
It’s a bit of a rainy day
Buckingham Palace
Incase, you want to know what is coming next in my posts, this video might give you a clue! I haven’t made a video for quite some time, so it was certainly time, and I might as well make one on London. Well, until next time!
So Much To See In The City Of Westminster!
The City of Westminster has so much to see – this is where Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace are. Therefore, I would say this is a very important part of London.
Cromwell Green, outside Westminster Hall
The Oliver Cromwell Statue at Cromwell Green, outside Westminster Hall
The Palace of Westminster
In this post, let’s continue with Day Three in London – July 25th, 2014. After we saw Big Ben, we continued walking just a few feet away, and we were near St. Margaret’s Church, and Westminster Abbey.
St. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey
St. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey
St. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey
St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey
St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Time for a family picture
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
St. Margaret’s Church
Now, isn’t this lovely?
Westminster Abbey
What about this? I just love the architecture!
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Palace of Westminster
Westminster Abbey
Palace of Westminster
The statue is that of King Richard 1, who was also known as Richard the Lionheart (known as this because of his reputation as great warrior and military leader)
Palace of Westminster
Back to Westminster Abbey again
Westminster Abbey
Niki’s taking in all the history, culture and the beauty of her surroundings
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Palace of Westminster
Westminster Abbey
Well, wouldn’t you like to live here? I’m afraid you can’t, and it seems like this place has quite a bit of history to it, you might want to read up on it.
Old Palace Yard
This is the only visible reminder that Old Palace Yard was once a residential street.
Old Palace Yard
close by to Old Palace Yard and Westminster Abbey
Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
King George V Statue near Westminster Abbey
Wow, the bus almost looks bigger than the Palace of Westminster!
London Bus and the Palace of Westminster
This sundial is between the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey by Old Palace Yard, it features in it’s outer circle, a quote which is hard to show you here, unless I show you several pictures that I have of the different words. So instead, I will include the quote below taken from William Shakespeare’s play, Henry VI, part III: “To carve out dials quaintly, point by point, thereby to see the minutes how they run: how many makes the hour full complete, how many hours brings about the day, how many days will finish up the year, how many years a mortal man may live.”
The Queen Elizabeth 2nd’s Golden Jubilee Sundial
Here it is closer up
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Sundial
There’s the sundial in the picture below wedged in between two magnificent buildings
View from Old Palace Yard
This is where we came from a few hours ago, and now we are looking at it from Westminster Abbey
The view from Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Again, the magic of Big Ben being next to other buildings when seen from different angles just amazes me! Do you think about this yourself, or do you not ponder upon it? I really wonder whether you do or not.
Big Ben and St. Margaret’s Church
Just added these last three pictures because I love the color red, and of course you can get a lot of that in London – you don’t have to walk far to see either a red London bus or a post box, or phone booth.
City of Westminster
City of Westminster
City of Westminster
I think I have shown you a lot of pictures now of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament (which is also known as Palace of Westminster), St. Margaret’s Church, and Westminster Abbey. I hope you feel like you know this part of the City of Westminster a little better just by looking at my pictures. Don’t miss visiting the City of Westminster, there’s nothing quite like it!
14 Pictures of Big Ben
You think you only need one picture of Big Ben, well how about ten? How about fourteen – I think that’s plenty. You know me, I love London, and I love taking pictures of it. However, I think I love taking pictures just in general, not just of London. However, London is a special place – the place where I once went to when I was eighteen when I didn’t know where I would stay and just showed up. When I saw it, I was besotted – it didn’t seem like the rest of England, the England I was accustomed to – the up north England of Yorkshire, or even the few other places I had been to occasionally for weddings such as Leeds, Birmingham, Derby, Walsall or places such as Bingley, and Halifax that I had also gone to quite a bit. London was different. London was grand, elegant, majestic, breath-taking, and ever so different. It was like being in another country. I ended up staying in a bed and breakfast for a few weeks, and then rented a studio flat in Paddington. Anyway, let’s get back to reality and to pictures and not my story of another time. I will leave that for another time.
Here are some Big Ben pictures, who could have known it could be next to so many different things and look different in each picture.
Here it is is, alongside the Houses Of Parliament
Big Ben, London
Here it is with people in front of it, well that was bound to happen! And a bus, and now that building on the left crept into the scene too.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with more of a glimpse of another building behind it (the white building). The trees show up more in this, and the sun must have just gone behind a cloud too.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with more people, and a sightseeing bus in front of it.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with the London Eye showing up. How did that happen? Magic! Well actually no, just get pictures from all different angles and you’ll get different pictures – pretty amazing!
Big Ben, London
Here it is with the London Eye and a London Bus.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a London Bus, as seen from Westminster Abbey
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a sign from St. Margaret’s Church in the corner, and the London Eye and the London Bus.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a London tree, St. Margaret’s Church sign, the London Eye and a London Bus.
Big Ben, London
Here it is in just it’s plain grandeur, next to a spiral tower on a ceiling (not just any ceiling, mind you).
Big Ben, London
Here it is next to historical buildings – this part of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament is known as Cromwell Green and if you look closely, you can see a statue of Oliver Cromwell at the bottom right).
Big Ben, London
Here it is is with a bit of the London Eye to the left of it
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a very nice building to the left of it
Big Ben, London
I hope you enjoyed seeing the changing scenery that included the Big Ben in it. Also, the fourteenth picture I added in right at the end as the featured image, and that was Big Ben as seen from the London Eye. As you can see, you will get a completely different look of Big Ben from there. Well, until next time.
Trafalgar Square to Houses Of Parliament
We are still on Day Three of our Five Day Trip to London which was a three week trip in total. Another week was spent in northern England where my family lives, and one week was spent in Antalya, Turkey (I’ll have to write a post on that at some point soon – I hope).
Today is July 25th, we had left the USA on July 22nd at around 8 pm, and arrived at London Heathrow Airport on the 23rd at around 3pm local time, which was 7 am USA Pacific Time – we were lucky to have caught a direct flight which was a total of 11 hours. Of course, when you get to England, you kind of lose a day with traveling and then have to put the clock eight hours forward.
This post carries on from the previous one – Trafalgar Square via Whitehall to Horse Guards Parade. We had just finished looking at the Horse Guard’s Parade grounds, and this is opposite to the Ministry of Defence. Can you imagine that nearly all buildings in London – even if not exactly touristy, are so beautiful! To me, they are a treasure, and are all worthy of being photographed!
The Ministry of Defence, Whitehall
Another picture in the same area.
Whitehall, outside of Horse Guards Parade
This person, the Eighth Duke of Devonshire, apparently turned down the job of Prime Minister – his statue is shown in the picture below
Spencer Compton, Eighth Duke of Devonshire, outside Ministry of Defence, Whitehall
Whitehall, City of Westminster
Now, let’s not forget the women of World War Two, they had a significant part in the war too – they served, fought, and nurtured the wounded – here’s their memorial.
The Women of World War Two, Whitehall
We are coming up to Downing Street, now the home of David Cameron, and when I used to live there, it was home of Margaret Thatcher. There’s been a few other Prime Ministers in between of course.
Downing Street, SW1
Downing Street, SW1
Downing Street, SW1
Downing Street, SW1
London Eye from near Downing Street
This memorial is significant, it commemorates the end of World War 1.
The Cenotaph – the UK’s primary war memorial
The Cenotaph – the UK’s primary war memorial
The Cenotaph – War Memorial commemorates end of World War 1
Well, look what else I saw….King Charles Street Bridge. The arch connects the Treasury building to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office building.
King Charles Street Bridge
King Charles Street Bridge
King Charles Street Bridge
King Charles Street Bridge
Now, I’m not sure what this building is exactly….but it is on the way from King Charles Street Bridge to
Westminster, near Whitehall
Here’s a building that just looked nice, so I took a picture of it.
Richmond House, 79 Whitehall
Well, a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament, and now we are getting close to where I was supposed to share more photos of – in this post. I think I dawdle too much along the way, and get way too distracted. Just to let you know, it is not that far from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament – I think you can make it in about twenty minutes if you walk fast.
Close by to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster
Next post….I have to share more pictures of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church.
luchanik 