My first impression on London
Saturday is for me always the day to stay at home to clean my room, to wash clothes, and many other things I do at home. But last Saturday together with two friends I visited London for the first time.
At half past six in the morning we had already left the house in Oxford. It was not sure, whether the weather was getting better, because the clouds were changing everywhere in the sky. But we were lucky. It did not rain the whole day. In London we decided to begin our visit with Buckingham Palace. It was about 9 O'clock and this is the best time to take some photographs in front of the palace because it faces east. And so we entered the yard and caught sight of the palace guards. It was the first time I had seen guards in such a uniforms. Until this time I had only seen them in photographs. I had a feeling I was in a fairy-tale world. Had not I met them often before in fairy-tale?
I directed my sight to the east. My eyes could enjoy the colourful flowers in the garden. The name on a stone pillar there drew my attention at once: Malaysia. Why does the monument of Malaysia stand here? I asked myself. But my question was immediately answered, then on the next stands the name Australia etc. Here also on the front of the palace stand the colonies. They stand here outside the Queen's Palace like silent guards of the Queen. I went nearer to the centre of the yard, where there is the Queen Victorial Memorial. I read the inscription, which is on the front side of the statue facing stone pillars of the colonies: Victoria. Regina Imperatrix. Wow, The ruling Queen?!
After we had taken some photographs there we enjoyed walking along the Mall to the Admiralty Arch. But our destination was Trafalgar Square. This is one of the names we had to learn by heart in the secondary school. Nelson: who does not know his name in my contry? And here stands his monument commemorating his famous victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Is not Trafalgar just one of his victories? Before he won the Battle at Cape St. Vincent (1797), and then 1798 The Nile and 1801 at Copenhagen. Nelson: he was the symbol of the undefeated hereo, in whose blood the pleasure of war flowed. He embodied the dream of many people of his time. The inscription on the subway makes this clearer: Britons! Your Nelson is dead! Trust not in an Arm of Flesh, but in the Living God! What said the brave Nelson, Duncan, Howe? "God hath given us the Victory!" His Arm is not cold in Death, nor shortened, that it cannot save. Britons! Fear God, Fear Sin, And Then Fear Nothing!
As I was walking around the Square I saw some people feeding the pigeons. Do the pigeons have the blood of war? On the other side a group of gays prepared their band, banners and whistles. A few hours later the gays began their demo from here, and marched through the city. Do they have something to do with Nelson?
We then left Trafalgar Square and went along Whitehall to see the Horse Guards. We were lucky to see the colourful ceremony of the changing of the guard with hundreds of spectators. After that we walked down to The Thames and enjoyed walking along the Embarkment. We had just left Westminster Bridge as I heard Big Ben ringing. It was midday and I had to adjust my watch. From the other side of The Thames we had a beautiful sight of the Houses of Parliament. For the second time we crossed the Thames and wanted to visit Westminster Abbey. There were so many peole there, that I could not enjoy its whole beauty. We spent only a short time there and left for the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Here too in the Tower of London there were many people. It was not easy to go through the crowd. So we decided to go to the Bridge and wondered at its fascinating architecture. Then as soon as possible we took the train to go back to Victoria. There we finished our first visit to London. But I want to go there again.
(This article was written in Oxford, UK, in June 1997)
At half past six in the morning we had already left the house in Oxford. It was not sure, whether the weather was getting better, because the clouds were changing everywhere in the sky. But we were lucky. It did not rain the whole day. In London we decided to begin our visit with Buckingham Palace. It was about 9 O'clock and this is the best time to take some photographs in front of the palace because it faces east. And so we entered the yard and caught sight of the palace guards. It was the first time I had seen guards in such a uniforms. Until this time I had only seen them in photographs. I had a feeling I was in a fairy-tale world. Had not I met them often before in fairy-tale?
I directed my sight to the east. My eyes could enjoy the colourful flowers in the garden. The name on a stone pillar there drew my attention at once: Malaysia. Why does the monument of Malaysia stand here? I asked myself. But my question was immediately answered, then on the next stands the name Australia etc. Here also on the front of the palace stand the colonies. They stand here outside the Queen's Palace like silent guards of the Queen. I went nearer to the centre of the yard, where there is the Queen Victorial Memorial. I read the inscription, which is on the front side of the statue facing stone pillars of the colonies: Victoria. Regina Imperatrix. Wow, The ruling Queen?!
After we had taken some photographs there we enjoyed walking along the Mall to the Admiralty Arch. But our destination was Trafalgar Square. This is one of the names we had to learn by heart in the secondary school. Nelson: who does not know his name in my contry? And here stands his monument commemorating his famous victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Is not Trafalgar just one of his victories? Before he won the Battle at Cape St. Vincent (1797), and then 1798 The Nile and 1801 at Copenhagen. Nelson: he was the symbol of the undefeated hereo, in whose blood the pleasure of war flowed. He embodied the dream of many people of his time. The inscription on the subway makes this clearer: Britons! Your Nelson is dead! Trust not in an Arm of Flesh, but in the Living God! What said the brave Nelson, Duncan, Howe? "God hath given us the Victory!" His Arm is not cold in Death, nor shortened, that it cannot save. Britons! Fear God, Fear Sin, And Then Fear Nothing!
As I was walking around the Square I saw some people feeding the pigeons. Do the pigeons have the blood of war? On the other side a group of gays prepared their band, banners and whistles. A few hours later the gays began their demo from here, and marched through the city. Do they have something to do with Nelson?
We then left Trafalgar Square and went along Whitehall to see the Horse Guards. We were lucky to see the colourful ceremony of the changing of the guard with hundreds of spectators. After that we walked down to The Thames and enjoyed walking along the Embarkment. We had just left Westminster Bridge as I heard Big Ben ringing. It was midday and I had to adjust my watch. From the other side of The Thames we had a beautiful sight of the Houses of Parliament. For the second time we crossed the Thames and wanted to visit Westminster Abbey. There were so many peole there, that I could not enjoy its whole beauty. We spent only a short time there and left for the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Here too in the Tower of London there were many people. It was not easy to go through the crowd. So we decided to go to the Bridge and wondered at its fascinating architecture. Then as soon as possible we took the train to go back to Victoria. There we finished our first visit to London. But I want to go there again.
(This article was written in Oxford, UK, in June 1997)