Last Post of London!! - Shots from the Tower Bridge at Night

This is essentially a continuation of the previous post, but from the opposite perspective.  Here you can see where I was shooting those photos from.  The first shots are actually taken from the bridge, while the last few are taken from along the banks of the Thames.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures from England!!  You never know, I may revive this blog at some point to put up pictures of my apartment or other random things, but for now, so long!

Shots of the Tower Bridge at Night

After an excellent Italian dinner at the best restaurant in London, a friend and I ventured out to the Tower Bridge to take some night shots.  It really was quite stunning with the reflections in the water.  True, these are a lot of shots of the same thing, but I thought they looked good and offered slightly varying perspectives.

More Pictures from Around the City

This is my second edition of pictures from around the city.  These were all taken on the same trip I shot the Tower Bridge.  The first three focus on the Shard, which was still under construction while I was there.  You can see the London Bridge in the first and the Millennium Bridge in the third.

Of course, no trip to London would be complete without seeing the new Shakespeare Globe . . . :) 

Finally, I included a unique shot of St. Paul's and a picture of an interesting modern building on the bank of the Thames.

Tower Bridge and Shots from the Tower Bridge

On another self-guided walking tour of the city, I went down to the Tower Bridge and the surrounding areas.  Below are several shots of it taken both from the river bank and the London Bridge.

Interestingly, the views from the Tower Bridge were as good as those of the bridge.  I only have a couple of good daylight shots, but I included them below.

Cambridge

Next to Bath, Cambridge was my favorite place in England.  It had much more of a college town feel than Oxford, and was a little bit less touristy and more laid back than London.  Although I only spent one day there, I was able to see most of the town.  The first four pictures are along the river through town.  It may not have have stunned with its grandeur like so many other sites during the trip, but as with most of Cambridge, it was quite picturesque.

Its hard to do justice to the gardens as Cambridge in a photo, but the next should at least give you an idea.  There was an incredible array of both familiar and exotic plants, and each college seemed to have several acres set aside for gardens.

Finally, I included some shots of several of the more famous buildings in Cambridge.  The people really give a feel for the scale, particularly in the fourth shot.

Downtown Shot from Downtown

London may be famous for its history, but it is a very modern city in some regards.  The following shots are from a weekend when I walked downtown to see what it was like up close.  The first shot is the London Stock Exchange on the right and St. Paul's in front.  The rest are from the very center of the commercial part of town.  The Gherkin is pretty cool, but on of the other buildings fell prey to the worst trends in modern architecture and truly is hideous.

Trafalger Square and Buckingham Palace

These two sites weren't my favorite, but they are worthy of a post nonetheless.  The first images are from the square, which seemed to be a permanent hub of activity.

The second set it from Buckingham Palace and really speaks for itself.  Comparing it to St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey, I would have to say the Church certainly had better taste and likely a larger purse during Britain's height.

Around the City

While I have lots of posts with themes, this one is more a compilation of different things from around the city.  The first picture is of a restaurant right by my dorm.  I never ate there, but I thought granny might appreciate the plantings.

Next are a couple of pictures by the Thames near the LSE.  Neither is of a particularly great scene, but I thought they captured the beauty of London nicely.

Going with the theme from the previous couple pictures, I included a shot of one of the many parks below.  I was lucky to have several within walking distance.

Finally, I have three pictures shot on the same day, but in different locations.  The first is right outside the Borrough Market, which was absolutely packed with people but offered a number of neat food options.  I had a duck sandwich and cake for lunch.  The second is simply a neat shot of a fountain near the Tower Bridge.  Finally, I included a shot of an impromptu book market under the Waterloo bridge.  There were literally thousands of used books for sale, and when I saw it I couldn't help but think of Granny.