London: West End, Leicester Square, Soho

We walked around Leicester Square and Soho around midnight in July. There were so many people on the streets. Why does the guidebook say there is no nightlife in London? Maybe the guidebook is comparing London to Barcelona, one of those cities that people party until 6am.

London: British Museum

British museum has great collections and artifacts. The Egypt collection is arguably the best in the world. The admission is free, that is a great effort to educate the public.

This building does need some power washing, do you reckon?

The museum has glass ceiling to allow natural light come in. It does get a little hot inside.

London: Westminster Abbey

It's a gothic church across street from the House of Parliament. This is where Prince Williams and Kate got married. Photography was not allowed inside the building. Line was somewhat long but bearable.

London: Photo Op at Downing Street

#10 Downing Street is where British Prime Minster lives and works. The Londoners told me he doesn't really live there, maybe only the weekdays, he works over there and goes to his country home during weekends. I guess nobody likes to live in the same building where their office is located at.

Notice the dark building on the right. That's where unit #10. I thought it was supposed to be more discreet from the public but no.

London: Buckingham Palace

The Queen was not in the Palace during our tour in July. She escaped hot summer and tourist mob. How can you tell if the Queen is in residence or not? If the Union Flag flies from the Palace, the Queen is not in the Palace.

You can see Victoria Memorial in the background in the picture above.

London: St Paul's Cathedral

The line was quite short during our visit. Photography is not allowed. Once you cross the entrance line to buy the ticket, you really can't take pictures.

The architectural style is English Baroque. The church is white and airy inside. Princess Diana's wedding took place at St Paul's Cathedral.

London: Tower Bridge, the Shard, & the Gherkin

Today we checked out Tower Bridge and the surrounding area for an architectural tour.

We took a walk on Tower Bridge, a landmark which crosses River Thames. The appearance of the bridge looks like something from Disney. Is it because of the color scheme? Anyway, those famous buildings are all in plain view.

London: London Eye

You may say London Eye is too theme-park like. But you should at least go up once to look back down on the city. It is a lovely view.

We arrived there in the evening. The line wasn't terribly long and moved quickly. It was about 30 to 40 minute wait. Once we got inside the capsule, it was like a nonstop photo op. It's very roomy inside with small capacity, you wouldn't have a problem to find a nice viewing spot.

London: Big Ben & House of Parliament

We went to the House of Parliament around 4 pm. It was during the golden hours as the lighting was really soft. The building looked incredibly golden due to the pretty lighting.

London: Fish and Chips

We had to try pub food in London. JJ ordered fish and chips paired with beer and he liked it. My dish was curry chicken. The casual atmosphere and comfort food at the local pub made a pleasant lunch.

London: Trafalgar Square

We traveled from Paris to London in July 2013. The first stop in London was Trafalgar Square, a popular tourist attraction in Central London. You probably have seen it in the movies.