Big Ben & Westminster Bridge

Plans will sometimes change during any vacation and accommodations must be made. Sometimes sickness, long waits in lines and the weather come into play. Sometimes the wear and tear of the vacations takes its toll. I was at this point feeling weary mid-day on the ninth day in London. Plans were to visit Banqueting House. The structure is the only complete surviving building of Whitehall Palace, the sovereign's principal residence from 1530 until 1698 when it was destroyed by fire. It is also the site of the execution of King Charles I in 1649.

Instead my journey only took me as far as views of Big Ben and the South Bank near Westminster Bridge. Note that Big Ben is the name of the great bell in the clock tower. It is now norm, although many would often say incorrectly, to refer to the clock and the tower as Big Ben.

Both vehicle and foot traffic is heavy at Westminster Bridge as it serves popular access to the South Bank and the London Eye.