A Stop at Trafalgar Square - The Day Grows Dreary

The weather had turned quite dreary this Wednesday so I headed to the post office to mail more cards before returning to my hotel. On my way I took a quick stop and look over another of London’s major squares. Trafalgar Square is normally a thrilling place to hang out under good weather. The picture above is looking south. Big Ben is seen in the distance.

Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson stands atop a 185-foot tall granite column in commemoration of his victory over the French at the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. Part of this 1842 memorial is made from his victims melted-down cannons. He’s surrounded by spraying fountains, giant lions and usually hundreds of people. Until recently one of the biggest attractions of the square was the thousands of pigeons. London’s mayor had decided that London’s “flying rats” were a public nuisance and evicted the seed salesman. Feeding pigeons is now forbidden.

Along the northern perimeter of the square is the National Portrait Gallery, location of the most comprehensive portrait collection in the world; and the National Gallery, home to the nation's collection of Western European art.