I had just walked out of the Tate Britain Museum, crossed the road, and started walking along the embankment again. Soon a pier entrance beckoned me, but I kept going. The river Thames is spectacular!
It's part of the longest river in England, it has 45 locks, is home to over 25 species of fish, boasts three areas of outstanding natural beauty and it's the only river in Europe to have a national trail follow its entire length.
As mentioned in part one, there are many benches to stop and sit on, take a short rest, or even brief nap before continuing one’s journey. Alright, if you are young, then stamina isn’t a problem, but us older boys need to take it easy now and then to enjoy an outing. I took a brief rest.
Soon afterwards there was an exit from the embankment through a small park area, and onto the main road. Beautiful architecture lined the street while access to the Houses of Parliament. Armed police guarded the entrance while the street was full of tourists.
The present-day Palace of Westminster is built in the perpendicular Gothic style, which was popular during the 15th century and was responsible for the Gothic revival of the 19th century.
The House of Commons formally scrutinizes the Government through its Committees and Prime Minister's Questions, when members ask questions of the prime minister; the house gives other opportunities to question other cabinet ministers. Prime Minister's Questions occur weekly, normally for half an hour each Wednesday.
Basically, the Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative chambers which occupy the building.
Around the corner, adjacent with the Palace of Westminster is the Big Ben clock which has a clockface on all four sides. The street was flooded with tourists trying to get a glimpse. Actually, it isn’t very difficult considering it’s 96 meters high and can be seen from distance.
Big Ben is big and its diameter is at 8.9 feet, while the hammer inside the bell weighs 441 pounds. Meanwhile, there are four clocks on the tower, one on each side of it. Each clock has a diameter of 23 feet. The hour hand is 9.2 feet long while the minute hand is 14 feet long.
A symbol of democracy and a central part of what makes Britons feel British, Big Ben has become synonymous with both London, the United Kingdom and 'the Mother of Parliaments. ' And it not only holds a special place in the people of Britain's hearts, but in the hearts of MPs as well.
Crossing the road led to another flight of stairs going down to the pathway along the embankment. I turned back facing Big Ben as it began striking bongs at midday. Then London Eye could be seen from across the river. There were also many ferry services, and river cruises. There was even a bar on a barge, but it was avoided.
Shortly after taking plenty of snapshots of sights on the river, I departed inland towards Covent Garden for some lunch. On my way, I came across Five Guys, a hamburger franchise business which one of my students had recommended. I’ll carry on about it in the next episode, so don't miss part three.
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Trail (n) = track, path, trajectory, stream, line, way, road, footpath, route
Adjacent (adj) = head-to-head, together, next to, in line, neighboring, adjoining, bordering
Bong (n) = (n) = a low-pitched, resonant sound of the kind made by a large bell. "The clock had struck the hour and it was only three bongs."
(v) = 3rd person present: bongs (especially of a bell) emit a low-pitched, resonant sound.
Barge (n) = flatboat, a long flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight on canals and rivers, either under its own power or towed by another.