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1999 Austria / London / Munich: Westminster Abbey, Parliament, and Big Ben
By the banks of the River Thames is the Palace of Westminster, the seat of government, the famous Saint Stephens clocktower (with the Big Ben bell within), and nearby is Westminster Abbey, one of the most impressive churches around.
As we stroll from the bridge past the palace and on to the abbey we get many chances to hear the peals of Big Ben, a nickname originally given to the 13-ton "Great Bell of Westminster", but the term also came to include the clock and Saint
Stephen's Tower.
The security around the Palace of Westminster is such that one can't tour the building - a great shame, I suspect - so one is forced to gaze through wire and gates. We came across the Thames, so we saw it first from the water, then from the bridge walkway, and then from the front. The original palace was constructed in the eleventh century at the command of Edward the Confessor. It consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which together make up the British Parliament. The constable on duty stationed in front is pleasant, but busy. Members of Parliment drive in and out, around small groups of tourists. As we exit the abbey we choose to ignore the gift shop; yet another one of a seemingly unending series of cookie-cutter tourist trap. I understand that it's a source of income, but still, I'm embarrassed at the proximity of such a noble and magnificent work of art and the cheap and tacky wares being hawked. Next, Munchen (Munich).
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