Famous Buildings in London

When it comes to London, the first thing that comes to mind is London’s art. These iconic art pieces in London are world-renowned. Whether it’s on the streets of London or in a university, you will encounter many artists or artists who are striving on the path of art.

European cities are generally not very large. Except for a few that are particularly fun to explore, a big city can be covered in two or three days, and a small town in one day. Of course, if you want to savor a certain art gallery or museum, that’s another matter. In my humble opinion, I would say that Paris, Rome, and Barcelona are excellent schools, and now London is another one. Moreover, I would even put London ahead of Barcelona. I call them good schools because I think these cities themselves are fascinating textbooks, the more you learn, the deeper they become, the more you see, the more you want to see!

Today, let’s talk briefly about an art tour route in London, where you can enjoy oil paintings, architecture, and literature all at once.

My four years of studying in France made me fall in love with these precious oil paintings, especially in Paris. When you come across a famous work in a book while studying, you can go straight to see the original, which is a very pleasant thing to do. So when I came to London, I couldn’t miss the art galleries. This time I went to four: the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Courtauld Gallery, and the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace.

First, let’s talk about the National Gallery. I spent a whole day there, and I only had time to look at the 19th-century works in a bit more detail. I didn’t have time to savor the 17th-century Dutch works, which was a real pity. The National Gallery is arranged by color, divided into four areas, of course, you can also follow the Chinese browser to admire the 50 famous paintings in the four areas. For example, Seurat’s “Bathers at Asnières,” you can feel the pointillist technique of divisionism. From different angles to observe the painting, the color will change, also greatly enhances the isolation of the characters. Another example is Gainsborough’s “The Morning Walk,” a lifelong journey of careful reading. Of course, besides these 50 famous paintings, there are many other masterpieces. Hogarth’s “The Marriage A-la-mode series,” a British satirical painter, impressed me. It is like freezing the reality of society at a moment in time. The whole art gallery is like a detailed art history book for you to read slowly. I was happy to find that the National Gallery is open to the public free of charge all year round. If I lived in London, I would love to come here from time to time to feast my eyes. The National Portrait Gallery is next door, where you can find portraits of Shakespeare, the Brontë sisters, Darwin, JMS, and of course many royal and parliamentary portraits. The National Portrait Gallery is also free to the public.

Out of the art gallery is Trafalgar Square, a very cozy square in the city center. On a good day, it’s nice to sit there, have lunch, listen to street performers, and feed the pigeons. Especially during the Christmas season, a large Christmas tree is erected in the center of the square, which is said to be a gift from Norway in gratitude for Britain’s assistance during the war. So they send a Christmas tree every year.

If you like Impressionist paintings, you can’t miss the Courtauld Gallery on the Waterloo Bridge. It’s a private manor house, although small, it has a lot of famous collections. The most famous is Manet’s “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe.” And I accidentally saw Seurat’s work in Courbevoie, which made me very happy, after all, this year I lived in Courbevoie, a suburb of Paris.

The Queen’s Gallery is also part of Buckingham Palace. I personally think it’s a bit of a rip-off. The price is high, the paintings are limited, and it’s just a temporary exhibition. Even worse, Buckingham Palace is closed in winter except for group tours, and the price of group tours is a kind of “are you kidding me” feeling! So I can only regretfully wait for the summer.

Buckingham Palace is basically surrounded by a piece of garden, such as Green Park, Saint Jame’s Park. I chose the road to Saint Jame’s Park. On the other side of the park is the famous Westminster Abbey, St. Margaret’s Church, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and of course the melodious River Thames and the London Eye on the other side of the river. Saint Jame’s Park, this former royal park is really lovely, it seems to be integrated with the little animals, the squirrels jumping around are really funny. In the misty rain, it has a unique charm. Next to the park is a tree-lined avenue, the trunks of the trees are tall and vigorous, whether you choose to stroll in the park or along the avenue, it is a good choice. I prefer it to the famous Hyde Park. Soon we arrived at London’s landmark building, the Houses of Parliament. Its grandeur goes without saying, it seems that the Houses of Parliament everywhere are so grand. And listening to the sound of Big Ben, will there be more of a sense of fulfillment? Westminster Abbey next door is bustling with tourists, with queues that can go all the way to the Houses of Parliament. European churches can no longer give me too much surprise, but imagining the grand coronation of the royal family still makes me very interested in taking a look. If you come to Westminster Abbey, you must not miss its Lady Chapel. It’s worth mentioning that Westminster Abbey, besides the main hall, the small chapels on the side are all impressive, and you can see them all at a glance. And the Poets’ Corner by the west gate, Shakespeare’s statue, Jane Austen’s monument, etc., will make you linger? From the main hall, go to the nearby cloister, I like the College Garden, it is said that it was the place where the hermits used to grow vegetables, a quiet garden in the hustle and bustle, and from the archway you can see the iconic Big Ben.

Speaking of churches in London, St. Paul’s Cathedral has to be mentioned. It was once the tallest skyline in London and the second largest cathedral in Europe. If you have time, the Chinese tour of St. Paul’s can give you a vivid lesson. Besides the main hall, you can climb to the dome and look out over the city, and below the main hall is the underground crypt, which is as large as the main hall, the largest underground crypt in Europe. St. Paul’s Cathedral is the national cathedral of Britain. As soon as you enter the cathedral, you can see the baptismal font, “coming out of the water to be reborn.” This also coincides with Thales, the founder of human philosophy, the saying “water is the best.” Then there is the nave, the path that Christians must walk in their lifetime. This was once the site of Diana’s wedding, the celebration of victory in World War II, and the state funerals of Wellington and Churchill. You can sit quietly for a while and feel the weight of historical events one after another. It’s even better if you happen to meet the children of the choir (usually around 11:30). Climb 530 steps to explore the 365-inch black and white dome. The ingenious designer just designed it according to the number of days in a year. To increase the cathedral’s field of vision, there is not only an inner dome, but also an outer dome, which is also why St. Paul’s was once the skyline of London. The spiral staircase becomes narrower and narrower, and when you reach the dome, you can enjoy the panoramic view of London. Although the wind is so strong that it can blow you over, it’s worth going. On the way to the top of the tower, you will also pass by the famous Whispering Gallery, which is like a whispering wall, which reminds me of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. I used to have fun with my friends at the whispering wall, but unfortunately this time I’m traveling alone, and no one to play with me. The crypt is actually not as big as I imagined, especially half of it has been separated to make a coffee shop, it makes me feel like I’ve finished walking around in one lap. The atmosphere is not gloomy either. No matter what, to experience the baptism of St. Paul’s Cathedral is an essential part of a trip to London.

Coming out of St. Paul’s Cathedral, across the Millennium Bridge, is the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, a must-see for Shakespeare fans. It’s a pity that there are no performances in winter, so I can only stare at the desolate stage and imagine the scene when the stage is full of people. I was happy to find that I actually bought a complete works of Shakespeare in English at the bookstore in the theater. My childhood dream has finally come true, a book that is definitely worth savoring for a lifetime.

Another famous attraction that is not crowded is the Tower of London. This former castle and dungeon stands quietly by the Thames. You can imagine the scene when ships passing by used to pay tolls here. The gatekeepers at the Tower of London are all retired soldiers, over 40 years old, they are not just anyone who can be used to fill the quota. And now they live on one side of the Tower of London, and their children and grandchildren also live there. Is there a feeling of a Beijing courtyard? This time, the highlight was the royal jewels exhibition inside. The usual few carats are really too inconspicuous, the royal diamonds are almost blinding my eyes. Especially the four treasures of the spoon, jewelry, scepter, and crown are really high-end, top-notch, unparalleled. Seeing the four treasures in their true colors is worth the ticket price.

The next two small attractions, although not large, are known to everyone, and the queue is particularly long. One is the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street, the other is the Harry Potter Station. As soon as the Baker Street subway station arrived, I saw the detective’s head printed on the subway station. Then I walked to Baker Street, and before I saw the museum, I saw a sea of people waiting. So detective fans must get there early, otherwise it’s not an exaggeration to say that you will wait for two hours. The whole building should be it, but only three floors are open to the public. The rooms are warm and exquisite, and there are many movie scenes, as well as small pipes and detective hats for tourists to play with. Before leaving, you can also leave your name in the autograph book. I’m not a Sherlock Holmes fan, so I wasn’t too excited. But I think of the satisfaction I felt when I saw Anne’s House in Holland, and I can imagine the excitement of detective fans when they come here.

Let’s talk about the Harry Potter station! It’s at the King’s Cross train station! At first, I was worried that I would have to go to Platform 9 or 10 to find this scene from the movie? Would I have to buy a train ticket that just happened to be on one of these two platforms? Turns out they had already roped off an area for tourists to take pictures, and there were staff to help you with scarves and take pictures, professional enough! If there really was such a wall, how great would it be! If you go to the King’s Cross station, you can also visit the British Library, not far from the subway station, and feel the power of books.

Finally, I want to mention Sir John Soane’s Museum, a place I only knew about after reading London’s guidebook, but a place I fell madly in love with after going. If you are an architecture buff, a collector, or an interior design buff, I bet you won’t want to leave. John Soane is Britain’s greatest architect. In 1833, he bequeathed his house to the nation, but required that nothing inside the house be changed. The house contains the architect’s acquisitions from his many years of European travels, the layout is clever, in any corner, there seems to be a connection with another part of the house. Especially the oil painting master, it is simply amazing, the eyeballs are about to pop out. Originally, I was surprised when I entered the oil painting room and saw the full load of oil paintings, but what is more amazing is that it is not just four walls, it is simply movable wooden boards, each wooden board has new collections and mysteries. When you think you have figured out the mystery, the tour guide moves a wooden board, and the sculpture from the outer room suddenly appears in front of you. And in the oil paintings, besides the collections everywhere, there are also some sketches designed by the architect himself for London. After leaving the museum, I can only exclaim “genius”!

The British Museum is the museum we are most familiar with. I will talk about a few special feelings. The British Museum Library is awe-inspiring. Not to mention the grandeur of the library itself, the trinkets from the West that it houses, really have a feeling of looking at a peep show. Although I have traveled extensively in Europe, and have seen some grand museums, but here I really have a feeling of heartfelt admiration. So the British Museum is a place where my feelings are very contradictory. The Chinese Gallery makes me heartbroken, but I have to admit that the British Museum is truly full of treasures. The lifelike Western chess set, I really want to take it out and play with it. So spend some time wandering around the British Museum, let history sink in, you will definitely gain a lot.

London gave me many beautiful memories, a hasty trip of a few days is really not comprehensive, can only be regarded as an art trip, feast your eyes! Don’t be in a hurry, even just walking along the Thames is a pleasure!