Spencer's Semester Abroad: London Bus Tour

Today we went on a bus tour of London, seeing some of the signature things around the city. We drove over the London Bridge, I’m just thankful it wasn’t falling down, falling down, my fair Lady. Also, when the tour guide pointed out Big Ben, I was surprised he wasn’t wearing a Steelers jersey. All jokes aside, driving through London and seeing some of the historical sites was truly something special. Every building has unique architecture, a lot of it centuries old. Seeing Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben (which is the bell inside the clock tower, not the actual clock), Harrod’s, and Buckingham Palace makes me realize how young the United States is by comparison. Our guide would say, this building is pretty new, but it was finished in the 1600’s.

At Buckingham Palace, we actually waited for the guards’ procession and walked with them to the palace. The guards look like a glorified marching band, but our guide told us that they are the top dogs in the military. Each of them was holding an enormous machine gun that they are allowed to use if you try to trespass or get through the gate. Based on the feather in their cap designates which regiment they are and where they are stationed. A red feather means they serve in Afghanistan when they aren’t stationed guarding the palace. Although these guys are the badasses in the military, its hard to take them seriously when you see these huge furry black hats that look like a shag carpet from a 1970’s porno.