Perspectives - This is What Big Ben Really Looks Like!

When traveling to a famous city, it can be a little intimidating. Take London, for instance. This city has been photographed and in television and movies almost as much as the Big Apple. It can be hard to get out of the mindset of how it’s portrayed on the screen, and how you’ll really see it.
        

A good example to start off with is Parliament and Big Ben. I thought my first view of it would be this:

Instead, my first view was like this:

This is right across the street from the Westminster Underground stop. I have to say, it was breathtaking. It really showed its stately-ness for me, and we were right there when it chimed. It sounded exactly like you would imagine.

Another thing I was surprised to see was the amount of bikers. A lot of people ride bikes in London, and some of them are serious. They wear spandex, sunglasses, basically the whole Tour de France. There are even bicycles you can hire. A little odd, but pretty cool.

I also thought Buckingham Palace would be different. It was cool to see it up close, but I was struck by how plain it was. Of course, I’ve seen it on TV and in movies, but seeing it in real life made me realize exactly how unadorned it is. I was rather surprised by it.     

One of my mom’s rules for traveling is “To keep an open mind.” If you expect to see things exactly the same way as they are in pictures, you may miss out on unique views and perspectives. Yes, your perspective will change, and that’s okay. Sometimes, things look better outside their frames.

Written by: Elizabeth Niedbala