London: Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square sits in the heart of central London and is a place for rallies, political demonstrations and performing artists. Traffic flows through the roundabout to the south. The National Gallery dominates the north side. West is the Canadian embassy and east is the South African (both countries I have loved visiting). And there, rising high above it all is Nelson's Column.

Surrounding the central monument to Admiral Nelson are four exquisite lions. They are said to be the protectors of the statue and their sheer size alone is commanding. The area is cordoned off but that didn't stop tourists from climbing the monument for a picture riding a lion's back or sitting between its paws. I found the warning sign a bit confusing as the image either meant "stay off" or "don't fall."

We visited Trafalgar Square twice during our trip. The first time it was raining, so there were few people on the square and we could get some nice shots of statues. The second time we visited was dry and more crowded. Two musicians competed for attention on opposite sides of the square and several large sidewalk chalk drawings littered the pavement.

Liz was able to take some time and work on some sketches of the lions. These were intentional quick, pencil sketches in fifteen minutes. I thought she did exceptionally well considering the number of people and general activity and noise.

www.london.gov.uk/about-us/our-building-and-squares/trafalgar-square
Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Quick Review: Truly the central hub of the city. Easy walking distance to a wide variety of things to see, do or eat. Or fun to sit and people watch, listen to street musicians and watch chalk artists.

To read more about our trip to London, click here.