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Today I want to tell you something about London and it\'s sights.
London isn't only the british capital, it's also the most famous city in Europe and millions of tourists go there every year to see the many historical sights. Here I want to show you some:
I start with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Edward the Confessor had it built in the eleventh century. Big Ben is found at the Houses of Parliament. Big Ben isn't the clock tower itself but the thirtteenth bell which strikes the hour. You even know when the Parliament is in session, because a light shines above the clock face.
Now we are going to the Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth the II lives there.
If you go there you can see the Changing of the Guards which takes place there every day. The Palace was built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. Since 1762 it was the private residence for King George III and since 1837 it's the official royal palace.
Also a very popular tourist attraction is the London Eye, a very big observation wheel. David Marks and Julia Barfield suggest their idea of a large observation wheel for the new millenium and got the help of British Airways who sponsored the project. The London Eye is 135m high. A complete turn takes about 30 minutes and on a clear day you can see as far as 40 km.
Now I'm telling you something about the Trafalgar Square. The Trafalgar Square has been a central meeting place since the Middle Ages. In the center of the square is the tall Nelson's Column which was built to remember the victory of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson was fatally wounded during that famous battle at the spanish coast. His body was taken back to London and buried in the St. Paul's Cathedral.
And now we go on with Madame Tussaud's.
Her worldwide famous Waxworks Museum has many waxwork figures of famous people such as Michael Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Bill Clinton and so on. There is also the \'Chamber of Horror\' section where you can see waxwork figures such as \'Jack the Ripper\'.
And now I want to tell you something about a very famous church - The St. Paul's Cathedral which had has a very eventful history. It was built in 604 and in 962 and 1087 the Cathedral was destroyed by fires, but each time it was rebuilt. But on the night of the 2nd of Semptember 1666 a fire destroyed 4 out of 5 of all of London including the St. Paul's Cathedral. In 1669 Christopher Wren designed the model for the new St. Paul's Cathedral but it took until 1711 before the Cathedral was finally finished.
Now I want to present you the London Dungeon. The museum takes its visitors on a trip through Englands bloody history. The Dungeon also has actors who are dressed as moster or other greatures. Since it's opening in 1975 the Dungeon has attracted many visitors from all over the world. And on the 31st October a frightfully good Halloween Party takes place there every year.
Finnally I will tell you some things about the Tower of London. The Tower of London was built by a Frenshman called William the Conqueror in 1066. Later the Tower became a prison and a place of execution. Till the 18th century the Tower was a place for Kings and Queens again. Now the Tower of London is a museum but it is still guarded by the Yeoman Warders who look after the Crown Jewels.
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