Seats of power
It was mostly cloudy on the short hop from Amsterdam back to the UK. However, as our plane descended down the ATC (Air Traffic Control) stack there were some good views of central London as we began the final run in to Heathrow.
I don't want to litter the entire photo with notes so will try to identify just some of the main buildings. I'm not that familiar with London so hope I have identified them correctly!
Big Ben is the tower adjacent to Westminster Bridge that crosses the River Thames. The main building alongside the river is the Palace of Westminster, containing the two Houses of Parliament, Commons and Lords. The lighter coloured building with two spires on the opposite side of the photo to Big Ben is Westminster Abbey. Just on the edge of that side of the photo, with a dome, is Central Hall, Westminster.
The building with a circular central courtyard houses several key government departments e.g. Her Majesty's Treasury; HM Revenue and Customs; Northern Ireland Office etc. More government departments are found in the adjacent building with a rectangular courtyard e.g. Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Wedged between that and the sandy coloured rectangle at the top right of the photo (Horse Guards Parade) is Downing Street with the Prime Minister's Office at No.10 and the Chancellor of the Exchequer at No.11.
St James's Park tops the photo with the Mall just out of sight running just beyond the top edge. Also just out of the picture in the top left corner will be Buckingham Palace, home of the Monarch.
Thanks Heathrow ATC for a grand aerial tour of the capital and British Airways for the window seat!
Seats of power
It was mostly cloudy on the short hop from Amsterdam back to the UK. However, as our plane descended down the ATC (Air Traffic Control) stack there were some good views of central London as we began the final run in to Heathrow.
I don't want to litter the entire photo with notes so will try to identify just some of the main buildings. I'm not that familiar with London so hope I have identified them correctly!
Big Ben is the tower adjacent to Westminster Bridge that crosses the River Thames. The main building alongside the river is the Palace of Westminster, containing the two Houses of Parliament, Commons and Lords. The lighter coloured building with two spires on the opposite side of the photo to Big Ben is Westminster Abbey. Just on the edge of that side of the photo, with a dome, is Central Hall, Westminster.
The building with a circular central courtyard houses several key government departments e.g. Her Majesty's Treasury; HM Revenue and Customs; Northern Ireland Office etc. More government departments are found in the adjacent building with a rectangular courtyard e.g. Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Wedged between that and the sandy coloured rectangle at the top right of the photo (Horse Guards Parade) is Downing Street with the Prime Minister's Office at No.10 and the Chancellor of the Exchequer at No.11.
St James's Park tops the photo with the Mall just out of sight running just beyond the top edge. Also just out of the picture in the top left corner will be Buckingham Palace, home of the Monarch.
Thanks Heathrow ATC for a grand aerial tour of the capital and British Airways for the window seat!