My Visit to The House Of The Parliament/ Westminster Palace Two days ago I bought a ticket to visit the British House of the Parliament. In the beginning I was annoyed that I had to pay a considerable amount of money to enter this historical place since nobody pays to get into the US Capitol. I dont know what is it with Brits and making people pay everywhere!However, I decided to commit to my sightseeing list and give it a go. Although the level of security was very high at the entrance, the guards were nice and cooperative. The moment you pass the security check point, you start to feel as if you are a character of a historical medieval film. Looking at the walls and statues from a short distance is a completely different thing than trying a get a glimpse from behind the bars of the fence.The very first building that you encounter is the Westminster hall, the only part of the palace which survived the 1835 fire and which is about one thousand years old. This huge hall reminded me of the interior of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem. Even the scent of the air issimilar. Is it wood? A special fragrance? I still dont have an answer. Waiting for the whole group to gather, I was able to capture a number of photos of the place. Although to many people this hall seemed to be an empty ghostly place, its roof, medieval walls and stairs were telling me a breath taking story about all the festivals, events, speeches, and tears that this place witnessed over the years. When our tour guide finally announced the beginning of the tour, we were told that no photography was allowed further down the place. I was disappointed. I knew it was for security reasons, but even though it was a great loss not to be able to catch the beauty of the magnificent architecture. We have been to Chamber of Lords and saw the Royal throne! I saw where queen Elizabeth sits during the meetings of the lords and earls. Although as a Palestinian I am used to ancient historical places, this time was different. I was swept by the sophisticated decoration of the chambers. Nobody does that anymore! In my eyes, when comparing that charm to modern art, the latter undoubtedly fails! The paintings of queen Victoria that I used to look up on wikipedia, I saw with my very own eyes! What also blew out my mind , is the fact that many royal traditions that were practiced hundreds of years ago are still going on until our present time, the wigs, robes, how a session begins and ends, and the surprising information that the queen is banned from entering the house of common due to a very old incident. Overall the feeling is indescribable! It was totally worth the admission fees! I am deeply thankful for the regulation that prevents visitors from using their cameras. I would have been worried about taking photos more than enjoying this hands-on experience of going back in time! Maybe I should carry my babe less frequently!
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 21:23:37 +0000
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