Review of Citadines Trafalgar Square 3*

I visited this landmark not long ago, and I have to say that between Trafalgar Square and the nearby Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, the House of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey; all these historic places are definite must-sees for anyone visiting London. When I last visited London, I arrived by tube from northern England to Piccadilly Station around 6:45am. There were very few people out and about at that time in the morning, at least when I went that was the case. I walked from Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square to take in the sights, enjoy the beautiful architecture, and snap a few pictures. Then I walked down Whitehall Street, past the many monuments and statues, to where I spent some time at Big Ben and across the street at Westminster Abbey as well. As a lifelong student of history, I think I could've spent all day at the Abbey alone, perusing all the different areas of the parish and reading of all the historical figures buried there, however I moved on with my tour back across the street to the House of Parliament building. After taking pictures of the Parliament building, I continued walking down the sidewalk of Whitehall Street to where the Parliament building ended and came upon a quaint garden somewhat secluded by a barrier of vegetation separating it from the hustle and bustle of busy London. A nearby placard informed me that this garden was known as Queen Victoria's Garden. The garden is deceptively large when seeing it on a map, however the area feels like a small, floral oasis when standing inside its grounds. A short walk across the garden to its furthest perimeter (which borders the Thames River) produces several benches on which one can sit under the shade of nearby trees and enjoy a peaceful view of the Thames, London Bridge, and many other iconic London sights along that portion of the river. It was on one of those garden benches that I spent time taking in the magnitude of the history that surrounded me, centuries worth of men and women who had walked these very streets, perhaps lounged in this very area. Famous scientists, politicians, academics, inventors, artists and so on had visited this very place — maybe not the garden itself, but this area of London. It was an overwhelming thought but one that made the grandeur of the surrounding landmarks even greater than I could have ever imagined from simply learning of them in a book or in school. I would wholeheartedly recommend anyone visiting London to make time to see this part of the city, but especially those with a love of history. To think of all the famous Englishmen and Englishwomen who had walked through that area of London, some who had even been on the Abbey's grounds during their lives, was a real treat I'll never forget as long as I live.