London, the capital of Great Britain, is situated on the Thames
River. It is the largest city in Europe with a population of eight and a
quarter million. It is divided into four parts: the City, Westminster,
the West End and the East End. The City is the business and commercial
heart of London. Many banks, offices and firms are concentrated there.
The Tower and St. Paul's Cathedral are in the centre. The Tower is about
900 years old. Many years ago it was a royal residence, then a prison.
Now it is a museum. St. Paul's Cathedral is very large and fine. It was
completed in 1710. The famous English architect Christopher Wren planned
and built St. Paul's Cathedral. If the City is the business part of
London, Westminster is the centre of administration. We can see the
Houses of Parliament there. It is a beautiful building with two towers
and a very big clock called Big Ben. The Houses of Parliament stand in
Parliament Square. Westminster Abbey is opposite the Houses of
Parliament. Many great Englishmen were buried in Westminster Abbey. To
the west of Westminster Abbey you can see Buckingham Palace. It is the
royal residence. The ceremony of the changing of the guards which takes
place in front of Buckingham Palace is of great interest to the
tourists. Rich people live in the West End. The best and most expensive
clubs, restaurants and theatres, beautiful houses and parks are there.
The East End — the district of plants, factories, slums and docks — is
for the working people. London is unlike any other city in the world. It
has rather wide streets but low houses. It looks very grey because
there is so much rain and fog there. Only buses and pillar-boxes are
red. This city has never been planned and it has many parts which are
different from each other.