Look Up

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Banqueting House just down the street from Parliament Square in Central London. I had no idea what this was when I first heard about it. I thought it was just another museum, but boy was I wrong. Banqueting House is, in fact, just as it sounds. Originally built as a part of the Palace of Whitehall, which housed the monarchy until it was destroyed by a fire in 1698. It is the only surviving part of the palace. It was meant to hold the best banquets for the British monarchs and their esteemed guess, so you can imagine that the main hall was built to the highest of luxury. The design of the banqueting hall is spectacular. It is built in a large rectangle with a balcony surrounding the entire rim of the room with a high ceiling with stunning paintings and chandeliers to boot. It was hard to get a good picture because of the lighting, but I've included the best of what I got. It should give a good idea of the architecture, paintings, and decorations. However, no picture can truly capture the awe and wonder of first entering the hall. It's a definite must see if you're ever in London. It is free and open to the public. It is actually a really nice place to just go relax and be quiet. They provide chairs and bean bags to sit on, or you can just sit on the floor. Banqueting House is an astonishing, must see, destination in London.