Big Ben and the House of Commons

We got to see Big Ben.  Only British citizens can tour Big Ben and you have to make an appointment with your local politician.  We also happened to be there as the clock was striking 5:00.

One of the most interesting things we did was go in to see the House of Commons in session.  It would be like seeing the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. They were debating a water issue which wasnt that interesting, but seeing how it all works was fascinating.  We had to go through a medal detector, have our mug shot taken and wear it around our neck on a lanyard.  We had to leave our purses and/or bags at a check station.  We were allowed to stay and listen as long as we wanted though.  And there was a glass barrier between the visitors gallery and the rest of the room apparently so we couldn't throw tomatoes or something at the politicians.