The Monument, London

The Monument, originally uploaded by kmcgivney.

The Monument to the Great Fire of London is exactly what its title says it is - a monument that commemorates the Great Fire that happened in 1666. Built in 1677, it is 202 feet tall and stands 202 feet away from the point where the fire started. You can climb to the top of the monument up a steep and narrow winding staircase. It is 311 steps to the top - quite a feat, but well worth it for the views from the top. You even get a little certificate when you climb it.

I climbed it in 1999 on my first trip to London, but can't find the photos that I took with the point & shoot film camera I borrowed from a friend (I've come a long way, baby). This is a photo of the base of the monument taken in 2005. Normally it's surrounded by tourists checking out the sights or locals walking to or from work, but on this day I managed to capture it with nobody in the frame.