London prepares for the Olympics (20 images)

A London bus crosses the Waterloo Bridge over the River Thames in London on July 24, 2012, as the London Eye Ferris Wheel (L) and Westminster Palace with Big Ben are shown in the background. The Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled for Friday, July 27, 2012. UPI/Pat Benic

London Olympic banners and a classic British telephone booth adorn a street near Leicester Square in London on July 24, 2012. The Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled for Friday, July 27, 2012. UPI/Pat Benic

Pedestrians wade across a flooded Kilburn High Road, after a broken water main flooded a major thoroughfare, halting traffic and public transportation in London on July 25, 2012. Two days remain until opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics. UPI/Terry Schmitt

St. Paul's Cathedral is scene as a London bus crosses the Waterloo Bridge over the River Thames in London on July 24, 2012. The Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled for Friday, July 27, 2012. UPI/Pat Benic