Experiencing the Most of London in Just a Few Days
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:20 | 
| Tourism - Attractions |
Day or night, London thrives with life. A city that seems to have never fallen asleep from the time of its first founding, everything that one might want to experience can be found within the city center.
“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” The writer Samuel Johnson said this in the 18th century, and it can still be said of today’s contemporary London. Naturally, a city that offers all that life can afford needs numerous explorations, but with just a few days, one can experience the rich taste of this flavorful city. To start with, every visitor to London must dab into the city’s history, from the first days of its founding to its dark medieval secrets to the monarchy’s priceless crown jewels.
Next on the menu is the pure pleasure of London’s aesthetics; the city’s center is full of charming parks and English gardens, narrow streets which unexpectedly disclose the scents of exotic restaurants, and various shops and markets selling from the most tasteful and chic to the most trendy and unconventional. When night hits, it rocks. The drinks pour, the laughs are loud, the beats pump, and the dancing is intense. London is a thriving city, and day and night it keeps its visitors entertained with its history from its first foundations, its city center’s physical beauty, and its nightlife, making it a city that never sleeps.
London’s history is so rich and so vast, that the highest to the lowest level of history fan will be interested. While London acknowledges its first century Roman founding, it honors Boadicea with a statue near Parliament. Boadicea was the British queen who raised an army and fought back the Romans to London, where she burned the city. Those who find such violent female figures interesting will enjoy museums like Madame Tussauds, a very lifelike wax museum, and the London Dungeon, where the horrors and terrors of medieval London come to life, including a selection of Britain’s most infamous women throughout history.
The Tower of London houses the crown jewels as well as tales of mysterious prisons for important prisoners. Fusing history and art, the National Portrait Gallery depicts portraits of Britain’s most famous people throughout the centuries. The British Museum has one of the largest and best archeological collections of worldwide artifacts, including the Rosetta stone and Lindow Man. Fortunately, while these museums give a good feel for London’s past, the visitor does not actually have to deal with the battles, plagues, and fires that London has survived.
And relishing the calm and beauty of today’s civilized London, the visitor can peacefully enjoy London’s aesthetic city center. A walk along Oxford Street brings out the consumer in all, while nearby Hyde Park still manages to provide the serenity of the countryside in a city setting. Except, of course, speaker’s corner, where people proclaim their message for the world to hear. Northeast of the park is Portobello Market, one of London’s many outdoor markets, selling the best in antiques. Between the parks and busy shopping streets are quaint streets of times past, leading to unexpected surprises like central London’s Covent Gardens, where flower girls still sell beautiful bouquets.
Seeing all this from a bird’s eye view gives a comprehensive overview of what lies below, and the London eye shows just that from the center of the center. A free option offering a bird’s eye view is Primrose Hill, a small park in the north of London perched on a hill, overlooking the rest of the city. Hunger is bound to strike at some (or many) points of such jam-packed days, and the city’s flavors will suit all tastes. From traditional English fare to such exotics as Indian restaurants, which are quickly assimilating and becoming typical London fare, any array of food can be found in between. And what better time to plan the evening out than during mealtime, when feet are resting and stomachs are happy!
The day is done, the eve is planned, and as night approaches, day is just dawning for those that never sleep. A typical London night out will start at the pub with a group of friends, enjoying the local beers on tap and friendly conversations speckled with bursts of laughter. Of course, if it’s a football or rugby night, the atmosphere will be quite serious and concentrated till the winner is known. After whetting the whistle at the pub, many will go on to dance at one of London’s countless dance clubs. In such an international city, dancing will include every type of dancing, like techno, trance, hip-hop, Latin, ethnic, and raves. After the drinks and dancing, some late night chow down will soothe the stomach in the countless late night or fast food restaurants lighting up London’s night streets.
Experiencing the most of London in a few days is so enjoyable with London’s rich history, its delightful walks through its sophisticated and beautiful city center, and ever amazing transformation into a nightlong party. A world-class city aged 2000 years and still growing in popularity, London has aged better than a bottle of good wine. London never reached ‘a’ perfection – it continually recreates perfection for every generation that shares in its life, and that is why no one can ever forget this city.
City of LondonWednesday, 10 February 2010 17:14 |
The population of London is quite diverse, and an estimated 300 different languages are spoken by its inhabitants. Those inhabitants number about 7.5 million, in the city and boroughs, and a total of 12 to 14 million in the metropolitan area combined. This ranks the London metro area at 18th in the list of the largest world metropolitan areas. London was the largest metropolitan area in the world by population from 1825 to 1925, but has been overtaken by many cities around the world, and probably just as well. The diverse population is a lesson in tolerance, with 30 % of the population being born outside the U.K. Perhaps it's not so much tolerance as apathy. Londoners are not known for their warmth towards foreigners, but London is a place of business and it is necessary to get along to do business. Certainly no one could blame Londoners for feeling a little distain towards its immigrant population, but they really don't. London has long been a target of terrorist attacks of one kind or another. Without going too far back into history you can try imagining what it would have been like to be raising children during the early part of the 20th Century when World War I had Zeppelins overhead dropping incendiary bombs on the city. This was one of the earliest aerial bombings ever, and it took a while before defences were developed to combat the bombing. World War II was even worse, when the German Blitz had the population in constant fear, bombing the city day and night. In both situations, much of the population headed for the countryside, or at least sent their children there. Several decades later car bombs were detonated and pubs were targeted. Other attacks took place in the city by Provisional IRA and other groups sympathetic to their cause over the last four decades. The newest, most recent attacks by Muslim Extremists on public transportation systems would cause many countries to close their borders, and take an isolationist stance, but Londoners seem to know the difference between Muslims and Muslim extremists, and don't show fear or distain for any of these groups, or others who have attacked them over the years. They don't roll out the red carpet, but they show a genuine open mindedness toward most people. They also show a logical approach to dealing with terrorism. It may be that dealing with harsh reality gets easier over time. London has endured Plague, Civil War, Devastating Fires, along with bombardment and attacks over the past two thousand years, and seems to come back stronger from each event. Throughout all of this London has remained one of the most diverse cities in the world. London has also remained a vibrant city and a leader in all of the categories of any importance that makeup a key global city. London has thirty two boroughs, and the city of Westminster included within its loosely organized boundaries. Over time boroughs have been grouped into districts, cities, and other authorities in many different and sometimes confusing ways. Talking about Central London, Inner London, Greater London, The City of London, Metropolitan London, Municipal London, or Outer London is quite confusing to anyone who hasn't spent a lot of time there. Having a map on hand may be a requirement for not only tourists, but residents as well. The actual City of London is a small city within Greater London. It is the core of London and not much bigger than a square mile. This area of the city is the major financial centre, and is Europe's second largest central business district. Besides being a powerful financial community, London is also a great transportation hub. London has five international airports, and is a large port. Heathrow International Airport alone carries more passengers than other airport in the world. Also a great tourist destination, London offers entertainment with theatre, music, dance, and films. Shopping is a big draw to people visiting London with many famous shopping venues. From small markets to huge department stores many people are attracted to London by the shopping opportunities. Clubs and live music venues bring in another crowd, albeit a little different crowd, but again London is all about diversity. Sports, attractions, cultural spots, and historic locations also bring in tourists by the car load. Buses are a primary method of touring London, but a ride on British Airway's London Eye gives you a good look at the city from the banks of The River Thames and on a clear day you can take in 55 of the most famous landmarks in London in a half hour ride on the Eye. This can be combined with a river cruise that departs from LondonEye Pier to get an even more detailed look at the sights. It's a good idea to do this at the beginning of a sightseeing journey because seeing the sights from the Eye may help you decide which ones you want to see in person and give you an idea of their location from where you are staying. London has some great museums, and you can gain access to many of them without breaking your budget. The National Gallery displays many classic paintings, while The National Portrait Gallery displays portraits of many of history's most famous people. The National Portrait Gallery also has a rooftop restaurant with great views. The Tate Britain, and Tate Modern Galleries are excellent, and The Royal Academy of the Arts has been putting on a great summer exhibition since 1768. The Tower of London where The Crown Jewels are kept, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, and Royal Albert Hall are other must see landmarks that will help you gain an understanding and an appreciation of London's history. Check Out These Top Sights in LondonFriday, 22 January 2010 13:37 |
You simply cannot see London in a day, or even a week. But, if we had to choose the top London sights, these would be on our list of must-see London sights.
British Museum Founded in 1753, the British Museum is the oldest museum in the world. Filled with treasures brought from all over the world, the most prized acquisitions are a fine collection of Egyptian mummies, The Elgin Marbles- reliefs from the Parthenon in Athens, and Lindow man, a 2000 year old body preserved by the peat bog acids in Cheshire. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 17:30. British Museum Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace, the seat of the British Monarchy, is set right in the heart of London. Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. During August and September when The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland, the Palace's nineteen state rooms are open to visitors. Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster has been the seat of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords since 1512. Entry is through St. Stephen's Entrance, where you can join a queue for the public galleries, known as Strangers Galleries. Debates in the commons take place on Mon. Tues. and Thurs. from 2:30 pm; Wed. and Fri. from 9:30 am Museum of London The Museum of London provides a glimpse into life in London from prehistoric times to now. Open daily Mon to Sat: 10am to 5:50pm, Sun: Noon to 5:50pm. Last admission: 5:30pm. Closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January. Museum of London London Wall London EC2Y 5HN The National Gallery The National Gallery in London houses one of the greatest collections of European paintings in the world. These pictures belong to the public and entrance to see them is free. The National Gallery Trafalgar Square London WC2N 5DN Natural History Museum The Natural History Museum promotes the discovery, understanding, enjoyment, and responsible use of the natural world. Explore the world-class collections, fantastic exhibitions and cutting-edge research at no charge except for special exhibitions. The Museum is open 10:00 to17:50 every day except 24, 25 and 26 December. Last admission is at 17:30 Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5000. Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD, UK St. Paul's Cathedral St. Paul's Cathedral is Christopher Wren's answer to the influence of Roman architecture in London. It boasts some of the most beautiful and extravagant architecture ever included in one building. It costs to get in, but it is worth it. St Paul's Churchyard London EC4M 8AD The Tate Britain This exquisite museum of British art holds the largest collection of British works from the 16th to the 20th century. There is no charge for the regular collections at the Tate Britain, but an admission fee is charged for major exhibits. Open daily 10:00 to 17.50 Exhibitions open 10.00 to 17:50 Open until 22:00 on the first Friday of each month. Tel: 020 7887 8888 Millbank London SW1P 4RG Tate Modern The Tate Modern is Britain's national gallery of international modern art. Located in London, it is one of the family of four Tate galleries which display selections from the Tate Collection. This comprises the national collection of British art from the year 1500 to the present day, and of international modern art. Open Sunday toThursday 10:00 to18:00 Open Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 22:00 Tel: 020 7887 8888 Bankside London SE1 9TG Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert is the one of the greatest museums of art and design, a world treasure house with collections of fabulous scope and diversity. The museum holds artifacts, spanning over 3000 years, from many of the world's richest cultures. Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 2000 Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey is the final resting place for Britain's monarchs and the site of coronations and other pageants. This abbey is a medieval architectural masterpiece. Do not miss seeing this national treasure. The museum is usually open daily, including Saturday and Sunday, from 10:30am to 4:00pm. The London Eye Take a ride on the London Eye and see the city from a new perspective. On a clear day, you can see about 25 miles away from the top of the eye in the comfort of your room-sized capsule. The London Eye is situated on the South Bank of the river Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The ticket office is located inside County Hall, which is the building directly next to the London Eye. Open daily London Parks and Gardens St. James Park lies in the heart of London and is both a wildlife preserve and a relaxing place to escape the hustle bustle of the city. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are adjoining parks that offer the best of both worlds. Hyde Park provides space for sporting events, concerts and a lake for swimming. On the other side of the park is Kensington Gardens, which offers spacious grassy areas, beautiful flowerbeds, and a pond that is a popular winter ice-skating spot. We have just scratched the surface of the things to do and see in London. There are markets, plays, shopping and lots more that you might want to add to your own list of top London sights! |
Any conversation of the five or so greatest cities in the world automatically includes London. Whether you are talking about leading financial centres, cultural, educational, political, or entertainment centres, doesn't really matter. London will be mentioned as a leader in these and many more categories.
