As if there's not enough to see and do on a trip to London!
After all, if you had five years for a vacation, you might perhaps be able to see about half of what London has to offer, and, in Summer of 2012, they hosted the Olympics!
Well, whether you care about the Olympics or not, no matter your personal tastes - whether it
be for modern or classical art, museums or monuments, zoos or gardens,
nightclubs, theater, music, and on and on - it's here in abundance.
A perfect blend of the ancient and modern, London exudes Old World
charm at the same time it functions as a hip, hot, high-rollin' seat of
power, influence, and affluence in the 21st century. Modern
London has over 200 galleries and 300 museums, and 150 events a day to
interest the traveler. One could see the Tower
of London and the Crown
Jewels in the morning and the Tate art museums in
the afternoon. Or visit Parliament
early then shop at Harrods
later.
Westminster
Abbey
is the historic, hallowed, and haunted burial place of kings and
paupers, poets and scientists. It lies only a short distance
from
the changing of the guards at Buckingham
Palace.
Cathedrals and churches that rival the best that France or Italy have
to offer are here as well, especially the one you must see, St.
Paul's Cathedral.
For those who might have enjoyed a visit to Wall
Street in New York, London has its own, and much
older, version in The
City. This modern financial hub actually has roots that go
back thousands of years, to a time before money was even invented.
There are inns galore, many dating back a thousand years or more, and
several outstanding parks, such as St
James, Hyde
Park or Regents
with the famous gardens and the even more famous zoo. Holland Park has an
opera house and Japanese gardens and Kensington
the amazing gardens and the Royal
costume collection.
Speaking of gardens, be sure not to overlook Covent Garden.
Not really gardens at all, the area is actually a spectacular array of
theaters, shops and more where street performers (buskers)
compete
with restaurants, bars, clubs and shops for the attention of the
tourists...and their dollars, euros, or coin of other realms. The Royal Opera
house is here as well, for those who prefer a different style of
entertainment than the aforementioned venues might afford.
London's famous outdoor markets also go back centuries.
Antique hunting at Portobello
Road is unmatched anywhere else, on or off the continent. Borough Market
has been thriving here for over a thousand years. The atmosphere in
some of these outdoor markets is almost like a Moroccan bazarre.
And, for those who like their burgers bizarre, you can get an ostrich
patty cooked to taste.
After all that shopping, one is bound to be hungry and tired. It's time
to head to The West
End
which offers a variety of pubs with a broad range of prices...and
quality of cuisine. After the meal, and beverage(s), of choice, the
weary traveler can see a show that rivals the best Broadway
has to offer. Many shows, and performers, actually get their start in
London and later travel "across the pond" to New York.
As you would expect in such an ancient and history filled place,
museums abound in London. The Victoria
& Albert, named for the famous 19th century queen
and her consort, the Natural
History and Science museums, and the world-renowned British Museum could
each easily form a day's excursion.
As great as the old ways are, however, newer attractions arealso worthwhile. The London
Eye, built at the turn of the millennium, continues to attract visitors as
if 2000 wasn't already years in the city's past. It touts the world's largest ferris wheel
and a 30-minute boat ride in a glass
gondola that offers views of Big Ben and the River Thames. And
the Tate Modern,
opened in the same year features Picasso,
Matisse
and other famous names of 20th century art.
So, once you've managed to explore all of these sites thoroughly, come
back and we'll lay out another five years of places to see and things
to do.
St. Paul's Cathedral
Buckingham Palace
Tower of London
Elfin Oak of Kensington Gardens
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Harrod's Department Store
Hyde Park
Kensington Palace and Gardens
Kew Palace and Gardens
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and London Planetarium
Piccadilly Circus
Royal Observatory, Greenwich
The West End
Trafalgar Square
Westminster Abbey
Whitehall
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