London

By patrick

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Big Ben

Tower Bridge

London is the capital of England and one of the most international global centers of the world. The city boasts 4 world heritage sites: the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Kew Botanical Gardens, and the Greenwich Meridian line.

Top attractions:

The Tower of London - A historical medieval style castle in the middle of the city, holding the city's greatest treasures including real crowns and maces. The castle is surrounded by ravens, thought to protect the city -- once they leave, the city would fall, or so it is foretold.

Westminster Abbey - A beautifully elaborate church, situated next to the famous clocktower Big Ben.

Kew Royal Botanical Gardens - A vast botanical garden holding the world's largest collection of living plants.

British Museum - A fabulous and gigantic museum that includes the world-famous Rosetta Stone, along with the Elgin marbles (elaborate Greek statues).

St. Paul's Cathedral - A huge cathedral that offers panoramas of the city.

London Eye - One of the biggest ferris wheels in the world.

Buckingham Palace - Buckingham Palace is the Queen's official residence. In the mornings, you can see the Changing of the Guard, which is a parade with soldiers and music.

House of Parliament - Although it's possible to go inside parliament to watch a debate or committee, most just go to see the iconic Big Ben clocktower.

West End (Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden) - Crowded shopping streets featuring high-class brand clothing, purses, and jewelry.

Hyde Park - A large and peaceful park in the center of the city.

Tourists will find London to be a very busy and diverse city, as it is a financial center first and a tourist attraction second. The accent is interesting and funny, the musicals are world-class, the gardens are beautifully European, and the intricate architecture is a wonder to behold.

Foods
England is notorious for bad food like liver and fried things. For a local experience, seek out the pubs and order the fish and chips with a pint of beer. I especially like The Strongbow beer, which is an applecider-based beer and also one of the most popular beers in London. Nando's is also a tasty chain restaurant, specializing in rotisserie style spicy chicken. For lunch, subway sandwiches are popular.

Nightlife
London is famous for their musicals! You can obtain heavily discounted tickets for same-day shows at Leicester Square. I recommend checking out Les Miserables.


From the airport
London is served by two major airports: Heathrow and Gatwick. Heathrow is the bigger, notorious for losing baggage (they lost mine!), although they eventually find it for you. Use the Underground subway for the cheapest route into the city proper, at about £2.00-£3.50 for the 1 hour ride into the city. You can also use the Heathrow Express at about £16.50.

The Underground
The Underground, or "the tube," is London's large underground metro system. Occasionally you might find yourself on buses in more rural areas (or it's often useful you want to save a little money). But for first-time travelers, the tube is a relatively cheap and convenient means of transportation.

Oyster cards The Oyster Cards can be swiped on buses and subways for convenience. Get one since the prices for buses and metro are often discounted for Oyster card users. The deposit on an Oyster is refundable, although the amount you charge on it may not be -- (I could not get a refund on the amount I had left on the card).

Trains
Overland trains can help you go longer distances on daytrips to places like Stonehenge, Oxford, Cambridge, the Cotswolds, Bath, and more.




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