To get an overview of London, I was recommended to take a bus tour around London in one of the open-top double-deckers with the top removed from the second level. After refusing to do it for two years because it was too touristy, I finally caved in due to having blisters on my feet and feeling flat-out lazy. (Kicking back on the top level in the sun while someone else drove sounded pretty good). As it turned out it was very informative, as well as humorous, although shop around as some have a pre-recorded tape (to accommodate different languages) rather than live humans giving the tour. The tour I took was with the Big Bus Company, tour given by a live human, and includes a boat trip from the Tower to Westminster Pier in the £15 (5/00) ticket price. Buses can be caught on Park Lane (near between Hyde Park Corner and Oxford St.), at the NE corner of Green Park (by the Ritz Hotel) or at Trafalgar Square.
The Tower
From a Shakespeare course in college, I learned that if someone was sent to the Tower, bad things were about to happen to that individual (as proven by disappearance of that character from the play.) The Tower of London is a small castle consisting of not one but many towers, that has served as fortress, dungeon, Royal residence and currently, as home to the Royal Crown Jewels.
Popular and pricey (£9.50, 6/98), with lots of stairs, there are several one-way (due to narrowness of hallways built before well-balanced diets) tours that allow the visitor to access most of the periphery of the Tower. Be prepared to queue (for an hour in Summer) for the Crown Jewels, which feature moving sidewalks to prevent stragglers. Other attractions include: the White Tower, which contains an armory of weaponry including cannon, muskets, swords and lances; the Bloody Tower, which was the residence of Sir Walter Raleigh, prior to his execution; and the Beauchamp Tower, which has medieval graffiti in the form of numerous engravings on the walls by prisoners therein. The Tower also features Tower Green, complete with scaffold where Anne Boleyn lost her head, the charge being adultery, but more likely the penalty for failure to provide Henry VIII with a male heir. Also at the Tower is an exhibit detailing the history and the manufacture of the Crown Jewels, in the Martin Tower. Expect a line.
Look for the ravens on Tower Green. Charles II warned that if the ravens were to leave, the monarchy would fall. This has been taken to heart, as the ravens now have clipped wings to insure they remain in the confines of the Tower. The Yeomen Warders, dressed in Beefeater costumes, offer tours every half hour, which is the only way to gain admission into St. Peter's Chapel.
For those interested in Military History, there is the Museum of the Fusiliers, with a chronology of British military achievement. Run separately from the Tower, there is a 50p admission fee.
Windsor Castle
Located in Windsor-Eton, you will need to take a Britrail train from Waterloo or Victoria to get to it (either Windsor or Windsor Riverside stations). Windsor Castle is still a functional castle that is the weekend home to the Royal Family. William the Conqueror started construction in the 11th century and Henry II completed the first tower, the Round Tower, in the middle 12th century. Visitors may tour the State Apartments (the only part inside the castle open to the public), Queen Mary's Dollhouse (which costs £1 extra, donated to charity since Queen Mary's day), St. George's Chapel and the Albert Memorial Chapel. The nicest looking lawn in all of England is the Quadrangle, gated off to give the Royals some privacy, presumably.
I was there shortly after they had re-opened the section that burned in the fire of 1992 and the detail of the restoration was amazing (and obviously very expensive.) If you visit in early spring as I did, you will be treated to some spectacular floral displays, including daffodils underneath the Round Tower. Looking at the size of the walls of the castle, one can see it was a formidable fortress and served its purpose of keeping out enemies and other hostile parties. The stone walls are also home to a number of colorful lichens that have had centuries to take root.
Outdoor Markets
There are a number of outdoor markets, which sell the gamut from hippie clothes, used books and CD's, framed paintings to parsnips. A flyer is published listing them all, available at tourist offices or major tube stations. Markets happen in in Camden Town, Brixton, Portobello Road and Greenwich. Some of the better values in London can be found at these markets, especially on books and CD's which generally run 150-200% more new than in the US. Expect crowds, expecially on weekends.
Westminster Abbey
Due to a much shorter history and lack of visible nobility, the US has nothing comparable to Westminster Abbey. Partially secular and partially managed by the Anglican Church, the abbey dates back to before William the Conqueror set foot on British soil. When walking about inside the cathedral, you can be certain you are walking on the remains of someone important in English History. Cryptic engravings at your feet will give you a hint who. Walking around the cloisters is free of charge. A fee will admit one to the Nave, although not on a Sunday when it is reserved for religious services. Daffodils and narcissi bloom in the Great Cloister in early spring.
St. Paul's Cathedral
The flagship of the Anglican Church, St. Paul's was designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666 and built in the late 17th century. At noontime, visitors or anyone within half a mile of the courtyard will be treated to an impressive ringing of bells. For an admission on any day but Sunday, one can gain entrance to the Cathedral and climb via stairs to the top of the dome of the Cathedral. During WWII, Churchill had someone stationed 24 hours a day at the top of the dome to watch for fires caused by enemy bombs. The dome is the second largest in the world, eclipsed only by St. Peter's in the Vatican.
The Theater
London and New York are the most famous theater cities in the world. The theater district is in the West End around Covent Garden. There is a wide range of performances available, ranging from being one of the "groundlings" at a Shakespeare performance in the Globe theater replica to musicals to serious drama. Bargain hunters will be interested in the half price ticket booth at Leicester (pronouced Lester) Square. Beware, there are several fraudulent half price ticket booths in the same area as the real one! Users of this service are limited to whatever is available and may not get seats or performance of their choice. For those who want best selection of seats or performances, there are ticket agencies who can arrange anything (for a fee, of course.)
London Dungeon
Not for everyone, part museum and part amusement park, the London Dungeon is dedicated to some of the more gruesome aspects of times past. The visitor will witness a comprehensive collection of movable exhibits which include: immersion into vats of hot oil; removal of entrails while still alive and having one's height increased by use of the rack. The exhibits come complete with bone-chilling sound effects of crushed skulls and assorted screams and groans of other victims. The visitor will stand trial in a medieval court of law and be given the according punishment. Two sections are dedicated to Jack the Ripper and to the guillotine, exclusively. Go early on weekends, as this one is popular with the locals. Located at 28-34 Tooley Street at the South Side of London Bridge, admission in March of '98 was £8.95 for adults.
Spooky Walks
For those with a taste for the spooky, there are walks on the streets of London offered by knowledgeable guides dedicated to both Jack the Ripper and to the ghosts, which have had lots of time to establish themselves in London. One of the things particularly intriguing about Jack is that he was never caught, the carotid artery-slashing just stopping by itself.
Kew Gardens
For £5, one can get the feeling the city is far behind (if one can ignore the noise from the continuous flow of airplanes dropping into Heathrow). Home of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has plant samples that range from cushion plants found at high altitude (in a greenhouse with refrigerated soil to duplicate tundra effect), tropical rainforest plants to cacti found in Madagascar and the American Southwest. Don't miss the rock garden, complete with waterfalls, and a collection of California Golden Poppies for homesick Californians. Do what the Brits do and pack a picnic lunch including the white wine and have a picnic in the grassy meadows on the bank of the Thames. Considering the high costs of some other London attractions, Kew is a bargain and a great way to see samples of every type of plant found on Earth. Take the Tube to Kew Gardens (zone 3) and cross the ped overpass and follow the signs for roughly 3 blocks to the main entrance gate.
Other Parks and Gardens
Parks are a wonderful way to find peace and quiet in London. There are two very large parks, Hyde Park and Regents Park, which will be full of locals on a nice weekend day. In Hyde Park, paddle boats and row boats may be rented on the Serpentine, the lake that bisects the middle of the park. In many of the parks, lawn chairs and umbrellas may be rented - just grab a seat and the vendor will find you to collect the fee. The paths through St. James Park are a pretty way to walk from Buckingham Palace to the Parliament Buildings, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Pier.
The British invented the concept of flower gardens and well-kept lawns. Every park has its gardens complete with eccentric old ladies hand-feeding squirrels and telling them to mind their manners if they want seconds. (Fortunately there is no rabies in the UK.) All major parks have sections with gardens.
If one wishes to look at flowering plants, a walk up any street in London will show the visitor what the English can do with a single planter sitting outside any window ledge. I have never had the ability to make plants even grow in these type of bins, much less flower, maybe something in the London water.
Greenwich
"Where time began" is the slogan for the Greenwich Observatory. A combined ticket allows the visitor admission into the Queen's House and Maritime Museum, which are within walking distance of the Observatory. The Observatory contains a history of how maritime clocks were designed so a ship could orient itself longitudinally. Also within the Museum are numerous astronomic paraphernalia, including the largest telescope of its time. The Observatory is on a hill above a large park and has a nice view of London. Across the Thames is Canary Wharf, Europe's tallest building.
One can take Docklands Light Rail and walk in a pedestrian underpass beneath the Thames, but I would recommend taking a boat from Westminster Pier. If enough people request it, the conductor will give a tour of the sights from the river, which may provide insight one wouldn't see from terra firma (such as the Lion on the river signaling the boundary for the City of London). Photography buffs will have opportunity to take an unobstructed photo of St. Paul's from a specific spot along the route. On a nice day, the boat ride is very pleasant and more relaxing than other means of transport. The boat ride in June of '98 was £7 roundtrip and 50 minutes each way from Westminster Pier (information 0171.930.4097)
Walk Along Regents Canal
If you're feeling claustrophobic from the swarms of people at the Camden Town market, this is the perfect escape. Walking north from the Camden Town tube station, this walk starts along a path to the left of the far side of the bridge crossing the canal, where it continues in a southwest direction. The path meanders for 2 1/2 miles to Little Venice and passes through the London Zoo and Regents park along the way. Along the canal are several villages of canal boats, long, narrow boats built especially for navigating the narrow spots of the canals. Some of the boats have been brightly painted and are complete with flower boxes, and small gardens. Once at Little Venice, Warwick Avenue Tube station on the Bakerloo line is 100 yards away on Warwick Avenue, if you don't wish to make a roundtrip of it.
For those not inclined to walking, there is a dock in Camden town, where you can take a canal boat ferry to the dock at the London Zoo.
Hampstead and Hampstead Heath
One of the few areas of London that is noticeably hilly, Hampstead is home to many of London's rich and famous. Home to small boutiques and quaint pubs, a walk uphill on Heath Street from the Hampstead Tube station will take you to Hampstead Heath, which is part manicured park and part wild forest. This is also a nice spot for a picnic, and also has a nice view of central London, easily spotted by the Canary Wharf tower and St. Pauls dome.
Keats House, the residence of the 19th century poet is just off of East Heath Road, just past the downhill boundry of the heath. It can be reached by taking a side street to the right, walking from the Heath, just before the overpass crossing the rail tracks and the Hampstead Heath railroad station (Brit Rail).
Museums
Not being a huge museum fan myself (thanks to my admittedly short attention span), I list this last. Even I was impressed with the British museum although you would probably need 4 days to absorb it all. Inside are artifacts from all over the globe, with the largest collection of Chinese vases I have ever seen in one place. The mummified remains of a prehistoric man are a sight, as is the extensive collection of Egyptian mummies and mummy cases. Also inside are the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon, sold to the British by the Turks when they occupied Athens, the Rosetta Stone which allowed for the deciphering of Sanskrit tablets, and an extensive array of items from ancient Rome. The museum is located at Great Russell Street and Bloomsbury.
Other museums not visited by me but recommended by a trusted London colleague are the Museum of the Moving Image (South Bank Centre), dedicated to film, animation and television, the Science Museum (Exhibition Road, South Kensington), London Transport Museum (Covent Garden) and the Natural History Museum (Cromwell Road adjacent to the other South Kensington museums).
There are many, many, many others and a well-researched guidebook or London-based web page will provide a list that covers other interests and other possibilities.
Hampton Court Palace
This massive palace was Cardinal Wolsey's residence, built in early 16th century, expropriated by Henry VIII, when Wolsey fell from power. Allow a full day to see. Once the hefty admission (£10.50, 2/00) has been paid, there are a number of tours and exhibitions inside from which to choose. There is an extensive collection of art and artifacts inside, as one might expect from a residence that housed the royal family until the 19th century, when they moved to Buckingham Palace.
Allow some time to stroll through the gardens on the outside, which are extensive and if weather permits, a nice spot for a picnic. Also outside the is a half mile long maze, which may provide entertainment for bored kiddies. The gardens and the maze are outside the gate to the palace entrance. Admission to the gardens is free. Admission to the maze is included with ticket for inside palace, otherwise it is £2 (2/00).
The palace can be reached directly by Brit Rail from Waterloo (trains only run every hour on Sundays in the Winter, call ahead). Other ways of getting there are by Tube to Richmond and bus from there or by boat from Westminster Pier (which takes 3 1/2 hours one way, plan accordingly).
The Monument
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren to commemorate where the Great Fire started, the Monument is believed to be situated 202 feet from where the Fire broke out. As it happens, the monument is exactly that tall. A £1 fee allows one the opportunity to climb the 325 steps to the top and be rewarded with a splendid view and a certificate validating the achievement.
Shopping
Men hate to shop. I'm no exception. However, I thought it prudent to bring people gifts (particularly my girlfriend). Keep in mind that shops are closed on Sunday and are open late usually only on Wednesday night. Oxford Street is a mile long strip with lots of shops and is a better place for bargains than prestigious department stores. On Saturday, you will share it with 800,000 other people. There are also a number of shops along Kings Road in Chelsea, some which have done the unthinkable and are open for business on Sunday.
Bayswater is full of kitschy tourist shops, which sell inexpensive gifts for folks back home. These run the gamut from Ginger Spice mugs to t-shirts to rubber dog droppings.
Cambridge -- Home of England's other university, and preferred by some of my British colleagues over Oxford.
Bath -- Victorian era resort and site of mineral baths used by Celts, Romans and others for millenia. Good place for pubs. Try one of ones along the River Avon. One and a half hours by BR from Paddington.
Stonehenge and Salisbury -- Ancient site of astronomic record-keeping or piles of large stones, you take your pick. Take BR from Waterloo to Salisbury from Paddington and you can buy a bus ticket with or without tour at Salisbury train station. Because the bus tix with the tour includes admission to the Stonehenge site, net cost is only a few pounds more than without the tour. Don't miss Salisbury Cathedral and tour of the tower of Salisbury, which not for claustrophobes, will give you a view of the city and surrounding countryside. If you take the tour of the tower and you're tall, be sure to where the hard hat, provided free with the tour.
Canterbury -- Home of Cathedral and setting of Chaucer's medieval work.
Brighton - Beach town on English Channel.
Paris
Yeah, the one in France. Three hours away by Eurostar Train which goes underneath English Channel through the Chunnel. Not cheap but convenient as train stops at Gare du Nord in Paris, avoiding need for time-consuming cab or train ride from the airport. Likewise in London, train departs from Waterloo, which avoids connection to airport in UK. Reservations necessary.
Scotland
Edinburgh is 5 hours away from Kings Cross by BR. Not cheap to get to, but worth spending a weekend.
Ireland
An hour to and hour-and-a-half away from one of London's airports. Beautiful country and very friendly people. Car rental almost mandatory if you wish to see the country, due to infrequent and spotty train network. In summer of 2000, due to weak euro, Ireland was a bargain, particularly for B & B accomodations. Try Borde Failte, Ireland's tourist bureau, for arranging accomodations.
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