Whether you travel to London for the sights or the people, you will defnitely be overwhelmed with impressions. Both from historical times and our contemporary times. The city is rather crowded, but on the other hand it is easy to move about in the city centre. Many sights are also located nearby each other.
Big Ben
The famous clock tower in London. The most classical sight in the city centre. The clock tower was fully constructed and operational in 1858, and it is still known for its reliability. The method of tuning the clock is remarkable, with a pendulum that carries several pennies. By removing or adding a penny, one can change the speed of the pendulum by two fifths of a second.
The centre of the centre. Today there are neon signs splashing this central crossroads with all the colours of the rainbow. Perhaps it is a pity that the neon signs overshadow (or rather over-glow) the astounding architecture and views down the streets. Then again, when hungry after a day of strawling, it is hard to say no to a burger and Burger King handily located in one of the corners of Piccadilly Circus.
Westminster Abbey
This is the Gothic church with roots back in the 16th century. This church has witnessed historical events such as the coronation and burial of of England’s monarchs. The first to be coronated was William the Conqueror in 1066, which in itself speaks for the long history of this church. If the history is not interesting enough, take a long detour around the church and photograph the impressive Gothic architecture.
The Thames
This river might not look inviting as for swimming is concerned, but it sure is a beautiful sight when walking on one of the many bridges. Or why not try the river boats which frequently sweep around the river, all thru the day.
The Thames is known as the river for the Londoners, so don’t be surprised if you get road directions with comments such as ‘north of the river’. The river is not however, particular to London, but it flows through other famous cities, such as Oxford and Windsor.
The River Boats
They are plentiful and several tours are offered throughout the day. See London from a different perspective, namely the one that seafarers have had for hundreds of years. It helps to see London from the river, to understand the intermingling of streets and bridges around the water. And when getting off, it is a small thing to discover a restaurant next to the waterfront.
Bus City Tours
The city tours will take you round the most renowned streets and pass by well-known buildings and monuments. If this isn’t enough, you should go just to get the opportunity to ride in a double-decker bus. After all, this is the classical way to see London!
Author: P-C Markovski. Paul is a writer and photographer.
No related articles (so far!).