London.
Introduction
 If
you're a first-timer, you may arrive in
London expecting a city
that overflows with pomp and pageantry.
And yes, we'll admit it: We did tear up
the first time we stepped into St. Paul's
Cathedral. But that's only a small slice
of today's London. This cosmopolitan city
has everything from Bengali markets to Belgian
restaurants to hand-penned Beatles lyrics
at the British Library. You can ogle orchids
at Kew Gardens, crown jewels at the Tower
and spectacular views of the city from the
London Eye Ferris wheel -- all in a day.
It may help to have an interest in the arts
or royalty, but you don't have to be an
avid theatergoer or a history buff to enjoy
yourself thoroughly. Best of all, London
is the kind of place you will want to visit
again and again, and each time you return,
it will have something new to offer.
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Attractions
 The
sights of London embrace 2,000 years of
history and invoke royalty, the tramp of
Roman legions, strolling players in the
age of Shakespeare, plagues, the Great Fire,
the architectural heritage of the Georgian
era, the squalid alleyways of Dickens, Victoria's
great age of railways and trade, and the
Blitz of World War II. In a city of more
than 600 art galleries, 150 museums and
countless places of interest, considerable
planning is needed for sightseeing.
 The
city's tourist attractions are sights you've
heard about all your life. You'll want to
see them all, but some are absolute musts:
The Tower of London (dating
to 1066) is always popular -- get there
early if you can, as waits of up to three
hours aren't unusual in summer. Huge St.
Paul's Cathedral, built by architect
Sir Christopher Wren, can take hours to
wander through if you're in the right mood.
The other famous church, Westminster
Abbey, is where royalty are crowned
and some are buried. Across the street from
the abbey is Big Ben clock tower, attached
to the Houses of Parliament.
Don't expect to see everything
in a few hours at the British Museum
-- there are too many treasures to see and
too many other people to navigate through.
Art lovers will find paradise at Tate
Britain and the Tate Modern,
not to mention the National Gallery and
the Victoria and Albert Museum. Fans of
the literary arts should treat themselves
to a tour of Shakespeare's Globe
Theatre. And for great perspective,
take a ride on the giant London Eye Ferris
wheel. Beloved by Londoners and visitors
alike, it offers fantastic bird's-eye views
over the city.
Water-taxi service on
the Thames allows visitors to venture farther
afield. Kew Gardens and Hampton Court Palace
are accessible by river from Westminster
Pier. Immerse yourself in tranquillity at
the former, royal prosperity at the latter.
If you've seen all the
major sights -- or you just want to escape
the crowds for awhile -- visit the British
Library, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Linley
Sambourne House or Kenwood House. They're
some of our favorite off-the-beaten-track
spots in the city.
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Shopping
If money is no object,
London's shopping can be the best in the
world. From world-famous department stores
such as Harrods and Fortnum
and Mason to lowly-but-lively street
markets, you'll discover a kaleidoscope
of possibilities. Antique hounds and book
lovers, in particular, will find the city
a veritable paradise. Among our favorite
streets to browse along is Bond Street.
The designer venues on
this shopping strip attract the big spenders.
New Bond Street runs just
south of Oxford Street;
it becomes Old Bond Street -- where prices
are even higher -- just north of Piccadilly.
Another good spot is Kensington High Street,
which offers a range of national chain stores
together with more specialized shops. If
you venture farther into South Kensington
(Sloane Street, in particular), you'll find
high-end boutiques and upmarket department
stores. King's Road in Chelsea is a place
for the hip to be seen, browsing the numerous
antique shops. And parts of Notting Hill
have recently shed their down-at-heel charms
and now boast some of the city's most exclusive
boutiques. For bookshops -- new, secondhand
and antiquarian -- head to Charing Cross
Road, between the Leicester Square and Tottenham
Court Road Underground stations
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