Helpful London Info
I’ve made several trips to England and have posted
numerous posts previously in this blog. For the month of January I’m going to concentrate
the whole month on England with things not yet covered and I’m sure when the month
is done I’ll still have more stories to tell.
London is perhaps one of the most
exciting, historic, traditional, vibrant and artistic cities in the world.
Centuries of history, timeless traditions, and culture with its familiar
landmarks draws many visitors to London. Once the capitol of a world empire, London
has harmony, elegance, and royal magnificence. There are exciting visions
around every corner. Central London, the pulse and heart of the city, is where most
well known tourist sites are located. Museums, theaters, large shops, and parks
are north of the Thames. Hundreds of years-old buildings sit beside stunning
modern ones. Pageantry and centuries old ceremonies mix with modern street
culture.
Most visits to London include or center around the West End, an area
that incorporates the elegance of Mayfair, the crowded shopping around Oxford
Street, the tourist glitter of Piccadilly Circus (which is not a circus), the
exotic labyrinth of Soho, chic rehabilitated Covent Gardens and half price theater
tickets at Leicester (pronounced Lester) Square, Regular theater ticket offices
open at 10 AM.
Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square are in the middle of the West End.
Southwest lies Chelsea and Kensington with its posh shops and expensive
restaurants. The political and royal part of the city, Westminster, with
Buckingham Palace and Parliament, is southeast. Northeast is the area for art
galleries, book stores, some colleges and the fabulous British Museum.
Soho is a chaotic jumble of the exotic to the tacky. The porno palaces
are mingled among good restaurants and wonderful shops. It’s just sort of an eclectic hodge podge.
The Thames River, originating from a spring in the heart of England, winds
east to the North Sea while running several miles through London.
London is both easy and frustrating to
walk. Streets frequently change names,
sometimes four or five times. The numbers often are not consistent as #2 might be
across the street from #30, and you really have to look for street signs that
are often on the corner of a building but often not conspicuous. In addition a
name may refer to a street, square, villa, or row in different parts of the city. All this can be confusing for a
stranger; a good map is helpful and feel free to ask directions or questions
from storekeepers or people on the street.
Good transportation systems make getting
around London and its environs easy. The system combines three airports, eight
train stations, and lots of buses. Taxis are numerous and reasonable. The
underground (tube, subway, take your choice of terminology) is quick,
efficient, and reasonable. It’s easy to follow and one quickly can learn his
way around the system. However, one must climb and descend many stairs in and
out of the system. Once inside, escalators move you to different levels. Buses
are cheaper than the tube, cover most of the city but are obviously slower. The
famous red double-decker bus is a local bus. The single buses run express. Do
be very careful crossing the street—look right before stepping off the curb!
London was once a one square mile city
within ancient walls. The walls, removed in the 1600s, revealed a dreary,
decayed relic of a city with narrow streets and alleyways. Today the 600 square
mile giant city has a population of seven million. Quite a shopping area exists
underground at the major tube stations.
Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
takes place at 11AM but only on even days.
More
London Info tomorrow.
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