MORE LONDON INFO

                              London Info continued

      If you are looking for fish and chips in London, good luck these days. The once popular item now is very hard to find in many of London’s 5000 pubs. On my first trip to London this meal was easy to find and at that time we even had to try the bitters that came so highly recommended. The food was great but the bitters can stay on the shelf. On a later visit it was a little harder to find the old stand by and by the turn of the century we wandered around a great deal, but finally did find a pub in Soho that served fish and chips. Even the information center couldn’t direct us to a pub---we were on our own!

The Hard Rock Café originated in London in the 1970s and is located on Piccadilly.

A coat of arms outside a shop indicates that a royal member shops there.

      The English seldom drink coffee and many say it is rarely drinkable. Although tea is the drink of Britain it is not drunk with or after a meal. Tea time is generally 11AM and 4PM.  Tea is also a crisis drink; any time one has a problem it is talked about over tea. Tea drinking is pretty much the center of the family.

     High Tea in the late afternoon is an event in itself. It also is a meal which can include finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and sweets with jams and jellies, and or clotted cream. There are a couple of rules governing the taking of high tea, namely: take small sips, small bites, and different than regular tea time---small talk, no big subjects.

LANDMARK SYNOPSES

       Harrods the huge department store covers a full city block. It would take days to amble through all its departments. A local told me, “In 1980 escalators were installed in the store, but people were reluctant to use them so the store offered a bit of brandy before stepping on them. It didn’t take long for people to get used to riding the escalators and of course now there is no brandy!” (I wonder when the escalators were installed in the underground)

      Westminster Abby, an architectural masterpiece of the 13-16^th centuries, is a magnificent medieval church. It is the corner stone of the monarchy and has been the burial ground for England’s monarchy since 1066. Monarchs have been crowned here for over 700 years. It was interesting to see who was buried in the church and to see all the ornate tombs and statuary.  The 1700s coronation chair was on display. It certainly looked uncomfortable.

      Every hour on the hour one minute of silence is observed in the Abby for meditation and prayer. England’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in the Abby. I stood over Winston Churchill and read the inscription on the unknown tomb. It was a moving moment.

     It is worth finding a local docent who can impart lots of information and history.

      The  neo-gothic House of Parliament replaced the original structure after it burned in 1834.  It is the seat of the two houses of government: the Lords and Commons. The building stretches 940 feet along the river.

      Big Ben is the largest clock in England. The four faced clock was hung in 1858 and chimes on the hour; four smaller clocks chime every quarter hour. Big Ben’s 13 ½ ton bell is housed in its own tower and is not part of the Parliament building as is commonly believed.

      Piccadilly Circus is not a circus but a traffic circle, which the Europeans call a round-about.  Piccadilly acts as the center of a wheel with seven spokes all of which are main arteries. It is a popular place for people to gather on the steps under the statue of Eros, the Greek god of love. Erected in 1892, the statue is a memorial to the Victorian philanthropist the Earl of Shaftesbury.

     More London landmarks next time.

LONDON INFO for the VISITOR

                                   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.