The Highlights of London
The Summer Olympic Games of 2012 will be held in London. But there is no reason to wait until 2012, before you visit the city, because today you can find great sights, fantastic shopping and a exciting nightlife. And the food is not the typical English dishes.
The London Eye is a new and very interesting sight. You can find the meter (443 feet) high Ferris wheel between Waterloo and Westminster Bridge. The wheel was planned to open the 31th of December 1999, but the public was not allowed before March 2000 because of technical problems.
The wheel has 32 cabins with room for 25 persons. One rotation takes about half an hour; and it is a very popular attraction. So you can expect queue in the high season; but is worth waiting. From the top there is a great view of the central London including Big Ben and the House of Parliament.
A much older sight is the Tower of London. Its history is 900 years old and very bloody. When the prisoners walked through the Traitors Gate, they shouldnt expect to get out alive. Most of them were killed by torture or rats; or just executed.
Today there are no rats, torture or executions. And the place is more popular to visit. At exactly 9.52 the Ceremony of the Keys takes place. Here the keys of the fortress are handed over from the head of the guards to the head of the night watchmen.
There are many interesting places to be seen on a tour of Tower of London. This includes the royal apartment as well as the dungeons. But the most popular sight is the British crown jewels in the Jewel House. Here you can see the scepter of the sovereign with Star of Africa; the worlds largest diamond.
Other must see sights are St. Pauls Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the 106 meter (348 feet) high Big Ben. For a relaxing stroll visit the centrally placed Hyde Park. And if you are interested in art, you should visit British Museum.
A must thing to do in London is people watching. In the city you can see everything from punkers with safety pins through their noses and cock’s combs to businessmen with bowler hat sand stiff upper lips.
Have you heard that English food is not worth eating? And do you think to have to eat fish and chips all day? Well, it does not have to be this way. Famous cooks like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey have restaurants in London. If you like cheaper options, it is also possible. The city is a melting pot of multi-ethnic populations, so you can find cheap restaurants with exotic food from all around the world.
You can also find great shopping in London. A good place to start is the Harrods; the famous department which brags about their ability to provide everything you can think about. In Designers Guild you can find wallpaper and fabric for you home and in Muji, you can buy minimalistic, Japanese design. If you bring kid, they will love you for taking them to the toyshop Hamleys of Regent Street; six story paradise for children.
Morten Elm is writing about city breaks i London on Storbyrejser til London. Read more about the sights in Sevaerdigheder i London.
