A Description Of London

I always Love London

Among the splendid cities of the world that have achieved celebrity, the city of London – seat of the English monarchy – is one whose renown is more widespread, whose money and merchandize go further afield, and which stands head and shoulders above the others.

Windsor Castle is an architecturally distinguished, historic attraction and not to be missed. It is one of the Queen’s official residences and captures almost a millennium of British Royal History. Windsor Castle is very large and requires several hours to tour. From its magnificent St. George’s chapel to the impressive State Apartments, Windsor Castle provides important glimpses into Royal Britain.


Piccadilly Circus is a London landmark that like many signature locations, doesn’t offer much more than a dazzling view. Piccadilly Circus reminds the traveler of Times Square or Ginza, due to the preponderance of huge, glitzy, advertising adorning many of the building in the intersections.





















The Tower Bridge (next of the Tower of London) is one of the most photographed images of London and was an instant hit after its construction in the nineteenth century. The Bridge was built with elevated walkways that allowed pedestrians to cross it while the Bridge was open to barge traffic along the Thames. The top of the Tower Bridge is a great place for impressive views of London. You will have to pay for access to the touristy “Tower Bridge Experience”, a tour that will provide more detail about the bridge and access to the engines that move it.


Take a walk-by of the Palace on your trip down the Pall Mall to Buckingham Palace or during a walk through Green Park or Saint James's Park. St. James's Palace is not open to the Public but is a building that exudes history and deserves a walk-by. Built in the early sixteenth century for Henry VIII, the Palace was the home to British monarchs for over three hundred years. It still houses some of the Royals but has been replaced by Buckingham Palace as the Official Residence of the Monarch. Religious services in the Chapel Royal are open to the public between October and Easter. Most tourists are attracted to the Changing of the Guard ceremonies that take place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. The event starts at 11.30 AM and lasts about 45 minutes. The ceremony, officially called the "Guard Mounting", does not occur during extremely wet weather. During the autumn and winter, Guard Mounting takes place on alternate dates.


Oxford Street, traditionally one of London’s premier shopping streets, has been taken over by chain stores featuring lower quality goods than were available in the past. If you are looking for casual "British style" clothing, this is the place to shop. Selfridges, an enormous but traditional department store, near Marble Arch is an interesting store to start your trip along Oxford Street If you shop on a Saturday, you will be enveloped by crowds looking for bargains and you might begin wondering if the claim that this is the busiest street in Europe is true. Oxford Street is a good but not great area for shopping since it is similar to shopping at home.


Harrods, a large, multilevel, Department Store, which has a reputation as the supplier to “upper crust” , is a London institution that draws thousands of tourists to Knightsbridge and Brompton Road. Most tours start or end with the magnificent “Food Halls” - shopping was never like this at home. The rest of Harrods does not drop the baton, featuring exquisite goods and high priced services. If you are interested, head for the home furnishing areas and compare it with what you find at your mall. Harrods has a number of good quality restaurants. Have a snack or a meal at Harrods; it is likely that you will not regret it. Finally, for some curious reason, most of us will find a way to depart Harrods with one of their green shopping bags filled some goodies. On the other hand, maybe it was just the desire to take one of those bags home to show the folks?


The buildings of Parliament are intricately detailed and you should take some time examining this delightful architecture. The famous clock tower at the end of Parliament houses the bell Big Ben (and at thirteen and a half tons, it is big) that has become one of the most familiar symbols of the London and the United Kingdom.

The British Museum is one of the world’s great museums. The venue is so large and complex that to tour it to advantage, you need to take a guided tour, rent an electronic guide, or purchase a print guide. If you really like museums, you could spend days here, as the museum has an incredible breadth of worthy exhibits. Madame Tassaud's (formerly Madame Tassaud's Wax Museum) appeals to many and repels others. If you are a fan, this is the original and worth seeing.

London is such an exciting city that I would never able to describe it all here. There are too many places that I could not cover due to a short stay, you have to experience it understand the experiences that I have been through. Below are links that you might find useful to get started. You will be thrilled by London!


Sean Toh

London Pass - http://www.londonpass.com/

Directory of London - http://www.netlondon.com/

Hotels and Air Tickets Deals - http://www.tripadvisor.com/