"Can you do it all in a day? Not bloody likely! London calls to you, offering endless exploration and something new around every corner. Start with a doubledecker bus tour, but don't stop there—get off the bus and get to know the real London!"
London
Most Popular Tourist City
London's Old and New Mysteries
London is more than fish and chips, jellied eels, toad in the hole, and a pint of Bass at the ancient pub.
It's much more than Fleet Street, the stodgy clubs around St. James, and powder-wigged barristers. It is
also much more than the ubiquitous cabbies, whose hippocampi are swollen with "the knowledge", but
a cabby is in fact the key to really familiarizing yourself with this world capital. And he'll be the first
to tell you that your time is better spent here if you lift your eyes up from the guidebook, crack open the
window, and let your senses guide you through the ancient, sprawling metropolis.
London is old… so old they had to put an "e" at the end of "old". Yes, "Olde London" is an old cliché,
but it is fun to see just how old it can get. When William the Conquerer started building the "White
Tower" portion of the Tower of London in 1066, the name London had already been in existence for
1000 years. The Tower of London is indeed a very popular destination for those seeking out old things
in London, but one would do much better to visit the Saxon Arch at All-Hollows. Dating back to the 7th
century, this small doorway is the most extensive surviving Saxon structure in the entire City.
Of course, older history lies underground. One site intentionally build underground is the 3rd century
Mithraeum, located at Temple Court. Mithraism was a great mystery religion popular with Roman
soldiers, whose initiatory ceremonies and feasts were held in secretive underground sanctuaries at
outposts all around the empire. Several beautiful statues and other artifacts were unearthed during the
excavation of the London Mithraeum. Those who require a stronger Roman architecture fix need look no
further than the city walls themselves.
New London is everywhere as well, and is represented by much more than just incongruous skyscraper
monstrosities. London is truly metropolitan. Every ethnicity from within the former empire is
represented here, and many more from without. And there is no safer and more pleasurable way to
explore London's diversity than through culinary exploration. English food? Sure, give it a try and
you'll be pleasantly surprised. But Bengali, Pakistani, and all types of Indian food are well represented in
London, as are Lebanese and other Middle Eastern cuisines. In London, you have the opportunity to taste
top quality food from more obscure locations than you could imagine. Ever go out for Beef Rendang
before? Do yourself a favor and try this incomparably tasty Malayan stew while you're in London. Or
you can keep it native with that old stalwart of London cuisine, the jellied eel.
Hopefully those eels weren't caught in the Thames. While it is true that this river has come a long way
from being "dead", there are still many rivers to be crossed in the cleanup. But a boat tour is no longer
out of the question, as it was in past times. On that rare sunny summer day, as you float by one of the
brand new wildlife sanctuaries on the shore, you'll have an opportunity to see a heron spearing and
splashing for fish, a sight deemed impossible even 20 years ago.
More About London
- London: An International City
A wonderful introduction to Europe, London has something for every traveler and some of the best tourist attractions. - Travel Beyond London
For tourists with more time there are some many wonderful and rich trips throughout England.
