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London EnglandINTRODUCTION As well as being the English capital, London is the largest city by population in the European Union, with more than seven million people calling it home. A settlement since ancient times, this historical city houses a multitude of famous sites and attractions such as The Houses of Parliament?, Big Ben, The Tower of London, Tower Bridge?, Buckingham Palace, The Palace at Westminster?, and the more recent additions, The London Eye? and Millennium Dome?. Most of these are situated along or near the banks of the River Thames, London’s lifeline. Visitors to London however, will want to branch out into the London metropolitan area to get a greater feel for 21st Century London, a city which has been a trendsetter for music, fashion, art, and culture for centuries. Part of this is that London is a dynamic and multicultural city with a large number of distinct areas, each of which offer visitors a very different experience. For most, the central City of Westminster area will be the place to explore, with excellent shopping available on Oxford Street, and Regent Street. Around Piccadilly and Covent Garden, countless theaters and cinemas in the West End and Leicester Square, and a great nightlife for all around Soho and Piccadilly Circus. For the more extravagant, or those who like to dream, there are the high class and expensive areas of Mayfair, Kensington, and Chelsea. If you want to relive the swinging 60’s and the summer of '69, Carnaby Street transports you back. For the modern day fashionista, there is trendy Camden. For those interested in seeing London’s multicultural side, there is China Town, and in the South East, there is a lot of African and Afro-Caribbean culture with a huge range of ethnic stores and restaurants. London is also a city of markets, where you can buy just about anything, from delicious organically-sourced food from around the country at Borough Market, to antiques and trinkets at Portobello or Brick Lane Markets. Find clothing and fashionable accessories at the Camden Passage Market. Since London is such a huge city, the best way to see the most of the city is to take one of the many tours. A hop-on, hop-off bus tour allows you to take in a large amount of what is offered, but it can be unpleasant on the top deck because of frequent British bad weather. HISTORY The recorded history of London goes back more than 2,000 years, and it has been a turbulent one, full of disease, war, civil unrest, and many great disasters. There are signs of prior habitation in the area, but the first substantial occupation was by the Romans around 43 A.D. The Romans inhabited the city for little more than 17 years, when the renowned Queen of the Iceni tribe, and possibly the world’s first feminist icon, Boudica, razed them to the ground. Rebuilt after this attack by the year 100, the Roman capital Londinium, had over 60,000 inhabitants. The Anglo-Saxons settled in the area late in the 6th century, in the modern day Covent Garden of Central London. When the Vikings began invading Britain during the 9th century the city was captured and was, for a time, under Viking rule. By the time Edward the Confessor took over from his predecessor and stepfather, Canute, in 1035, London had become the largest and most prosperous city in England. By 1300, its inhabitants totaled over 100,000. However, when the Black Death struck Europe in the mid-14th century, London didn’t escape lightly, losing a third of its population in just two years. The 16th century was the age of the play-wright William Shakespeare, who is still celebrated today in London. One can still see his plays in a huge number of theatres throughout the city. For a truly authentic experience, there is the reconstruction of the Tudor-style Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames, where one can feel like anyone from a plebian with a cheap standing ticket, to a king, in the royal box. For a day-trip, take the train and see a performance of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Many of today's most famous actors have performed with the RSC, including Sir Patrick Stewart, Ralph Fiennes, and Dame Judi Dench. One of the most important historical events in London’s history is The Great Fire of London, which lasted from Sunday September 2nd to Thursday September 6th in 1666, which completely changed the face of the city. The fire began at a bakery on Pudding Lane and swept through London at a terrifying pace at a time when most buildings were made from wood. More than 13,000 homes, 87 churches, and a large number of historical and important buildings in the city such as St Paul‘s Cathedral were damaged or destroyed. Despite this devastation, the number of casualties totaled at just five. However, the event left more than 2,000 people without food, clothing, or shelter. The Great Fire of London is today commemorated by the Pudding Lane Monument, which sits, purportedly exactly, on the site of the bakery where it all began. The one blessing this fire brought was an end to The Great Plague, which had been ravaging 20% of the city’s inhabitants that summer. For almost 100 years from 1831 to 1925, London was the biggest city in the world. During this time, a rising congestion lead to the building of the world’s first urban rail network, which would evolve into the modern-day ‘Tube’ Underground network. A huge number of buildings were destroyed during the Blitz and the other bombings of WWII, including some important historical buildings, but the city had recovered enough to host the 1948 Olympics. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Climate: Very varied, cold winters, and warm but mild summers. Currency: GBP – Great British Pounds (£) Visitors to London can expect to arrive at one of several airports: Heathrow is the largest with its newly built 5th terminal, but you could also end up at Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, or London City Airport, depending on where you arrive from. There are many connecting flights where passengers must commute between the airports, but a bus service, London Flyer, will route connecting passengers to their next destination for a small fee. Otherwise most airports are accessible by train and/or bus. Easybus links travelers from central London to Luton, Stansted, and Gatwick. From Luton it is possible to get a train at Luton Airport Parkway into central London, tickets can be bought at arrivals and they include the price of the shuttle bus to the station. Stansted has the Stansted Express which arrives into Liverpool Street in central London. Heathrow is accessible on The Tube on the Piccadilly line, but this can take over an hour, so the recommended route is by one of the two trains that depart from Paddington train station in West London: the Heathrow Express which is slightly quicker or the Heathrow Connect. London City is closest to the center and can be reached by the underground as well, but is mainly used for internal, short-haul flights. The London Underground, known colloquially as ‘The Tube’ is a very useful tool that isn’t difficult to get to know and advantageous considering cabs are very expensive and traffic can be horrendous. Purchasing an Oyster Card is recommended, as it will save you money if you intend to use the tube regularly: single trips paid for without an Oyster cost significantly more, and the cards can also be used on all London buses. The London’s iconic red bus network is also a brilliant option for travelers. The bus lanes mean it is possible to largely avoid traffic, and in the mornings and at rush hour when the tube is overcrowded, buses can be a more enjoyable and scenic way to travel. ATTRACTIONS Abbey Road Sherlock Holmes Pub and Restaurant - This place encompasses more than the delicious food. Located in Westminster, the pub has details of Sherlock Holmes stories scattered throughout, transporting diners straight into the famous tales. Their fish and chips are especially recommended. Hummus Bros - This chain of health food bars serves excellent hummus with a huge variety of toppings such as guacamole or chicken and warm pita bread. It has three London locations. Food for Thought - The vegetarian menu here draws in flavors from around the globe. From Jamaican curries to a Roman-style vegetable stew, it is all good and served in generous portions. Don’t forget to try their ‘scrunches’ – raspberry or strawberry depending on the season – cream, fresh fruit, and crunchy oats. Food for Thought can get very busy, so be prepared to “take-away.” Harwood Arms - There are many pubs claiming to serve ‘seasonal, local and natural produce’, but Mike Robinson’s Fulham venture transcends that claim. A well-known game specialist, Robinson himself hunts for all the deer that will form the base of dishes such as roast venison T-bone with cavolo nero and mushroom ketchup. Fleet River Bakery - This Holborn café is a warren of rooms filled with cozy leather sofas, armchairs, and solid wooden tables. Its house muffins and brie and tomato croissants are good for eating on the go, while hot options for sit-ins include scrambled eggs on sourdough or sausage baguettes with spicy onion marmalade and rocket. Pizza Express – A staple for Londoners and tourists alike, Pizza Express is perfect for a delicious meal before seeing a show, going to the cinema, or meeting up with a friend or date. Pizza Express is gradually extending outside of London, but the capital is where this now chain began in 1965, and wherever you are in London, chances are there is one nearby. Each restaurant is completely different and originally decorated in the style befitting the area of London it is located within. Some also offer live music venues, such as the Jazz club in Soho. They serve a huge range of pizzas and calzones, including the dieters-dream pizza range, the low-cal ‘Leggera’, as well as a small selection of pasta and salads. The Garlic Dough Balls have become something of an institution and are highly recommended. The Hummingbird Bakery – There has been a sudden insurgence of American-style cutesy “cupcake” cafes cropping up all over the capital, and The Hummingbird Bakery might have had something to do with it. Its first branch opened in 2004 on Portobello Road and has been hugely popular: it released a best-selling cookbook and just opened a third store. With baby pink and other pastel shades as the predominant décor and icing color, it filled a previously unknown niche in the market and has spawned a huge number of copycats, Peyton and Bryne, Candy Cakes, and Ella’s Cupcakes, to name but a few. They offer a huge selection of delicious cakes, pies, slices, and hot drinks perfect for a shopping stop off. LODGING Thistle Euston - Thistle Euston is a clean and stylish hotel with great service and a delicious breakfast that is sent straight up to your room. This four-star hotel is just a few blocks away from an Underground station, allowing travelers easy access to any part of the city. Hotel 55 - This substantial Edwardian house converted into a modern hotel is something of a rarity in a large city – it is affordable and homey yet stylish. Myhotel Bloomsbury - An unbeatable address if you want to hang out in Soho, peruse Theaterland or stroll to the British Museum. Here, East meets West, in one of the capital's first boutiques, first opened in 1999. The Hoxten - Don't be discouraged by the unprepossessing exterior; inside you'll find Frette linen, flat-screen TVs, cocktails, and bistro-style dining. If you want to stay in the City of London's Square Mile, this "urban lodge" as it calls itself, is a modern bolt-hole. Guesthouse West - Media-types rub shoulders with switched-on tourists in this converted former Edwardian family home, now sleek with wood, leather, and pristine bed linen. Deluxe doubles and Terrace rooms are en suite with wireless broadband and flat screen TVs. In the summer, the main terrace is a popular hangout for locals between bouts of shopping in the cult outlets of Ledbury and Chepstow Road. Piccadilly Backpackers - Space-saving Pods, four-to-ten bed dorms, private single, and double rooms - there is something to suit every traveler's budget at this hostel which has 700 beds over five highly-individual floors decorated by specially commissioned artists. Reception, an internet café, travel shop, and common room are all open 24 hours, which is just as well as it's in the heart of Piccadilly. PERSONAL STORIES 
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