| MARRIOTT LONDON COUNTY HALL - London, United Kingdom |
| Area Attractions -British Airways London Eye next to the hotel -The London Aquarium next to the hotel -Tate Britain across the street -Westminster Abbey across the river -Big Ben & Houses of Parliament across the river -National Theatre and National Film Theatre 500 mtr -Buckingham Palace 1 kilometer -Royal Festival Hall 1 kilometer -Imperial War Museum 1 kilometer -Covent Garden 1 kilometer -Tate Modern 1 kilometer -Victoria & Albert Museum 2 kilometers |
| THE LANDMARK LONDON London, United Kingdom |
Stretching for more than thirty miles at its
broadest point, London is by far the largest city
in Europe. The majority of its sights are situated
to the north of the River Thames, which loops
through the city from west to east. However,
there is no single predominant focus of interest,
for London has grown not through centralized
planning but by a process of agglomeration -
villages and urban developments that once
surrounded the core are now lost within the
amorphous mass of Greater London.
One of the few areas that you can easily explore
on foot is Westminster and Whitehall, the city's
royal, political and ecclesiastical power base,
where you'll find the National Gallery and a host
of other London landmarks, from Buckingham
Palace to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. The
grand streets and squares of St James's, Mayfair
and Marylebone, to the north of Westminster,
have been the playground of the rich since the
Restoration, and now contain the city's busiest
shopping zones.
East of Piccadilly Circus, Soho and Covent
Garden are also easy to walk around and form
the heart of the West End entertainment district,
containing the largest concentration of theatres,
cinemas, clubs, flashy shops, cafés and
restaurants. To the north lies the university
quarter of Bloomsbury, home to the ever-popular
British Museum, and the secluded quadrangles
of Holborn's Inns of Court, London's legal
heartland.
broadest point, London is by far the largest city
in Europe. The majority of its sights are situated
to the north of the River Thames, which loops
through the city from west to east. However,
there is no single predominant focus of interest,
for London has grown not through centralized
planning but by a process of agglomeration -
villages and urban developments that once
surrounded the core are now lost within the
amorphous mass of Greater London.
One of the few areas that you can easily explore
on foot is Westminster and Whitehall, the city's
royal, political and ecclesiastical power base,
where you'll find the National Gallery and a host
of other London landmarks, from Buckingham
Palace to Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. The
grand streets and squares of St James's, Mayfair
and Marylebone, to the north of Westminster,
have been the playground of the rich since the
Restoration, and now contain the city's busiest
shopping zones.
East of Piccadilly Circus, Soho and Covent
Garden are also easy to walk around and form
the heart of the West End entertainment district,
containing the largest concentration of theatres,
cinemas, clubs, flashy shops, cafés and
restaurants. To the north lies the university
quarter of Bloomsbury, home to the ever-popular
British Museum, and the secluded quadrangles
of Holborn's Inns of Court, London's legal
heartland.
The City - the City of London, to give it its full
title - is at one and the same time the most
ancient and the most modern part of London.
Settled since Roman times, it is now one of the
world's great financial centres, yet retains its
share of historic sights, notably the Tower of
London and a fine cache of Wren churches that
includes St Paul's Cathedral. Despite creeping
trendification, the East End , to the east of the
City, is not conventional tourist territory, but to
ignore it entirely is to miss out a crucial element
of contemporary London. Docklands is the
converse of the down-at-heel East End, with the
Canary Wharf tower, the country's tallest
building, epitomizing the pretensions of the
Thatcherite dream.
Lambeth and Southwark comprise the small slice
of central London that lies south of the Thames.
The South Bank Centre, London's little-loved
concrete culture bunker, is enjoying a new lease
of life thanks to its proximity to the new Tate
Gallery of Modern Art in Bankside, which is
linked to the City by a new pedestrian bridge.
The largest segment of greenery in central
London is Hyde Park, which separates wealthy
Kensington and Chelsea from the city centre.
The museums of South Kensington - the Victoria
& Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the
Natural History Museum - are a must; and if you
have shopping on your agenda, you'll want to
check out the hive of plush stores in the vicinity
of Harrods.
The capital's most hectic weekend market takes
place around Camden Lock in North London .
Further out, in the literary suburbs of
Hampstead and Highgate, there are unbeatable
views across the city from half-wild Hampstead
Heath, the favourite parkland of thousands of
Londoners. The glory of South London is
Greenwich, with its nautical associations, royal
park and observatory (not to mention its Dome).
Finally, there are plenty of rewarding day-trips
along the Thames from Chiswick to Windsor ,
most notably Hampton Court Palace and
Windsor Castle.
title - is at one and the same time the most
ancient and the most modern part of London.
Settled since Roman times, it is now one of the
world's great financial centres, yet retains its
share of historic sights, notably the Tower of
London and a fine cache of Wren churches that
includes St Paul's Cathedral. Despite creeping
trendification, the East End , to the east of the
City, is not conventional tourist territory, but to
ignore it entirely is to miss out a crucial element
of contemporary London. Docklands is the
converse of the down-at-heel East End, with the
Canary Wharf tower, the country's tallest
building, epitomizing the pretensions of the
Thatcherite dream.
Lambeth and Southwark comprise the small slice
of central London that lies south of the Thames.
The South Bank Centre, London's little-loved
concrete culture bunker, is enjoying a new lease
of life thanks to its proximity to the new Tate
Gallery of Modern Art in Bankside, which is
linked to the City by a new pedestrian bridge.
The largest segment of greenery in central
London is Hyde Park, which separates wealthy
Kensington and Chelsea from the city centre.
The museums of South Kensington - the Victoria
& Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the
Natural History Museum - are a must; and if you
have shopping on your agenda, you'll want to
check out the hive of plush stores in the vicinity
of Harrods.
The capital's most hectic weekend market takes
place around Camden Lock in North London .
Further out, in the literary suburbs of
Hampstead and Highgate, there are unbeatable
views across the city from half-wild Hampstead
Heath, the favourite parkland of thousands of
Londoners. The glory of South London is
Greenwich, with its nautical associations, royal
park and observatory (not to mention its Dome).
Finally, there are plenty of rewarding day-trips
along the Thames from Chiswick to Windsor ,
most notably Hampton Court Palace and
Windsor Castle.
Destination Guide - London
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Fantastic International Travel
Worldwide Travel - Vacations that INTEREST you
| United Kingdom |
| THE KENSINGTON CLOSE HOTEL & HEALTH SPA - London, United Kingdom |
| Area Attractions-Olympia, Hyde Park, Serpentine, Earl's Court, Commonwealth Institute, Kensington Palace Gardens Natural History and Science Museums |
Highgate Cemetery
The leafy and tranquil Highgate Cemetery is the
ultimate Victorian Valhalla, famous as the
resting-place of Karl Marx.
Kew Gardens
Without doubt the world's most perfect botanical
gardens, the expansive Kew Gardens is part
royal pleasure garden, part research institute.
The curvaceous, dripping hot Palm House is the
focal point.
Westminster Abbey
London's finest Gothic monument, Westminster
Abbey, has been a coronation venue for nearly
a millennium and is the burial-place of poets,
politicians and royalty.
Docklands Light Railway
Take the driverless Docklands Light Railway for
a bird's-eye view of the Docklands development,
finishing up with a great view across the Thames
to Greenwich.
Lunchtime in Chinatown
London is renowned for its multicultural cuisine.
Chinatown, right at the heart of the city, has the
full spectrum of restaurants and cafés. Go for
dim sum at lunchtime - picking at will from trollies
piled high with mouthwatering nibbles.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Free admission is a thing of the past, but this is
an applied arts collection with something for
everyone: from Raphael's Cartoons to a sofa
based on Mae West's lips.
Old London Double Deckers
The #11 bus will take you from the House of
Parliament and Westminster Abbey, up
Whitehall, round Trafalgar Square, up the
Strand and down Fleet Street and deposit you
outside St Paul's Cathedral.
Harrods
London's most famous department store is also
the city's third biggest tourist attraction. Though
you can buy most things more cheaply
elsewhere if you can do without the famous
green carrier bag, the food halls are a work of
art, and the building itself is a landmark.
Tower of London
There's something for everyone: the crown
jewels, Beefeaters, torture instruments and a
millennium's worth of blood-curdling history.
Spitalfields Market
Visit the old Spitalfields fruit and vegetable
market at the edge of the East End on a Sunday
and you'll find London's finest organic market,
craft stalls, a miniature railway and lots of stands
with delicious food.
The leafy and tranquil Highgate Cemetery is the
ultimate Victorian Valhalla, famous as the
resting-place of Karl Marx.
Kew Gardens
Without doubt the world's most perfect botanical
gardens, the expansive Kew Gardens is part
royal pleasure garden, part research institute.
The curvaceous, dripping hot Palm House is the
focal point.
Westminster Abbey
London's finest Gothic monument, Westminster
Abbey, has been a coronation venue for nearly
a millennium and is the burial-place of poets,
politicians and royalty.
Docklands Light Railway
Take the driverless Docklands Light Railway for
a bird's-eye view of the Docklands development,
finishing up with a great view across the Thames
to Greenwich.
Lunchtime in Chinatown
London is renowned for its multicultural cuisine.
Chinatown, right at the heart of the city, has the
full spectrum of restaurants and cafés. Go for
dim sum at lunchtime - picking at will from trollies
piled high with mouthwatering nibbles.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Free admission is a thing of the past, but this is
an applied arts collection with something for
everyone: from Raphael's Cartoons to a sofa
based on Mae West's lips.
Old London Double Deckers
The #11 bus will take you from the House of
Parliament and Westminster Abbey, up
Whitehall, round Trafalgar Square, up the
Strand and down Fleet Street and deposit you
outside St Paul's Cathedral.
Harrods
London's most famous department store is also
the city's third biggest tourist attraction. Though
you can buy most things more cheaply
elsewhere if you can do without the famous
green carrier bag, the food halls are a work of
art, and the building itself is a landmark.
Tower of London
There's something for everyone: the crown
jewels, Beefeaters, torture instruments and a
millennium's worth of blood-curdling history.
Spitalfields Market
Visit the old Spitalfields fruit and vegetable
market at the edge of the East End on a Sunday
and you'll find London's finest organic market,
craft stalls, a miniature railway and lots of stands
with delicious food.
| HYDE PARK PADDINGTON HOTEL -London, United Kingdom |
| A night out at the dogs is still a popular pursuit in London. It's an inexpensive, cheerful and comfortable spectacle: a grandstand seat costs less than £5 and all six London stadiums have one or more restaurants, some surprisingly good. Indeed, the sport has become so popular that you'd be best advised to book in advance if you want to watch the races from a restaurant table, particularly around Christmas. Meetings usually start around 7.30pm and finish at 10.30pm, and usually include around a dozen races. |
Shopping
Whether it's time or money you've got to burn,
London is one big shopper's playground. And
although chains and superstores predominate
along the high streets, you're still never too far
from the kind of oddball, one-off establishment
that makes shopping an adventure rather than a
chore. From the folie de grandeur that is
Harrods to the frantic street markets of the East
End, there's nothing you can't find in some
corner of the capital.
In the centre of town, Oxford Street is the city's
most frantic chain store mecca, and together
with Regent Street , which crosses it halfway,
offers pretty much every mainstream clothing
label you could wish for. Just off Oxford Street,
high-end designer outlets line St. Christopher's
Place and South Molton Street , and you'll find
even pricier designers and jewellers along the
very chic Bond Street .
Tottenham Court Road , which heads north from
the east end of Oxford Street, is the place to go
for electrical goods and furniture and design
shops. Charing Cross Road , heading south, is
the centre of London's book trade, both new
and secondhand. At its north end, and
particularly on Denmark Street , you can find
music shops selling everything from instruments
to sound equipment and sheet music. Soho
offers an offbeat mix of sex boutiques, records
and silks, while the streets surrounding Covent
Garden yield art and design shops, mainstream
fashion stores and designer wear.
Just off Piccadilly, St James's is the natural
habitat of the quintessential English gentleman,
with Jermyn Street in particular harbouring
shops dedicated to his grooming. Knightsbridge
, further west, is home to Harrods, and the
big-name fashion stores of Sloane Street and
Brompton Road .
Whether it's time or money you've got to burn,
London is one big shopper's playground. And
although chains and superstores predominate
along the high streets, you're still never too far
from the kind of oddball, one-off establishment
that makes shopping an adventure rather than a
chore. From the folie de grandeur that is
Harrods to the frantic street markets of the East
End, there's nothing you can't find in some
corner of the capital.
In the centre of town, Oxford Street is the city's
most frantic chain store mecca, and together
with Regent Street , which crosses it halfway,
offers pretty much every mainstream clothing
label you could wish for. Just off Oxford Street,
high-end designer outlets line St. Christopher's
Place and South Molton Street , and you'll find
even pricier designers and jewellers along the
very chic Bond Street .
Tottenham Court Road , which heads north from
the east end of Oxford Street, is the place to go
for electrical goods and furniture and design
shops. Charing Cross Road , heading south, is
the centre of London's book trade, both new
and secondhand. At its north end, and
particularly on Denmark Street , you can find
music shops selling everything from instruments
to sound equipment and sheet music. Soho
offers an offbeat mix of sex boutiques, records
and silks, while the streets surrounding Covent
Garden yield art and design shops, mainstream
fashion stores and designer wear.
Just off Piccadilly, St James's is the natural
habitat of the quintessential English gentleman,
with Jermyn Street in particular harbouring
shops dedicated to his grooming. Knightsbridge
, further west, is home to Harrods, and the
big-name fashion stores of Sloane Street and
Brompton Road .
| The Skyview Balloon If the London Eye hasn't given you enough of a lift, you can go even higher, to over 500ft (weather permitting) in the hot-air balloon situated behind Vauxhall tube station in Spring Gardens. |
| THISTLE CHARING CROSS - London, United Kingdom |
| Area Attractions Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Regent Street, London Eye, Soho, Houses of Parliament, Regents Park, Royal Albert Hall |
| 3595 Canton Road, Suite A9-133 Marietta, GA 30066 Tel: 770 517 4429 Fax: 678 494 9823 Email: info@medexrecovery.com www.medexrecovery.com |
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