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Where does one start? With so many tourist attractions in to see in London, a walking tour on the River Thames where there is much to see on both sides on the river is a good place to begin. Most of the sites and attractions are situated in Zone One on the Tube map, as the London Underground is another good way of making your way through the city.
A view of City Hall.
Still nice looking though, and I’m sure it has a lovely view for the city workers, looking over the River Thames and the financial district, not to mention the Tower of London. A fortress situated in central London, built by William the Conqueror in 1078, it is now an exhibition and tourist attraction which houses the Crown Jewels of the UK. Just off of the Tower of London is the stunning Tower Bridge. London seems to love building distinct and quite individual bridges over the Thames, not to mention the foot tunnel that runs under the Thames from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs. The bridge was completed in 1894 which took 8 years to build. It’s an impressive design combination of a bascule and suspension bridge and it seems to be an iconic symbol of London. There’s an exhibition that gives the history of the bridge, but even more of a highlight is the fantastic views it offers from its 42 meter walkways above the River Thames. Another option of panoramic views is the London Eye, a renowned ferris wheel which offer spectacular views over London on any sunny day. It is Europe’s
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A view of the busy and colourful Piccadilly Circus.
After a year of living here, I’m still finding I look the wrong way as I cross the street, even with the very helpful look right or look left painted in bright colours on the crosswalk. Oddly enough I don’t find it as old as other European cities that I’ve been to. I believe this is mostly due to the Great Fire of London that swept through in 1666. The fire destroyed the medieval city inside the old Roman wall along with St. Paul’s Catherdral, and the slums. It seems like there’s a lot of up and coming architecture here. It is strange though to be walking along and you’re looking at a building that was built in the 19th century, right next to a modern limestone and glass feat. Of course though, one of my favourite skyscrapers is the Gherkin - An egg shaped skyscraper that stands out amongst the other building blocks. I also think that the City Hall is a gherkin that has been squashed by a giant’s thumb and it now leans a bit to the side about to fall over.