London Restaurant Guide

Posted on March 20, 2010 by admin

London is the capital of the United Kingdom and one that has residents and visitors from various countries. It is a cosmopolitan city which has some of the most famous eateries in the world. According to the location, different cuisines can be sampled in the city. Right from quaint little cafes to large restaurants, it meets everybody’s taste needs. London also has a thriving night life with casual clubs to luxury pubs. The service in most eateries is friendly and up to a good standard. The food is of good quality and most restaurants have gourmet ingredients couriered to them from around the world.

Some of London’s restaurants are quite famous and some of them can be found on the shopping streets, this makes it convenient for travelers to eat and shop in the same area without traveling far. Indigo on Covent Garden is situated in central London with a menu that has modern European cuisine. Most of these restaurants during the day serve the famous British breakfast. The Langtry Restaurant that is a part of the Cadogan Hotel in Knightsbridge serves gourmet dishes that are known to be creative and tasty. Located in the Mayfair area, the Tamarind restaurant serves some delicious Indian cuisine with a 60s inspired decor. Another elegant restaurant to be found in the same area of Mayfair is the Artisan restaurant where many prefer to dine to view its beautiful architecture and chandeliers.

Situated on the river Thames, the Pissarro’s manages to entertain both young and the adult population, the best view from the restaurant is while sitting out in the gardens facing the river. All in all London can be a delight for those who love to travel and sample novel gourmet food.

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London Eye

Posted on March 20, 2010 by admin

A travel plan to London rarely ever excludes the London eye. The London eye is a famous tourist attraction build by modern architects to celebrate the year 2000. It is situated on the south bank of river Thames and conveniently close to most of the tourist attractions around the big Ben and Westminster Bridge. It is a giant wheel and has glass capsules into which visitors climb to get some of the best views of the London city. The architecture was planned such that with every moving angle a beautiful view of the historical monuments can be seen. Unlike a giant wheel, it moves slowly and gives visitors opportunity to have a breathtaking experience from high above the city.

It was built not 10 years ago from now, but has become a major symbol of London. It took a mere seven years to plan and construct the London eye, though it was initially to be a temporary attraction, due to its popularity it was made a permanent fixture. It was sponsored by the British airways and is run under the London Eye Company. Once inside the capsule, the visitor is taken on a 30 minute slow ride, the capsule is fully made of glass and at every point of the ride, the viewer is given a complete view and no part of the sight is blocked due to its circular mounting.

The London eye stands 443 feet in height. It is the fourth tallest building in London. It was designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield who is a married couple. Approximately 3.5 million visitors climb it every year. The wheel houses 32 glass capsules with benches inside and air conditioning system. On a single ride, about 800 people can be inside the wheel. The London eye is open on all days except on national holidays.



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London Car Parking

Posted on March 20, 2010 by admin

London boasts of one of the best public transports in the world that include the bus services and underground rails. The streets and traffic can be tiresome most of the time and even some who can afford cars choose the public transport. While traveling in London it is best to hire a rental car or use park and ride services than choosing to drive around. Most parking places are situated far off and can be tedious to find and walk from. They do charge a large fee due to the law passed a few years ago which charges for congestion.

Parking lots are signaled with a large white “P” with a blue signboard. Most of these car parks are situated near the airports or railway stations, there are also multi-storey buildings which house car parking. However, both the options can be quite expensive. However in the central London region which is quite busy, there are parking bays available with parking meters, they do not allow parking for more than a few hours, the charge is minimum. Usually after six, the parking might be free. For those that have disabilities, have special privileges which allow them to be exempted from the congestion fee and reduction in the parking fees, they however need to procure the blue badge.

London has complex parking and traffic systems and the rules vary from place to place. While traveling it is best to learn about the area one is visiting and recognize places to park before getting into trouble such as heavy fines or clamping. The clamps can be removed with a heavy cost, however it can be a tedious job. It is best to carry around change in London while traveling by private transport as most parking meters and parking fees need to be paid in change.

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Kew gardens

Posted on March 20, 2010 by admin

Kew gardens is essentially a botanical garden situated near the south banks of the river Thames. It is now known as the Royal botanical gardens combining the previous twin gardens of Kew estate as well as the Richmond estate. They belong to the royals due to the fact that they were owned by various members of the royal family over a long period of time. Some even had their temporary residences in the gardens. The gardens house many garden buildings and botanical specimens. It was eventually inherited by King George under whose guidance is reached its complete glory. His director Joseph Banks, sent botanists to different countries to collect rare samples because of which the gardens were central to botanical research at that time. After his death however, it feel into disrepair.

The garden is a total of 300 acres now and was eventually handed to the state government by the royals. The gardens now houses a museum of botany and a library. Greenhouses were later added and the land was continually expanded. It houses the largest collection of plants in the world and now houses the botanical research center. It offers tourists with great landscapes and formal gardens. The green houses have exhibits of rare plants. The museum also has wonderful photographs and art of botany.

It is situated around greater London and easily accessible. It is open to public and has many attractions to enthusiasts who can view the evolution of plants through the exhibitions and the wood museum displays how paper can be manufactured and also has inlaid wood cabinets. It also houses over 600 varieties of grasses from around the planet.

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Buckingham Palace

Posted on March 20, 2010 by admin

Buckingham palace is a delightful place and stands as a major symbol of English royalty and London city. Although its beginning was as humble as a townhouse, that was built by the Duke of Buckingham. It was initially called the Buckingham house. The Buckingham palace had many royal residents over the years included the famous kings like James I, George III. The gardens are large and house specimen plants. Annual garden parties are held every year and visited by many tourists. Under the residence of George IV, the architecture was improved excessively. Around a thousand workmen were hired in to complete the structure.

Although the construction then was criticized for being too expensive and eating into the governmental funds, the work continued and the palace stand now in all its elegance. Presently the rooms consist of the same furniture from that period, which include amazing porcelain, marble staircases and splendid art work. The palace famously consists of a picture room the size of two tennis courts. It also houses a sculpture gallery which has famous rare sculptures collected by George IV. Some of the rooms are decorated from wall to wall in gold and red silk. There are numerous cut glass chandeliers and onyx columns around the place.

Officially it had become the royal residence when Queen Victoria moved in to reside when she was crowned in the year 1837. Again in this period it was heavily expanded due to the queens needs for nurseries and guest rooms. After her death is it still maintained well and the present royals live there. It is also from here that they administer, conduct official ceremonies and meetings. Reportedly fifty thousand people visit it every year. It is accessible to the public on most days and tickets need to be purchased before hand. Many go to view the famous changing of the guard at 11:30 on ceremonial days.

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Big Ben

Posted on March 14, 2010 by admin

Located at the palace of Westminster in London, the big Ben is a historical landmark. Many times travelers presume the clock tower as the big Ben; however Londoner’s refer to the great bell in the clock as the big Ben. The whole structure of the London House of Commons is Victorian in construction which includes the clock tower. There are five clocks in the tower and big Ben is the largest among them.

The tower was built in 1834 following a tragic fire accident which damaged the earlier palace of Westminster. Contractor Charles Barry restored the palace and added many features to it which included the clock tower. It took about 12 years to remodel the palace to its present glory; it now stands 316 feet in height. This makes the tower ideal for visitors to climb and see great views of the city. The clocks around the tower are monumental and have been one of the largest clock mechanisms till date. Right from inside the tower the insides of the clock can be examined. Edmund Beckett Denison had designed the clock which is fully functional after so many years.

The main feature around which the tower was named is the hour bell which was named after the Commissioner for works then, Sir Benjamin Hall. The bell was replaced once after it was damaged due to heavy ringing by the public. Due to its heaviness it broke soon after its inception, it was however not replaced, but was just given a lighter strike. The modern feature of the bell was when BBC wired microphones near the bell and the time was presented to the world viewer. During the night, when the palace is illuminated and facing the famous Thames river, is the ideal time to visit it.

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