I’m sorry to say, but I
was very disappointed by the city and have to say I didn’t like it. The
uncleanliness of the city was repugnant. After walking the streets of London
for a few hours, I wanted to rest by the Thames River in the evening instead of
sitting at the hotel. But this was another disappointment. The smell on the
promenade was unacceptable.
Yes, I know there is a
lot of history there. However, there is a lot of history in other European
capitals and yet they remain clean.
There are so many companies
doing the Red Bus tours that if you hop off at one stop and try to hop on at a
different stop, it may take you some time to find the right stop. Even with a
map of the bus route, I wasted some time looking for the right stop. I told a
fellow traveler about my experience and she had the same problem. She said she
would never do this again.
Good thing about London
or England in general is that they have free museums. You don’t pay any fee to
enter it and that’s the way it should be. That was the original idea of the
first museums, to show art to those who could not afford it themselves. When I took a class of art history, my
professor told us to give a clerk a penny for the suggested price museums and
if he/she gives you a look, then to give them the same look back. Do not feel bad for not paying the whole
price.
On the other hand, in
order to see some churches in London, for example Westminster Abbey, you have
to pay a fee, which is wrong. You shouldn’t be paying any money to see the
inside of a church, where people pray. You can still go inside and have a
glance of the inside without paying a fee.
A brief history: London
has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its
founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. The city was named a world
cultural capital as it is the world’s most-visited city as measured by
international arrivals.
London
contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site
comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret’s
Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal
Observatory marks the Prime Meridian, 0° longitude, and GMT).
Other
famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus,
St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and The Shard.
London
is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other
cultural institutions, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate
Modern, British Library and 40 West End theatres.
Palace of Westminster
Westminster Abbey
London Eye
