Buckingham Palace


The tourists crowd to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

One of the biggest attractions in London is Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II’s home when she’s in town. Tourists flock here to see the changing of the guard, to visit the palace (summer tours help pay for the maintenance), and to see special exhibitions.

The palace is open to the public in August and September. The Queen’s Gallery which displays many of the Royal Treasures including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey; French porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world is now open.

 

SUMMER OPENING OF THE STATE ROOMS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

 

Open 5 August – 29 September
A timed-ticket system is operated, with admission every 15 minutes.
Adult £11.50, Over 60 £9.50, Under 17 £6.00, Under 5 Free, Family £29.00

 

Info:
Email: buckinghampalace@royalcollection.org.uk

Address:
Buckingham Palace
SW1A 1AA
Phone: (+44) (0) 20 7321 2233

The Courhouse Hotel, London

When I was planning for a trip to London and comparing hotels online I came across The Courthouse Hotel in Soho.  As I am a big history buff it got my attention as an ideal place to stay while exploring the city.

Everything is well done at this hotel.  The owners wisely incoperated the buildings previous life as a courthouse into a five star establishment.

One can now drink in the plush bar built in the space of the former holding cells, sleep in the former judges chambers, and relax and workout in the stylish spa and workout center.

Mick Jagger and John Lennon once slept here by necesity, today it feels like staying at a private club for lawyers in the middle of London´s hot Soho!

Royal Academy of Arts

Since 1769, the Royal Academy has been putting on the Summer Exhibitions, which are one of the major tourist attractions in London.

Check their website for the exhibition schedule.

Admission: £7 adults, children 12-18 £2.50, children 8-11 £1.50

Info:
Open: 10am to 6pm, until 10pm on Fridays. Last admission to the galleries is thirty minutes before closing.

Underground: Piccadilly
Website: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/

Address:
Burlington House, Picadilly
London WIJ OBD
Phone: 020 7300-8000

The Royal Pavilion Brighton

 

The Royal Pavilion in Brighton was built by King George IV, and was constructed over a period of 35 years. The Indian style palace is filled with lavish furnishings typical of these dusty old royal palaces… fun to visit if touristing in Brighton however. There is a fee to enter.

Info:
OPENING HOURS

October to March 10.00am-5.15pm (last tickets at 4.30pm)

April to September 9.30am-5.45pm (last tickets at 5.00pm)

Closed 25 & 26 December

Totnes

Totnes is a small market town nestled at the mouth of the beautiful river Dart surrounded by the green hills of the South Hams in Devon. New Age happened here before it hit most other places, and although time has taken its toll and the pace of the place has changed, it still remains a magnet for artists, musicians, healers, pagans, witches and searchers. If you want to pay a visit make sure you come on a Friday or Saturday – market days – when the whole place comes alive…and more so in spring and summer. Vegetarian restaurants galore, vintage/retro clothes shops, organic health food shops, colourful cafes to lose track of time in…..and from spring to the end of summer pay a visit to the castle at the top of the hill.

Totnes may be small, but its the magic of the place that counts, and I’m sure you’ll feel it. Walk along the river towards Dartington and you’ll arrive at Dartington Hall, a college for the arts set in a beautiful green valley, and where Ravi Shankar came to study dance as a boy. Further on you’ll get to the Dartington Cider Press, a centre selling local crafts such as hand-blown glass and pottery, with adjoining Crank’s cafe, serving great veggie food.

An Alternative Guide to London

An Alternative Guide to London

London is a formidable charge. Household-name landmarks pop up at every turn: The London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament, Wembley and the British Museum, to name but several.

Where to begin? Well in London’s case, it helps to see the trees through the forest, as it were, and break the city up into manageable segments. This is all made reasonably effortless of course, with a phenomenal public transit system. With that in mind, consider these worthwhile alternatives in the vast English capital.

Continue reading

London, The City of Old and New, and Everything In-between

London is famous the world over, both as an ancient seat of power for the British Empire, and as a hyper-modern capital of literature, art, music, food, finance, and architecture. The old city itself is only a small fraction of the more recognized Greater London that grew up around it, spanning over 600 square miles. This large region houses a great number of historic monuments and landmarks, alongside large music venues and concert halls, and a bewildering labyrinth of shops, clubs, and restaurants. The style and architecture in London is as varied as its people; just a stone’s throw away from a cozy, cobbled street of family-run pubs and gardens stand vast, glinting skyscrapers of glass and steel; high street fashion stores are interspersed with gothic, stone churches, while neon nightclubs look out over the River Thames towards cathedrals and castles. The mix of old and new styles is often bewildering, sometimes stark, but always leaves the impression of a city steeped in history, while embracing change.

Connecting all of the sights and places of interest scattered throughout London is the world famous London Underground, known locally as "the tube". You can purchase tickets for a single journey, or buy a day ticket which lets you use all the tubes and buses in London for a whole day, making it extremely handy when bouncing around shops or art galleries. The other commonly used mode of transport is the black cab taxis, which are similar to those in New York. Be careful about traveling too far in a cab, as the prices can become quite steep, especially if you hit traffic.

A tour of London’s sights is best spread over several days, as there is a tremendous amount of places to visit and a lot of walking involved to see it all. The most significant historical landmarks include: Buckingham Palace, the seat of British monarchy and home of The Queen of England; St Paul’s Cathedral, one of England’s most famous attractions; Westminster, containing The Houses of Parliament and The Tower of Big Ben; and the Tower of London, a massive English fortress, and the home of the Crown Jewels.

If this venerable heritage is not to your tastes, why not take a tour of the world-class art exhibits such as the Tate Modern, the Tate Britain, or the Saatchi Gallery? There are also a number of museums to indulge all interests, from science to natural history, and large gardens and parks to enjoy. Get a view from the Millennium Eye, the gigantic Ferris wheel overlooking the Thames, or stop at Trafalgar Square to admire Nelson’s Column. If shopping is your thing, there are few better places in the world to be. Whether hunting down designer clothes in Bond Street, or wandering through the hippy micro-culture in Carnaby Street, shopping in London caters to all desires. Notable streets to peruse include Notting Hill, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, and Knightsbridge.

There is a rich myriad of entertainment to fill up an evening in London; from theatre, opera, and recitals to concerts, comedians, and art exhibitions. The indispensable magazine "Time Out" lists everything going on in and around London every night, and is widely available throughout the city. The tube runs until a little after midnight for most central stations, opening again at around 5 a.m., so be sure to plan your journeys with this in mind. For the sleepless, the underground transport is replaced by the night bus service, where London Underground tickets are usually still valid.

Accommodation in London is variable, ranging from luxury, 5-star hotels to snug and comfortable bed & breakfast pubs. Be sure to get the latest on inclusive packages and hotel deals, and ask around for personal recommendations. For more information, try visiting our international travel forum to ask questions and get answers before you book your destination vacation.

Author Bio-
"Tina Halford" is a Senior Writer & Journalist working with TripMama. Tina writes articles with special focus on airlines discussion boards, besides sharing travel tips and nuggets on booking air deals, cheap hotels, car rentals and travel destinations.

History of Edinburgh

In AD 79 the Romans mention meeting the Celtic tribe of Votadinii in an area now known as Edinburgh.

This was about the furthest north the Romans made it, and the Celts were not amused by the Roman antics, and harassed them considerably. The Romans retreated to positions behind Hadrian’s Wall around 211 AD, and left Britain entirely by the year 410.

By the sixth century four kingdoms controlled what is now Scotland, and Duncan I became the first King of a unified Scotland in 1035. King Malcolm III built the castle at Edinburgh before he died in 1093. His son David I built an Abbey at Holyrood, at the other end of the so-called “Royal Mile.” This became the focus of the thriving town of Edinburgh, and Leith nearby became its port to the outside world via the sea. Robert the Bruce granted the city a Royal Charter in 1329, and by the 1500s Edinburgh was the capitol of Scotland.

In fact the entire town was at one time on the hill surrounding the castle on its steep and craggy hill. It wasn’t until the 1700s that the Loch below the castle was filled in and the expanded outward for the first time.

An age of “enlightenment” ensued, lasting through the 1800s when Edinburgh grew into the beautiful city it is today.

History of London

The Romans founded London in the year 50 AD, and the city burnt to the ground just ten years later when Queen Boudicca from present-day Norfolk led a major anti-Roman rebellion.

 

However, the Romans rebuilt, and administered Britain through this capitol city until AD 410. Then the Dark Ages descended on Britain, and London was mainly in ruins for hundreds of years hence. The scattered Roman survivors clung to hordes of old Roman coins lived in hiding until they died from plague or pestilence.

Continue reading