London Tours Are The Best Way To Take In The Sights
Author: ElizabethCampbell Total views: 12 Word Count: 719
Looking for culture, history, and fun, then look no further than London, the capital of England. The appeal of London holds no bounds, and there is plenty of things to do, and places to see that will be of interest to everyone. The Queen, Royal Family and their various homes and traditions are what first attract people to London. Getting around to see all these attractions can be a bit of a headache. If you prefer to do things at your own pace, then getting around by underground is probably best. There are underground stations on virtually every street corner (or so it seems), so finding one near to where you are visiting is not a problem. If you prefer for someone else to do the 'leg work' for you, then there are numerous tours that one could take.
Touring London via an organised excursion is an exciting option. It is also the quickest way of making sure one sees a vast amount of sights within a short space of time. Choosing the best tour depends upon an individuals taste, and there is no shortage of tours to choose from. The tours on offer range from 'ghost tours' to 'walking tours', and everything inbetween from historic sights and tours of the famous taverns.
For the more culturally minded tourist London is an ideal destination. With a population of over 7,000,000, London is by far the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe. As you walk around it soon becomes obvious just how culturally diverse the city is. In fact there are over three hundred different languages spoken within London. The different ethnic backgrounds differ according to country of origin and religion. Of course we must not forget the English language, the most common of all. Other languages to be heard are Hokkien, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin and Gujarati.
London has many markets that are well worth a visit. One of the oldest markets is Billingsgate Fish Market. This market dates back to 500 BC and only moved to its present location in 1962 (Isle of Dogs). The longest street market in the United Kingdom is Walthamstowe Market which is just over a mile long (1.61 km). The smells and sights have to be seen to be believed, and a visit to any one of the many markets in London will not disappoint. If a market is not to your taste then Camden Town has plenty to offer the serious shopper.
Some of the finest writers from literary circles have been associated with, or lived in London for a short while. One such famous figure is that of William Shakespeare. There are a number of tours associated with Shakespeare, which will also take in a visit to the reconstructed Globe Theatre. The theatre has been built close to the orignal site at Bear Gardens, SE1.
Shakespeare was not only a playwright but also an actor. He was also a shareholder in the original Globe Theatre, which was built in the period 1598-1609. Tragedy occurred in 1613 when the theatre was rendered to the ground. The thatch roof of the theatre caught fire when a canon set off on stage hit the thatched roof. The theatre was repaired and opened up again as soon as possible (1614). The doors finally closed on the Globe in 1642 and it was finally knocked down in 1644.
Another celebrated author that comes to mind when touring London is Dickens. He resided in numerous locales across the city, but not all of them are still around today. One home, 48 Doughty Street is still around and is the venue for the Dickens Museum. His earliest residence was 16 Bayham Street in Camden where he stayed a young boy. This residence no longer exists but there is a plaque at 141 Bayham Street commemorating him. In the place where one residence stood is a tower block. That particular home was 1 Devonshire Terrace and the tower blocks address is 15-17 Marylebone Road.
South Bank Book Market, situated at Riverside Walk SE1 is one of the best places to buy books. The market takes place every weekend (saturday and sunday) and is open from 10.30 am to about 7 pm during the summer. In the winter the opening hours are shorter (12 pm to 5.30 pm). There has been a book market here since 1982.
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