London

Stayed a couple of weeks in London. Unlike last time where I had stayed in Southampton, staying in Central London in summers with only one day of rain during the 2 weeks gave me much more freedom to move about. Caught a couple of movies and window shopped in a few malls. Then went exploring with a tube ticket to the first 4 zones. London of course has the kind of architecture that really intrigues you with the rustic feel that keeps you interested.

Piccadilly circus and Trafalgar square are a great way to spend the evening. Fridays, the gallery is also open until 9. A number of monuments there provide a nice view. There is of course the largest Ripley's believe it or not museum at Piccadilly but gave that a miss. The National gallery of course is free entry and has some really fantastic paintings from 16th century onwards and is large enough to keep you busy for quite a while. Trafalgar square itself provides an interesting hot-spot for tourists although the pigeon feeding is no more a practice.

Saint Paul's cathedral is another cathedral added to my list of so many visited. It has one of the highest domes and is an amazing piece of architecture to see. Photography is not allowed inside and it is not open to visitors on Sunday as services are held. They do charge about 12 pounds for entry. The view from the dome and the spire is of surrounding London if you can climb there, while also viewing the artwork. The crypt and the lower levels hold various memorials.

A walk along Thames at sunset never really gets boring. Had done that on my last trip as well but was not in much of a hurry this time so took my time exploring the areas around Westminster to the Tower bridge. It was a really long walk but fun. Took a ride on the London eye as well. Maybe a little overrated but it does provide an excellent view of the river and the surrounding areas.

The other museums that I visited were the Natural history museum, the science museum and the British museum. All their entries were free so whenever I had time on my hands and they were open, I was able to get around again thanks to the tube. The British museum itself had some really interesting details while the Natural history museum was fun to say the least. The
Kensington garden were walkable and the Albert memorial there is great. The park also attracts a variety of birds and feeding the squirrels never gets boring.

The Tower of London of course is a must see. Along with the multiple artifacts that it houses and the fact that it has a rather colorful and sordid history, the tours are really fun. The tales by the warders there, the ravens kept there as legend has it that if 6 ravens are not present, the kingdom shall fall, the fusiliers museums, the carvings by the prisoners and of course the crown jewels are just a few of the sights.