London - Metropolis of Universe

Welcome to Marie's Homepage

I have many great memories from my Londontrip
~ May 1998 ~

London is at least two thousand years old and was settled long before the first Roman invansion. Modern London is a hybrid creature formed from the ancient cities of London and Westminster evolving over the centuries into what is today a sprawling metropolis comprising some 8 000 000 inhabitants in an area of about 610 square miles.
It's 33 nationalities living in London.

LONDON:
Hyde Park
Harrods
The Tower of London
Tower Bridge
St. Pauls Cathedral
Big Ben; The Palace of Westminster

Trafalgar Square
Buckingham Palace
Westminster Abbey
Piccadilly Circus
Madame Tussaud's
Drury Lane Theatre & Her Majesty's Theatre

Hyde Park - A delightful expanse of grass and woodland covering some 360 acres. Rennies bridge across the Serpentine informally divides Hyde Park from Kensington Gardens, once the grounds of Kensington Palace. It was so great to walk in the delightful Hyde Park - so huge and wonderful.

	*Harrods* - at Knightsbridge, shopping mecca of the world . It has seven floors. It is famous world-wide for the unequalled choice, quality and sheer elegance of its merchandise. Touristy, but still de rigueur. The clothes are expensive and fashionable and there are many departments for various styles. The toy department is really extraordinary and the food halls are crammed with gourmet goodies. Harrods is one store where it helps to dress fashionably. It was enormous to visit that store. If you some day in the future visit London - dont travel home without visit Harrods. For instance, do you know that Harrods are closing one day per year, so the Queen can go shopping undisturbed.
	The Tower of London - has for over 900 years guarded the approach to London from the Thames and has served as fortress, royal palace and prison. Steeped in the nation's history it has been the scene of many executions, including the beheading of Henry VIII's wife, Anne Boleyn. There is more of London's history in the Tower than anywhere else. It is the oldest surviving building in London, dating from the Norman Conquest, and even before that the site had been used by the Romans, and later by the Saxons as a fortress. They have nine places to show: The Crown Jewels, The Medieval Palace, The Wall Walk, The White Tower, Tower Green, Western Entrance & Water Lane, The fusiliers' Museum, The Yeoman Warders and the Ravens. Englands famous Beefeaters was dressed in their traditional Tudor uniforms.
	Tower Bridge - a symbol for London. The world's most famous bridge for over 100 years. Tower Bridge that attach Tower Hill with Bermondsey is the only bridge downstream of London Bridge. It was a solemn consecration 1894 by the successor to the throne. A powerful bridge over River Thames.

St Paul's Cathedral - The building of the present Cathedral commenced in 1675 and the last stone was laid in 1710. Acclaimed by many authorities as one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in the world, its dome is only surpassad in size by St Peter's in Rome.
It is Christopher Wren's famous masterpiece which is the final resting place of many renowned sailors, soldiers, painters, etc, and has been the scene of State weddings and funerals. It has a magnificent interior.

The known towerbell Big Ben

Big Ben; the Palace of Westminster - Dominating the eastern extremity

The Houses of Parliament

of the complex of buildings known as the Houses of Parliament, but more correctly the Palace of Westminster, is the 320 foot high tower housing the Palace clock. Famed throughout the world as Big Ben (actually the name of the bell). This has been the seat of government since the early part of the eleventh century but not until 1547 did it become the permanent home of Parliament.

Trafalgar Square - The true heart of London. It commemorating Nelson's naval victory of 1805, was designed by Sir Charles Barry, and laid out between 1829 and 1841.

Trafalgar Square

Commanding the square is Nelson's column, a fluted granite shaft nearly 185 feet high topped by another 17 feet of E.H. Baily's statue of England's greatest naval hero.
The four bronze lions at the column's base are the work of Sir Edwin Landseer and were not placed until 1868, some 26 years after the column was erected.
The fountains and friendly pigeons make Trafalgar Square a popular rendezvous for Londoner and tourist alike, whilst its sheer size and central position provides a focal point for political demonstrations and public meetings.

Buckingham Palace - Buckingham Palace in UK

Buckingham Palace in UK

The building known to all as the Queen's official London home.
The original house built
by the 1st Duke of Buckingham 1702--1705 and was bought by King George III in 1762.
It was substantially remodelled by John Nash in Palladian style 125 years later.

The Palace is set in nearly 40 acres of gardens and houses the Throne Room, Music Room, State Dining Room and Picture Gallery.

Westminster Abbey - One of the finest examples of Early English Gothic architecture, founded by Edward the Confessor in 1065 on the site of church which had been built 500 years earlier. "The Abbey" was mostly built in the thirteenth century during the reign of Henry III. This is where all the English monarchs have been crowned for over 600 years and many of them subsequently buried, their magnificent tombs surrounded by a proliferation of commoners - prime ministers, artists, physicians, poets, actors, soldiers and sailors, politicians.
Prince Charles and Lady Diana (Princess of Wales) & Queen of Hearts was married in "The Abbey" 29th of July 1981. Lady Diana died in a tragical car accident in France 31st of August 1997.

Piccadilly Circus - At the night is a blaze of colour from the huge animated neon The statue of Eros

The statue of Eros

Piccadilly Circus

advertisements. Situated at the centre of London's
entertainment world in the
West End it is a great
attraction to tourists who are drawn to it by some myste-
rious force - perhaps by the
statue of Eros affectionately thought of as the god of love, but in reality an aluminium portrayal of the Angel of Christian Charity, erected in 1893 as a tribute to that great Victorian philanthropist, the Earl of Shatfesbury.

Madame Tussaud's - Marie Tussaud (1761--1850). She worked as a teacher in
Lady Diana

Lady Diana

waxmodelling at Ludvig XVIs court in Paris and was throwing into Beatles

Beatles

prison during the French Revolution but escaped to England 1802. Madame Tussaud's is
the world famours waxworks established in Marylebone about 1833 when some of its first exhibits included deathmasks of guillotine victims from the French Revolution. The visitors wander through the pages of history and mingle with the famous and infamous. An international display of Kings, Queens, politicians, stars of films, television and pop, sportsmen and women, all portrayed with an uncanny realism. For example there is The Beatles, The Royalties in England, a portray of Lady Diana, Gorbatjov, Kevin Kline.

Londons Theatres - It was a tremendous experience to see two of Londons Theatres and Classic Musicals Miss Saigon and The Phantom of the Opera.

Miss Saigon
at Drury Lane Theatre

It's the classic musical love story of our time. Set against the terror and chaos of the last days of Vietnam. Miss Saigon tells of the love between a young Vietnamese girl and an American soldier.

Miss Saigon

The Phantom of the Opera
at Her Majesty's Theatre

With some of the most lavish sets, costumes and special effects ever to have been created for the stage, this haunting musical traces the tragic love story of a beautiful opera singer and a young composer shamed by his physical appearance into a shadowy existence beneath the majestic Paris Opera House.
.

The Phantom of the Opera

Below its a excerpt from the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" (a really great song):

All I ask of You

"No more talk of darkness, forget this wild I'd feel. I'm here, nothing can harm you.
My words will warm and calm you. Let me be your Freedom, let daylight dry your tears. I'm here with you, beside you to guard you and to guide you.

Then say you love me every wintermorning. Tell my head with talk of summertime.
Say you need me, now and always. Promise me that all you say is true.
That's all I ask of You."
from "The Phantom Of The Opera"
by A. Lloyd Webber, C. Hart, R. Stilgoe

Information about England & London:

	London
	Touristinfo and links to webcamera
	The Royalties in England

If you are thinking to drive the care and park it in London somewhere, take much money with you....why???.... well it cost $320 per hour...:-).....AND if you dont pay the parking car you got to pay a fine of $6 400.....(1998)

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