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ght tbtfs40tlang1048tcgrid Itb0tf21tul Londontpar Stpardtplain tqctnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright tfs20tlang1048tcgrid Itbtfs40 tpar Stpardtplain ts15tqjtfi720tnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright tfs20tlang2057tcgrid Itfs28 Once you have arrived in London, there are assorted places that you should, you really should, go and see. tpar Stpardtplain tqjtfi720tnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright tfs20tlang1048tcgrid Itfs28tlang2057 A good starting place is Trafalgar Square ith Nelsontrquote s Column right in the centre. It is a 51m column, poised on top of hich is the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar, ho as killed hile inning in 1805. The four lions hich surround the column are of more recent date, having been sculpted by Sir illiam Landseer in 1868. There are many claimants to being the heart of London, but Trafalgar Square has the best right, because it is the hub of so much that is onderful. tpar Just alongside is the church of St Martins in the Fields, hich is open throughout the day and has been around for a long time. The current church dates from 1726, but there has been a church on that site since the thirteenth century. This is the parish church for Buckingham Palace and, yes, there is a royal pe. The church has some onderful lunch time concerts, hich are normally free. tpar On the next side of the square is the National Portrait Gallery, hich is fascinating because it has the largest collection of portraits in the orld although, understandably, only part of the collection is on sho at any one time. Behind is Charing Cross station, not of great interest except that in the side road running alongside is The Players Theatre, old time music hall here the audience is expected to dress up in the right costume and positively join in ith the sho. tpar Running from there is the Strand, hich as once the fashionable thoroughfare of London but fell on slightly seedier times. It is currently being upgraded and it still contains the Savoy Hotel - one of the great hotels of the orld.tpar Stpard tqjtnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright Itfs28tlang2057 ttab If you reverse your course from Trafalgar Square, you ill go up the Mall, past Horse Guards Parade and at the end is the impressive building hich is Buckingham Palace. And you pass St James on the ay up.tpar Stpard tqjtfi720tnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright Itfs28tlang2057 So thattrquote s one quick fix on part of London from one central point. But London has so many other central points. You can do the same sort of orientation from Piccadilly Circus or Hyde Park Corner or, indeed, pretty much anyhere. Once you have your bearings you can start to concentrate on specific areas.You might like to start ith the Houses of Parliament, hich have been operating in one form or another since 1275. orth knoing that the original Parliament as in St Stephentrquote s Chapel and the members sat in the choir stalls facing each other. That tradition carries on to this day.tpar Stpard tqjtnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright Itfs28tlang2057 You can go to the visitortrquote s gallery in the afternoon and evening hen Parliament is sitting. Typically it opens at 2.30 PM and ill stay open until 10.30 PM or even later. If you plan your visits for the evening you ill not have to queue.tpar Just round the corner is estminster Abbey. Every King and Queen of England since illiam the Conqueror has been croned here, and many are buried here, as ell as many other notable historic figures. In the memorable ords of an American imbledon contestant - tldblquote ittrquote s just a lot of dead dudes.trdblquote estminster Abbey is one of the great tourist attractions of London and it is nearly alays croded. Your best bet is to get there at opening time, hich is 8 AM. tpar Stpard tqjtfi720tnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright Itfs28tlang2057 And from there you might like to go and see the Changing of The Guard, hich happens from about the middle of April until the end of July at 11.30 in the morning, and creates monster traffic jams ith parked tourist buses everyhere. Get there early and you ill see one of the five regiments of Foot Guards march from ellington Barracks and go through the age-old ceremony. You may not understand the orders being shouted, but they are in English. On one occasion that hole guard as mounted using the single command, tldblquote bacon and eggs.trdblquote Strange but true. If the scene outside Buckingham Palace is a bit too croded for you, go to Horse Guards in hitehall and atch the Household Cavalry mount the guard and then ride off along the mall. Both guards are changed about the same time. tpar Stpardtplain ts20tqjtfi720tnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright tfs28tlang2057tcgrid From military pomp and circumstance you can venture to somehere a little softer, a little more restrained. One of the ne places, hich have gron into a major tourist attraction, is Covent Garden. This used to be here all the fruit and vegetables coming to London from the country ere sorted out and sold. You may recall that the opening scenes of Pygmalion and, later, My Fair Lady are set there. No the fruit and vegetable markets have moved out to the suburbs, but some of the old feeling still remains. There have been tremendous efforts made to refurbish the old buildings so they retain a feeling of authenticity.tpar tpardtplain tqjtfi720tnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright tfs20tlang1048tcgrid Itfs28tlang2057 Covent Garden Plaza in the centre of the area has regained some of the popularity it experienced in the 17th-century. It has coffee-houses, street entertainment, boutiques, elegant shops and a feeling of cafe society. All traffic is banned, hich makes alking around a pleasure.tpar Stpard tqjtnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright Itfs28tlang2057 tpar alk from Covent Garden don Fleet Street, once the nespaper capital of Britain until Rupert Murdoch moved his nespapers to the old dockland area. And there, ahead of you, is the majesty of St Paultrquote s. This is the building that survived the Second orld ar against all odds. It as designed by Christopher ren, although this is the third church on the site. The previous one burned don in the Great Fire of London in 1666. It is interesting that this is one of the very fe cathedrals in Britain to have been designed by an architect, and the result is glorious. tpar Stpard tqjtfi720tnoidctlpartidctlpartadjustright Itfs28tlang2057 If youtrquote re feeling exceptionally energetic, climb to the Golden Gallery - 530 steps, and you ill be puffing at the end - to see one of the great vies of London. In a very real sense St Paultrquote s is one of the churches of the City of London. It gets a bit confusing, but note that the City of London is quite separate from the rest of London, hich is Greater London. The City of London even has its on spec...
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