Thursday 3 January 2008

Living Vicariously.

While I have been roughly planning my touristy days, I realised that aside from the more well-known spots, I really don't know what to do with myself in London. There are so many things to do in this city that I know absolutely nothing about.

RA suggested that I take requests for things to see/do/photograph whilst I'm here - because let's face it, despite the fact that I'll be soon starting a routine of work, eat, sleep during the week, the novelty of being a tourist in this country is going to stick around for a while. And what else are weekends for, but for sleeping sight-seeing!?

So, I humbly ask the following questions ...

  • Have you been to London before and know some good spots in the city?



  • Have you never been, but know what you would do if you were here?



  • Have you got any photographic requests for me to try to capture?


By the way, these are the suggestions that RA came up with. I'll add more to the list, as soon as you leave them in the comments. It's like 'The List', only UK style!

Tate Modern Art Museum
Science Museum
Theatre show: The Mousetrap
Walk over the Millennium Bridge
Watch a football game a pub
Ride the London Eye
Take pictures with/at: Piccadilly Circus, a red telelphone booth, platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross station, a beefeater.

What else can I do for you? (I live to serve.)

34 comments:

  1. Go to the Cabinet War Rooms. At least I think that's what they're called. Museum about WWII. Loved it when I went there 12 years ago, at least!!!! Enjoy! You're going to have the time of your life.

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  2. Are you passionate about architecture? Look up Christopher Wren and all that he restored in the city...Oh and if I were there I'd stop at my grandma's for some hot cocoa, and then catch a flight to Amsterdam :)

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  3. well not London ... but go to Southampton to see where Titanic took off ... (all our relos are from there too)

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  4. The London Eye which I see you already have listed and then the London Dungeon('cuz I am a Halloween freak). I totally love the idea of the red phone booth and the platform 9 3/4 too!

    Other than that (and what you already have done) I would be down for the shop so that'd be where you'd find me...or in a pub.

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  5. I'd have done the London Eye thing.. And OMG platform 9 3/4! YOU MUST!
    Otherwise... I've got no idea on England itself, let alone London.
    I'm going to be amazed no matter what you do, really.

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  6. I really liked Camden Town when I visited London. There are lots of weird and wonderful shops and people there! My husband also swears by the Imperial War Museum.

    Then when you are finished with London, you should come up here to the Scottish Borders for some peace and quiet! ;)

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  7. Oh! I almost forgot - my favorite place to go - go to Greenwich and stand on the Prime Meridian.

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  8. I was going to suggest the Mousetrap, but you've got that one already. So instead: the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum.

    I dunno. It's Greek to me.

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  9. There's a REAL Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station?!

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  10. You must go to Abbey Road and take a picture. Can you imagine being able to remake the classic album cover in your own unique way. It's a classic and it must be done. :-)

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  11. I was only 12 when I visited London so unfortunately I don't remember everything we did. Some highlights I do remember are the Jack the Ripper tour, visiting the Tower of London (and seeing the Crown Jewels), seeing the Round Table and catching a show (Cats!). I love Spunk's idea of taking a picture at Abbey Road. That would be so cute!

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  12. WOO! Let the vicarious living begin/continue!

    I definitely second the Rosetta Stone. What about some typical, boiled English food? Bangers and mash? Fish and chips? Ooh, and you have to climb up St. Paul's cathedral (the Christopher Wren thing reminded me) and whisper across the way to Jason. Then after all the stairs, you can get fish and chips with a clear conscience.

    I still have to consult my souvenirs and old (pre-digital) pictures ; I am so excited to add to this list.

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  13. Tate Modern, the Milennium Bridge and the London Eye are some of the best spots.

    I would also go to Shakespeare's theatre, (The Globe?) which is right outside the bridge.

    And totally outside London, maybe for a day later on when its warmer and you want to venture, go to Notting Hill. It's so cute there!!!

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  14. As I mentioned, I haven't been to London for years so I don't really know. But I am dying to see the photos you take!

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  15. I really, really wish that I had a suggestion for you.

    Instead I'll ask if I can come visit. ;)

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  16. I don't really have any ideas since I've never been and you've covered my limited knowledge of things to see in London.

    There is still a whole country of England as well. If I ever go to London, I'm definitely spending time in Liverpool. Because I'm a huge Beatles fan.

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  17. There is a fantastic little restaurant called SeaBass...I cannot for the life of me remember where it is, but it had the most delicious fish & chips we ate in London (and we ate a LOT of fish and chips).

    Go to Hampstead Heath...it's beautiful! And while you are there, have a meal at the Spaniard's Inn. Tasty and historic.

    Abbey Road is fun...but it's a very busy road! It was not easy to recreate that album cover!

    Plus, pay attention to the signs in London...there are some pretty funny ones. I'll dig up my pictures and see if I can find some examples!

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  18. Oh! And have some Indian food...if there's once place besides India to eat Indian food, it's London.

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  19. Take a tour of the globe theatre. What they did to restore it was so great!

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  20. Please please please please find Gordon Ramsay and put him in a package amd mail him to me...

    I love him!!

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  21. I'm sorry, still reeling from the fact that I read one line in your post as:

    Have you got any pornographic requests for me to try to capture?

    And the answer is YES. Absolutely.

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  22. What to do in London?
    Walk along the river bank of the Thames
    Take a boat down to Hampton court and get lost in the maze
    Do the jack the ripper tour
    Take a photo of all the bridges over the Thames - Walk
    Row a boat on the serpentine, the lake in Hyde Park – Marble arch tube
    Feed the squirrels and the ducks in at least on of the parks
    Go brass rubbing in the Westminster Abbey
    Take a duckbus tour the bus goes into the river can be fun in the summer time
    Go to see the summer exhibition 2008 august at the Royal Academy Piccadilly Circus
    Spend an afternoon watching Covent Garden people and the acts
    The British museum – near Holborn
    The natural history & science museums & the V&A – near south Kensington tube
    The imperial war museum – near Lambeth north tube
    The Greenwich observatory & the maritime museum - Greenwich Cutty Sark DLR
    Tower of London – Tower Hill
    St Paul’s Cathedral, Tate modern and Millennium Bridge – St Paul’s
    Visit London Zoo – Camden tube
    Visit Kew gardens
    Visit Brick lane and Shoreditch (what Camden was like when I was a kid) before it vanishes and gets too tredified!
    Do the jubilee walk
    Try some of the various different foods available here
    Fish & chips is the most obvious but we also have
    Pie & mash ,Curry, Great Italian, Jamaican, Greek, Tai, Mexican, Chinese, Lebanese, Japanese, plus a whole load more that I can’t think of at the moment.

    Ok that should be it for a while I can probably think of some more in a while but I need to go to sleep!

    Seeya hugya *G*

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  23. I've never been to London but I am a huge Craig David fan. So I would maybe go stake out his house or recording studio or something, haha. :)

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  24. When I did the London tourist thing, my Dad and I opted to do the London Eye instead of the Tower of London because it was cheaper. I wish I had done the opposite (I found the Eye to be kind of anticlimactic). So my suggestion is the Tower of London :)

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  25. Let's see, I was in London almost 42 years ago. So I dont remember much, but there are pictures of The Old Curiosity Shop. The Tower. And I remember eating huge sundaes called knickerbockers, I think. And Wimpy burgers. And teacakes. So look for that stuff. Collect pictures of foods that are different. When I was in So Cal I took pictures of trees, because they are all so different from my trees. Have fun!

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  26. That's a great list so far, I want to see pictures of your touring!! Hope you are settling in over there!

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  27. i love reading period romance novels, so i would love to go see all the stuff that my favorite characters do and see. like bond street, where they all go shopping, or vauxhall gardens, where they go for entertainments - things like that. :)

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  28. Gosh, I have absolutely nothing to suggest.

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  29. One of my highlights was getting up early on a Sunday morning, grabbing a coffee and walking around on my own around Leceister Sq tube station - and taking pictures at just 'London'.

    Oh, and I think some night-life is a MUST!

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  30. I like costumes, so I've done a quick tour of the V&A costume exhibit, as well as Fashion and Textile Museum.

    Enjoy your touring!

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  31. Camden. When I was there two weeks ago (!) I didn't take my camera, so I have no pictures and I think the world needs to see what that place is like.

    I also highly recommend the British Museum. It's an awesome place, the Trust Gallery is extraordinary.

    Covent Garden rocks, and they have different markets on different days, so you should go back more than once. Camden Market & Camden Lock Market are also great places to go.

    Bayswater. On Sundays, artists put up their work to sell along the wall of the park. It's been going on for AGES. Plus, Bayswater is just cool.

    And I'm going to recommend that you just wander around the West End and enjoy all of the little alleyways and side streets you come to. It's an amazing place to get "lost" in.

    One more thing, you're in a city of theatre. Go see some. (Get into The Country Wife, if you can. It closes January 12. Funny and sooooo sexy.)

    I'm trying to remember where it was I saw a shoe store with insanely low prices on boots and shoes. They were closing. But I can't remember where it was.

    I've posted some stuff about my (very recent) trip over there. If you're still looking for stuff, you might check out those entries.

    Whatever you do, enjoy yourself. You're in one of the coolest cities in the world. Lucky, lucky woman.

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  32. Oh yes. And Kew Gardens. I recommend saving that for spring, when the violets are out.

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Spare a thought?