I got a London Pass. Check it out!
http://www.londonpass.com/?ref=ppc03&OVRAW=london%20pass&OVKEY=london%20pass&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=945110521&OVKWID=5726930521
Here's where I want to go: (direct from their site)
The Tower of London
For over 900 years the Tower has dominated the city of London and today is still one of the capital’s most prominent landmarks and a world famous visitor attraction. Throughout its long history the Tower has served as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, an arsenal, royal mint, menagerie and jewel house. Discover its long and eventful history, its buildings and collections including the Crown Jewels and Royal Armouries.
St Paul’s Cathedral
Come and experience the majesty and glory of St Paul’s Cathedral. Built between 1675 and 1710 St Paul’s is the creation of Sir Christopher Wren. Its iconic dome dominates the London skyline and visitors with a head for heights can climb 530 steps (85 metres) from the cathedral floor to the Golden Gallery for breathtaking, panoramic views of the capital. The Whispering Gallery, famous for its acoustics, is 30 metres above the cathedral floor while below, in the elegant and spacious crypt, are the tombs and memorials of such historic figures as Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. A £40 million programme of cleaning and repair work for the cathedral’s 300 th anniversary has already transformed the interior of the building. Visitors to the cathedral will see the difference created BY the creamy Portland stone, the dazzling byzantine - style mosaics and the wealth and detail of carving that the cleaning has revealed.
The Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. At the Tower Bridge Exhibition you can enjoy the breathtaking views from the high-level walkways, learn about the history of the Bridge and how it was built from the inter-active displays and videos, and descend into the Victorian Engine Rooms, home of the original steam engines. London Pass holders must obtain a ticket from the ticket desk
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and an official residence of Her Majesty The Queen. The magnificent State Apartments are lavishly furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection, including masterpieces by Rubens, Holbein, Breugal and Van Dyck. St George’s Chapel, within the Castle Precincts is one of the most ecclesiastical buildings in England. Windsor Castle is less than an hour by train from central London.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace, Henry VIII’s magnificent riverside residence reveals over 450 years of history. Who will you encounter in Henry VIII’s and King William III’s magnificent State Apartments? What stories of the day will they have to tell? The sights, sounds and smells of the great Tudor kitchens where banquets were prepared for Henry’s court of over 1000 people bring to life the shear size and scale of the operation of feeding the court. On the first weekend of each month, food historians recreate the dishes prepared for Henry and experiment with the delicacies of the day. The gardens provide a wonderful opportunity to relax and unwind and for those wanting a challenge, there is always the famous maze. The home to many works of art from the Royal Collection, you can discover one of the largest collections of tapestries in the world and marvel at the ‘Triumphs of Caesar’ by Andrea Mantegna, celebrating its 500th anniversary this year.
Royal Mews
One of the finest working stables in existence and home to the royal collection of historic coaches and carriages, the Royal Mews is responsible for all road travel arrangements for The Queen. Visitors can view the Glass Coach, used by royal brides, the luxurious Australian State Coach, with central heating, and the most dazzling of all the Gold State Coach, which has been used at every coronation since 1821. Guided tours run at regular intervals.
Kensington Palace and The Orangery
Experience the age of elegance in the State Apartments and displays of royal court and ceremonial dress at this most fashionable of royal addresses. The current exhibition, Diana, Princess of Wales, by Mario Testino, is included in admission to the palace until December 2007. The iconic images, many never before displayed, are united with her famous dresses, worn by the princess and later auctioned for charity at Christie’s, New York.
National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery is home to the largest collection of portraiture in the world featuring famous British men and women who have created history from the Middle Ages until the present day. Over 1,000 portraits are on display across the floors from Henry VIII and Florence Nightingale to the Beatles and the Queen.
London Bicycle Tour Company
See London by bicycle with the London Bicycle Tour Company. Take a mountain bike or traditional cycle and experience a guided tour exploring London. The expert guides will stop at intervals to speak about the history of the surroundings. All routes have been designed to keep you away from the traffic. Helmets and insurance are included.
Chislehurst Caves
Miles of mystery and history beneath your feet. Just a short way from central London lie the Chislehurst Caves - over 20 miles of dark mysterious passageways hewn by hand from the chalk, deep beneath Chislehurst. Experienced guides take you on a 45-minute lamp-lit tour and tell stories of Druids, Romans & Saxons. You’l see the tunnels which were famous as a shelter during the Second World War, the caves church, druid altar, haunted pool and much, much more.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Tour and Exhibition
Shakespeare’s Globe was founded by the pioneering American actor and director Sam Wanamaker and has become one of London’s most successful theatres and top visitor attractions. The theatre is a faithful reconstruction of the 1599 open-air playhouse where Shakespeare wrote many of his greatest plays. Resident storytellers introduce visitors to all aspects of the Globe, historical and contemporary, including Sam Wanamaker’s epic struggle to recreate the theatre for which Shakespeare wrote many of his works.
Tours by Boat
A trip up or down the river will give you an entirely different view of London than the one you get from land. You'll see how the city grew along and around the Thames, and how many of its landmarks turn their faces toward the water. Boat trips on London’s canals, especially Regent’s Canal in London’s canal-laced “Little Venice”, are becoming an increasingly popular way of seeing the city. You can discover Regent’s Canal on Jason’s Traditional Canal Boat Trip. This starts from romantic Little Venice, continues through Regent’s Park to the colourful street markets of Camden Lock, guided by a live historical commentary.
The Big Bus Company
The ONLY way to experience the architectural and cultural magnificence of London is on our open-top live-guided sightseeing tours. A day full of history, amazing facts, and above all lots of fun, is guaranteed. And you will have the best view around! Tickets are valid for 24 hours, enabling you to Hop on and off where you like, and include free walking tours of the city.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived in a Victorian lodging house at 221b Baker Street between 1881-1904, according to the stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The house was built in 1815 and is listed by the Government to protect its architectural and cultural heritage. It is open as a museum dedicated to the life and times of Sherlock Holmes, and the interior has been faithfully maintained for posterity exactly as described in the published stories.
Britain at War Experience
Winston Churchill’s Britain at War Experience, Tooley Street, London Bridge offers visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the civilians in war-torn Britain during WW2. This is a unique museum with film footage of those turbulent years and featuring evacuation, rationing, shelters, weddings, bomb disposal, women at war, gasmasks, documents and artefacts. Walk through the London Blitz. See it! Feel it! Breathe it!
Other London things I want to do:
Portobello Market on a Fri. or Sat. morning! And all of the fabulous shoping in the area! "Portobello Road Market is one of the most famous markets in the world and is internationally recognised for its second-hand and antique sections. Statistically it features in the top ten rankings as the most visited tourist site in London. It is regularly the focus of press and media attention and mostly remembered from the Disney film "Bed knobs and Broomsticks" and more recently the film "Notting Hill". Its history and culture span approximately 300 years of existence. During the week the market is used mainly by the local community and has a mix of fruit and vegetable produce, new goods and hot food stalls. Friday the second hand market is open and on Saturday the famous antiques market is held towards the Southern end of Portobello Road, near Notting Hill Gate. In addition to the antique stalls there are a whole host of arcades, galleries, shops and cafes open to cater for the flocks of tourists and visitors. A recent addition to the Saturday market is the Arts & Crafts section which is located just off Portobello Road on the Tavistock Piazza. This was created to encourage a range of unique trades and handicrafts." (http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/EnvironmentalServices/StreetTrading/portobello.asp)
Must see Skakespeare performed while in England at the Globe!
Love's Labour's Lost
by William Shakespeare
Opens 1 July
Self-denial is in fashion at the court of Navarre where the young King and three of his courtiers solemnly forswear all pleasures in favour of serious study. But the Princess of France and her all-too-lovely entourage have other ideas and it isn’t long before young love, with its glad eyes, hesitations and embarrassments, has broken every self-imposed rule of the all-male ‘academe’.
Shakespeare’s boisterous send-up of all those who try to turn their back on life, is a festive parade of every weapon in the youthful playwright’s comic arsenal: from excruciating cross-purposes and impersonations, to drunkenness, bust-ups and pratfalls. Even more, it is a joyful banquet of language, groaning with puns, rhymes, bizarre syntax, grotesque coinages and parodies. This heady combination enjoys its first outing at the Globe this season.
Ohhhhhh - I just found this:
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/theatre/globetouring/
"Romeo and Juliet
For the first time in four hundred years a travelling company will be heading off around the country from the Globe Theatre.
In Shakespeare’s time actors often toured plays to country houses, inns and town halls all over the UK. The players regularly left London; sometimes due to playhouse closure to prevent the spread of plague or according to government bans, sometimes simply to extend the life of a new play. This summer, our actors will be emulating the experience of Elizabethan players, taking all the equipment they need and adapting the play to a wealth of glorious venues. Suitable for people of all ages, the arrival of the players will recreate the excitement and vivacity of an Elizabethan travelling performance.
Pack your picnic rug and sun-cream (or waterproofs and a hot toddy) and join our troupe of travelling players at a venue near you. Played with all the breakneck excitement and youthful exuberance of the play itself, this open-air production will be staged by eight performers and last under two-and-a-half hours."
I so want to go to it here:
Leeds Castle, set on two islands on the River Len in the heart of Kent, has been home to royalty, lords and ladies for over 1000 years. http://www.leeds-castle.com/goto.php?sess=u1258673p54n145c180445s0g1d0&pg=Special_Events
More London Calling later!
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