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Pauline

London

Next week I will travel one week to London. What suggestions have you?
greg in noord-frankrijk

Regarder à droite avant de traverser.

Loic

I have a question: For countries which drive on the right, how do you go about approaching a roundabout? Do you go in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction?
Pauline

greg, LOL!!



loic wrote:
I have a question: For countries which drive on the right, how do you go about approaching a roundabout? Do you go in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction?


anti-clockwise. Of course I can't drive but I was in Ireland one time and I've noticed that all the things are on the opposite: side of the road, the steering wheel, the roundabouts etc...

But I don't go there to watch the traffic!!! We've some things we must do when we're there, but there will be much time for sightseeing. I want to see Big Ben, visit a pub and go on the London Eye. I've asked on a thread here because I think that there're several british visitors of this forum and other people who know London. If i don't tell the things I'd like to visit then I will have to follow them (parents) and it will be the things what interest them where we'll go!!! I don't like it when there are many people, but apart from that I would like to get all suggestions from you
Loic

How about going to the new Emirates stadium and watch Arsenal play at home?

Of course, every traveller to a foreign land has different needs and expectations. For me, I think sport is a microcosm of society and what better way to explore the so-called class cleavage than by attending football matches at the East End (you can go support Fulham) or the North (Arsenal and Tottenham), or how about somewhere posher at the West (Chelsea, anyone?). Rubbing shoulders with honest and hardworking working class men and women cheering their hearts out for their boys on the pitch would be a sweet introduction into English culture in general.

And maybe if you were to stick around for a few more months and perhaps have some magnificent connections, you can go watch the tennis at Wimbledon.

Or watch the FA cup final at Wembley. Rugby at Twickenham. Cricket at Lord's.

That is what I'd do if I were to go to London.

This reminds me of an old nursery rhyme which I learnt at kindergarten:

-Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
-I've been to London to visit the Queen.
Benjamin [inactive]

I can never remember what side of the road to drive on, partly because I spend so much time in other countries. I always get confused when crossing the road at a T junction or something and cars are waiting to turn.

Ironically, I probably know Brussels better than I know London, so I'm afraid that I can't be much help here. When I go to London (which is very rarely), I usually go for one day to visit a specific exhibition in a specific art gallery or something, and then that's all I do. And this will probably sound very bizarre, but I don't really think of London at all when I think of 'England'. It's almost as though it's a separate entity.

loic wrote:
Of course, every traveller to a foreign land has different needs and expectations.

Well, I would not consider Belgium to be a 'foreign land' from my perspective.

loic wrote:
Rubbing shoulders with honest and hardworking working class men and women cheering their hearts out for their boys on the pitch would be a sweet introduction into English culture in general.

Sounds like a 21st century romanticised view of the English working class in the first part of the 20th century. It doesn't exist now, and to be honest, I'd be surprised if it ever really did.
Yelina

Re: London

Pauline wrote:
Next week I will travel one week to London. What suggestions have you?



I just went once to London and it was few years ago. I didn't stay long (4 days) but during this stay, I visited museums such as the Tate Modern, National Gallery or British Museum.

I also went to Dicken's House (if you like this author). It's not a long visit. You just see his house and office.

No need to mention that you're very likely to spend a part of your stay doing shopping!

Anyway, have a good time there!!
Walker

If I were you I would definitely go to the fascinating and creepy Madame Tussauds.
Deborah

greg in noord-frankrijk wrote:
Regarder à droite avant de traverser.

Good advice! I actually found it difficult to remember. (Good thing I wasn't driving there!)

I was in London for only 2 weeks in 1970, so, based on my experience, my advice is...don't hope to be able to buy a ticket to Hair on the night of the performance.
Walker

And based on my experience, bring a gas mask! The pollution was noticeable to say the least.
Uriel

loic wrote:
I have a question: For countries which drive on the right, how do you go about approaching a roundabout? Do you go in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction?


We don't HAVE roundabouts.

Horrible concept!


(Actually, there are a tiny number of them in the US, where they go by the name of "traffic circle". But I personally have never seen one or worse, had to navigate one, and thank god.)
Lazar

Quote:
Horrible concept!

No, roundabouts are an excellent concept. Numerous studies in the US and other countries have shown that they reduce car crashes by about 40%, pedestrian crashes by about 75%, injuries by up to 80%, and traffic delays by 60-90%. They're better than intersections in every way, and I hope that they become dominant in the US - starting in New Mexico, of course.
Porthos

Uriel wrote:
loic wrote:
I have a question: For countries which drive on the right, how do you go about approaching a roundabout? Do you go in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction?


We don't HAVE roundabouts.

Horrible concept!


(Actually, there are a tiny number of them in the US, where they go by the name of "traffic circle". But I personally have never seen one or worse, had to navigate one, and thank god.)


There's plenty of them where I come from. Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Central California, etc.
Deborah

I wish I could be of more help, but I was in London with my (domineering) mother, so we just did whatever she wanted to do, which was mainly to see cathedrals, museums and palaces. But I did enjoy the visit to Hampton Court Palace (home of Cardinal Wolsey that was confiscated by Henry VIII), largely because of its beautiful, large park. We drove, but what sounds best to me is getting there by boat. But, so I've read, unless you want to spend most of your day on the boat, you should take the underground partway. There are also frequent trains.

I like historic ships, so I enjoyed seeing the Cutty Sark, a clipper, in Greenwich. However, I just learned that it's under restoration and closed to the public.

What I enjoyed most in London was the one night when I was able to get off on my own and just wander around, but I gather that's no longer a carefree experience such as I had 35 years ago.
Loic

Someone once said that when one is tired of London, he is tired of life.
Yelina

Yep! This is Samuel Johnson who said it!
Joanne

loic wrote:
I have a question: For countries which drive on the right, how do you go about approaching a roundabout? Do you go in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction?
Counterclockwise. Quite a few have been popping up around here (NJ) these past few years, but nothing like those scary ones in New Zealand and Australia, like the ones Frances and Joel put up pictures of in Old Langcafe!
Benjamin [inactive]

The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England:

You apparently have to drive the wrong way round some of them.

There's also one in Hemel Hempstead that was constructed more recently.
greg in noord-frankrijk

Benjamin wrote:


C'est un peu l'hallu quand même !...
fab

J'aimerai bien monter dans le London eye...




Concernant l'image du dessus;
En tout cas ça fait un dessin décoratif !
Mais c'est vrai, en plus en le prenant par la gauche ça doit pas être facile !

Les rond-points en France sont souvent l'objet de composition mégalomane quand ils sont urbains:






et ils sont l'objet d'aménagments paysagers souvent particulièrement ridicules lorsqu'ils bordent nos entrées de villes et villages...


































Elaine

Porthos wrote:
There's plenty of them where I come from. Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Central California, etc.


There are a few traffic circles in LA, but I think they're pretty much a rarity. That is to say that I rarely come across one.


Long Beach


Sherman Oaks


Park La Brea
Joanne

Yeah, I'm all right with the small, one-lane traffic circles, but I get nervous with the multiple-laned. Having to deal with crap like this on the way to work would be a nightmare!

Xiamen, China:

Pauline

Hi Loic

loic wrote:
How about going to the new Emirates stadium and watch Arsenal play at home?

LOL!!! I'm a girl; I don't like football
Quote:
Rubbing shoulders with honest and hardworking working class men and women cheering their hearts out for their boys on the pitch would be a sweet introduction into English culture in general.

Sorry Loic, but I think it would be horrible!!! I don't like when there're many people in the same place!!!
Quote:
you can go watch the tennis at Wimbledon.

It would be more fun and interesting
Quote:
Cricket at Lord's.

LOL!!! I don't know about cricket at all.
Quote:
to visit the Queen.

It would be wonderful to meet the Queen of England (of Britain?), but she didn't send me an invitation to her palace I havn't her phone number or email adress for ask her if it's possible that I will visit her !! My father has met the King of Belgium, but I didn't.

Hi walker
walker wrote:
Madame Tussauds.

Good idea!!!

hi Deborah
deborah wrote:
I like historic ships, so I enjoyed seeing the Cutty Sark, a clipper, in Greenwich. However, I just learned that it's under restoration and closed to the public.

In Greenwich is also the place you can visit about the time zones I think - I would like to see this, so it would be in the same place that the Cutty Sark (if it will be open).


hi Fab
fab wrote:
J'aimerai bien monter dans le London eye...

Yes, me too -this is the thing that I would like to vsiit the most!!!


hi Benjamin!!

what a completely weird, complicated and crazy roundabout!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that if you will drive to this roundabout it will be 7 hours drive round a million of times until you will find the way to evade it!!!!
Pauline



This is very funny!!!
Deborah

Yes, I'd go on the London Eye, too! (It hadn't been built when I was in London.)
Benjamin [inactive]

I went on the London Eye about six years ago. I remember thinking that it would whizz round, but it actually moves very very slowly.
Uriel

Quote:
They're better than intersections in every way, and I hope that they become dominant in the US - starting in New Mexico, of course.


We'll have to work on getting some traffic, first!
If they ever built one here, I think I would find a different route to get to where I was going. Luckily, the majority of my daily commute is high-speed, down highways and freeways -- no intersections, lights, or stops until the last five minutes.

I skipped the Eye when I was in London. I've been on Ferris wheels before -- not very exciting. The bus tours are very good, and pretty entertaining, and you can get on and off them all day -- you aren't trapped for the duration. The only time I've ever been on an actual organized tour was the first time I went to Paris, and it was horrible. The best part of it was the hour or two I and another girl were able to escape and go see what we wanted, and more importantly, just chill, and do it at our own pace!

What time period is the Cutty Sark from, Deborah? I've seen the Mayflower reconstruction in Massachusetts, and the even older Discovery, Godspeed, and Susan Constant at Jamestown (my mom used to work there as a "settler" -- and sometimes as the blond "Indian" -- she used to joke that she was a Roanoke survivor). I was duly impressed by how incredibly tiny all those ships were -- I wouldn't want to cross an ocean with forty or fifty other people on one of those things!
Pauline

[quote="Uriel"]
Quote:
The bus tours are very good, and pretty entertaining, and you can get on and off them all day -- you aren't trapped for the duration. The only time I've ever been on an actual organized tour was the first time I went to Paris, and it was horrible. The best part of it was the hour or two I and another girl were able to escape and go see what we wanted, and more importantly, just chill, and do it at our own pace!


I think that I wouldn't like an organized tour also not - I would want to escape it as well I wouldn't like to listen a guide or other person who would tell the infos absolutly boringly, so I'd walk away and for sure they would tell me off

The bus tours: where are they? Can you buy a ticket for all the buses and get on / off in the places where you would like to visit? London is enormous so probably there are *very* many busses!!!! In my village, the bus arrive two times each day I don't like busses but in London there're those red ones with upstairs as well so it would be funny and a nice view!!
Loic

I have this impression, gleaned from travel documentaries as well as films, that all buses in London are double-decker buses. People just hop on and off at will when the buses are slowing down.

Are there many museums in London? Silly question, but where is the Tate museum? I think that'd probably be an enriching place to visit. Or perhaps the Imperial War Museum as well - I love military history and I think any foreign visitor would appreciate a country's martial tradition.

You know, Pauline, you don't have to be a cricketer to visit Lord's. There is a gift shop there where you can probably buy gems such as Wisden's Almanack, the cricket bible. Until recently, women are not allowed as members of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the body which also runs Lord's) so it would be a bit of a privilege for a girl to step on the hallowed grounds of Lord's, no?

Your father saw the Belgian King? I am diverting a bit, but when I was in secondary school, the Crown Prince of your country came to Singapore. When he was here, he wanted to visit a local school and came to ours. I never did get to see him, but we were instructed on what to do or say if we did happen to bump into him (yeah, right. We'd have to get past his army of bodyguards first).
André in Zuid-Afrika

loic wrote:
Are there many museums in London? Silly question, but where is the Tate museum? I think that'd probably be an enriching place to visit. Or perhaps the Imperial War Museum as well - I love military history and I think any foreign visitor would appreciate a country's martial tradition.


You really should get to London, Loic, you'll love it! The museums are brilliant! And the city is very exciting to be in. If all goes well, I'll make my third trip to London later this year.
Deborah

My favorite museum was the National Gallery. I also enjoyed my visit to a museum of dress through the ages, but I don't remember what the place was called. Is there a museum of the history of London? I like historical museums.
Uriel

The bus tours are on the double-decker red buses, and they have guides who give you a running commentary on everything you see. I think you can just buy an all-day ticket and get on and off of them as often as you like. I think they also have headphones in different languages, but then you're probably getting a "canned" commentary, not a live one. The guide on one of the ones I was on had also worked at the London Dungeon, which I didn't get to see, although medieval torture sounds like a day well spent -- but the line was around the block, and I hate standing in line.

I went to the British Museum of Natural History and liked it a lot. I think it's also free.

Loic, I got to see Emperor Hirohito before he died. At the Imperial Palace, of course -- he used to make a public appearance every year on his birthday.
Loic

Quote:
Loic, I got to see Emperor Hirohito before he died


Banzai! That bloody git, General MacArthur should have made him abdicate.

Speaking of brushes with royalty, Queen Elizabeth II came to my neighbourhood when she visited Singapore two years ago. Apparently, she came to have tea with the same household whom she had called on three decades ago in her maiden visit to Singapore during the CHOGM (Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting).

I didn't see her, but well, I knew a friend whose friend caught a glimpse of her passing motorcade. Hah!

Andre: I ought to. In fact, there is a good chance I am going to France next semester to do an exchange and if I can squeeze in time, I might want to just cross the English channel. I am a little disappointed, though, that the cricket season would be over which makes it a bit hard to catch any action at Lord's or at the Oval. But well, there'd be football and of course, the rugby world cup on French soil so things aren't as bad as they seem to be.
Yelina

I've never had the chance to see any Prince, Queen or King. But my sister, while being at the international salon of the yatch in Monaco, saw the Prince Albert. He came up to her and her collegues and they could talk a bit.

She was both surprised and glad!
Pauline

I like history as well - social history not of the military. I like to see old photos so probably my favourite era would be the 19th and 20th centuries. I like portraits as well e.g. Rubens and modern art (some of them) and of course the impressionnists so it would be nice to visit an art exhibition. For sure one week will not be sufficient time!!!

loic wrote:
our father saw the Belgian King? I am diverting a bit, but when I was in secondary school, the Crown Prince of your country came to Singapore. When he was here, he wanted to visit a local school and came to ours. I never did get to see him, but we were instructed on what to do or say if we did happen to bump into him (yeah, right. We'd have to get past his army of bodyguards first).

When my father met the King he was in a party. The King likes to drink alcohol and go to partys!!!! Many people criticise the Prince because they think that he tells stupid things, but I don't know what's he said so stupid - somethings about politic I think. It would be stressful to be a king, queen, princess etc.. because all teh people would recognise you, talk about you and the royal familys havn't privacy as security and cameras, films etc.. are always watching them. i wouldn't like to be famous at all!!!!

uriel wrote:
the bus tours are on the double-decker red buses, and they have guides who give you a running commentary on everything you see. I think you can just buy an all-day ticket and get on and off of them as often as you like. I think they also have headphones in different languages, but then you're probably getting a "canned" commentary, not a live one. The guide on one of the ones I was on had also worked at the London Dungeon, which I didn't get to see, although medieval torture sounds like a day well spent -- but the line was around the block, and I hate standing in line.

My parents can speak very well english and I don't like headphones so we would listen the commentary in english. I think that medieval torture would be horrible and scary so i don't want to visit the Dungeon.

loic wrote:
Until recently, women are not allowed as members of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the body which also runs Lord's) so it would be a bit of a privilege for a girl to step on the hallowed grounds of Lord's, no?

They are sexist !!!so I wouldn't have interest to go there.

yelina wrote:
But my sister, while being at the international salon of the yatch in Monaco, saw the Prince Albert. He came up to her and her collegues and they could talk a bit.

She was both surprised and glad!

Monaco is a very weird place I think. i wasn't there, but I've seen pictures. Waht your sister was doing there?
Yelina

My sister went there for her job. She works in a firm in relationships with boats and ships. She was one of the organisers of this international event.

She doesn't really like Monaco either. The first time she went, she was amazed by all the wealth and luxury. But now, she got fed up with this and it even annoys her to go there.

We can say that she saw and experienced what seemed to be the most interesting on the first time and that now it becomes nothing but surplus!
André in Zuid-Afrika

Deborah wrote:
My favorite museum was the National Gallery. I also enjoyed my visit to a museum of dress through the ages, but I don't remember what the place was called. Is there a museum of the history of London? I like historical museums.


Yes, the Museum Of London, which shows the history of London from about 1200, is a great place to visit. I like historical museums too, and London has some of the best. The Tower is also well worth a visit.
Uriel

It's not even a tower! It's like 3 storeys tall....
Deborah

I also enjoyed seeing the Tower of London, especially -- much to my surprise -- the Crown Jewels. Not having any particular interest in gemstones or extravagant symbols of power, I figured it would be boring, but in fact I discovered how easy it is to become transfixed, staring into a diamond. It took me back to when I was 11 and my grandparents bought me a ring (rose zircon, one of my birthstones). It was cut so as to provide a wonderful prismatic effect when the light was shining through it, and I would spend far too much time at school staring into the light, trying to see the entire spectrum as slowly as possible. It was even better with the huge diamonds in the Tower of London!

I also liked the ravens, but I just learned on the website that their lifting feathers are clipped so that they can't fly away.
Pauline

I will tell you about my week in London after i will return on 12th april (or 13th I'm not sure).

Bye
Pauline

Hello!! I'm in London!!!!!

It's a wonderful city, we've visited some fantastic things and the weather and people are very nice. Yesterday we went in the London Eye what was very fun and the views were wonderful because of the sunny weather. There were *very* many peolpe who must wait very long time, but we didn't wait because we bought the tickets before so we collected them (about 5 minutes!!!) Until now we've visited the National Gallery as well where there's an exhibition Manet to Picasso with many beautiful pictures by those and also Monet, van Gogh etc... we had tea and cakes in the tearoom of the gallery The Trafalgar square is very nice. André: i saw South Africa House there!!

On another day we went to a town next teh rievr and with some people we went to a café and walked on the path. You can travel on a boat there also.We've visited a pub as well

I will travel back on 10th april. The 13th is the day when the people in my class will travel back from the exchange they're making but i didn't make this exchange because I'm travel wiht ym parents. So it's why I thought 12th or 13th.

Happy Easter!!! Bye!!!
fab

I just come back from London too !

I spend three days there - my girlfriend being an anglophile I felt obliged to re-see London, 15 years after the last time I've been there !

The last time I was a kid, I was glad to see it with adult eyes.

this city is incredible, a shock after 3 hours of train only (it was my first time in the tunnel under the channel!). It is so different from Paris, it remind me so much the fellings I had in the US and in Canada in terms of architecture, colors, smells, food, people, urban organisation and of course Language. although I must say I'm not used to the British accent, and I had quite difficulties due to that.

I had time to visit (quikly) the BM, tate modern, and national gallery - very intereting museums. the temperature was unfortunally a bit cool, but I didn't care much.

some pictures:

the city from thames








the hotel street, near king's cross



Mayfair district and harrod's district





The city hall


Notting hill
Benjamin [inactive]

I actually think you should've gone to Edinburgh instead. But I'm a 'caledonophile', so I'm biased.

fab wrote:
although I must say I'm not used to the British accent, and I had quite difficulties due to that.

Interesting. Actually, I've noticed that you use mainly American spellings instead of British ones, which is why I assume that you've learnt American English.

fab wrote:
I had time to visit (quikly) the BM, tate modern, and national gallery - very intereting museums.

I love the Tate Modern — did you see the painting there that's just a plain blue canvas?

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