We actually drove down to London from the north (something Brits almost never do) and stayed in an outlying community, relying on a commuter train ride into the city and subways within the city. The half hour long commuter train ride and return plus a day pass for the subway costs only 7£ per person, well worth it. Driving into London is insane and it was cheaper to stay outside of the city and train in than pay the exorbitant prices in London for a mediocre hotel room (2 rooms, as we are a family of 4).
Anyway...
These shots are starting around the big department stores on Oxford in Central London and moving SE towards Picadilly Circus and Soho. That's basically the heart of the London shopping and social scene. After that, it was dark so no pictures of Leicester Sq or Covent Gardens. The night shots came out pretty well due to the brightness of the lights in Picadilly Circus.
Next day, we were out at Greenwich which is a distinct node on the east side of London with a lot of historical interest. Only recently was Greenwich attached to the rest of Central London via the tube but it is still a bit of a pain to get to. The DLR line also goes through Canary wharf which is a modern office development just north of the Thames. It is actually more interesting than the pictures taken from afar would suggest as it's interlaced with dockland canals and the train takes an elevated course through the development giving nice vantage points. Unfortunately, the train was so crowded, I could not get my camera in operation so I settled for some photos from across the Thames in the Greenwich area.
Greenwich
The old Naval Acadamy:
Dining rooms in the acadamy (currently used by local universities and rented out for weddings etc...)
Views of the Canary Wharf development from the Royal Observatory
0 Longitude (the Prime Meridian) Running down the wall and underneath the girl in the photo.
London has a number of excellent museums. The most interesting will depend on personal taste and interest but I highly recommend the Imperial War Museum, the British Museum (not visited on this trip) and the Natural History Museum (ditto). I also visited the Victoria and Albert Museum on this trip for the first time and it was a pleasant surprise. Here are a few Museum shots.
The Natural History Museum. Did not visit on this trip but it's right next to the V&A museum so I got this shot of the exterior. In my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful buildings in the world inside and out.
Victoria and Albert Museum. This place was a pleasant surprise. Could have spent a day in there easily but we were limited to a couple of hours.
Imperial War Museum. Great Museum which has some hardware but just as focused on the personal experience/tragedy of war. Poignent Holocoust exhibit but no pictures allowed.
A famous department store on Brompton Road just east of the V&A Museum. Nice architecture.
Finished off our trip with a visit to the highly acclaimed but, in my opinion, disappointing Tate Modern on the south bank of the Thames. Excellent setting just south of St. Paul's Cathedral but a very stark museum in a defunct powerplant with modern art on the cutting edge (sometimes a bit over the edge).
Views from just outside the Tate Modern taken north towards Central London. Nice riverwalk from the museum to Waterloo Bridge and the London Eye. Had to set the camera on some tilted surfaces because of the lack of a tripod which explains the slanted images.
St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge
Enjoy
