Posted by libertees on May 13th, 2012 | No Comments »
St Paul’s Cathedral, with its world-famous Dome, is a popular tourist attraction in London. You can enjoy the cathedral’s exquisite interior, and uncover fascinating stories about its history.
Explore St Paul’s for yourself and try out the acoustic quirks of the Whispering Gallery, climb up 85 metres to the Golden Gallery and enjoy breathtaking, panoramic views of the capital and many London attractions, or take a quiet moment to reflect and contemplate. A visit to St Paul’s will be an experience you will treasure forever.
St Paul’s was founded in 604AD. However, the present building, the fourth on the site, was built between 1675 and 1710. It is the second largest cathedral in the world, after St Peter’s in Rome. Construction did not start until about 9 years after the Great Fire in 1666, which destroyed the previous structure. This earlier building, started in 1087, took 200 years to build and was even bigger than the present building, which took 35 years to complete.
The cathedral is the most famous work of London’s greatest architect, Sir Christopher Wren (who was buried in it). However, the delay of 9 years in the building of St Paul’s Cathedral was due to the initial building design not meeting with Royal approval.
Other famous people who were buried in St Paul’s included Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington (whose monument took 56 years to complete) and Sir Winston Churchill.
The cathedral miraculously survived the Blitz in World War Two when most of the surrounding area was flattened by German bombing raids.
In 1981, the Royal wedding of Charles and Diana took place here.
In front of the cathedral there are some wooden posts representing the last City toll gate, built in the thirteenth century. They mark the old route to Cheapside. The “gate” is now opened only during ceremonial occasions.
Hotels near St Paul’s Cathedral are conveniently placed for other attractions such as:
* Mansion House, a rare surviving Georgian town palace, providing the Lord Mayor of the City of London with living, working and entertainment space. The construction started in 1739 and Sir Crispin Gascoigne was the first Lord Mayor to take up residence in 1752. This stylish Mansion House is the venue for city functions such as business meetings, dinners and banquets.
* The Monument was built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London and to celebrate the rebuilding of the City of London. The fire broke out in a baker’s house in Pudding Lane on 2nd September 1666 and uncontrollably spread and destroyed a huge area of the city. It was finally extinguished four days later on the 5th September 1666. The Monument stands at 61 metres tall and provides a fascinating view of the City.
* The Barbican Centre is Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue. It has a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and education events. The London Symphony Orchestra has its home at the Barbican Centre. It provides entertainment for the convenience of the local residents as well as people working in the City.
* The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the United Kingdom’s central bank. Learn more about the current role of the Bank – setting rates to keep inflation low, issuing banknotes and working with others to keep the financial system stable. There are many events and activities there including the taking of an audio tour and lifting of a genuine gold bar. Admission is free.
Chow Siew is a retired management accountant. He now enjoys travelling and is the webmaster of . This site provides event news and activities in London including , theatre and and London Passes.
Posted by libertees on December 29th, 2011 | No Comments »
Westminster lies on the northen bank of the River Thames and is within the City of Westminster. It is home to some of London’s most prestigious landmarks and visitor attractions. It has been the centre of the British Government for almost a millennium.
Westminster hotels are conveniently placed for the following attractions:
Westminster Abbey is a wonderful building built by Edward the Confessor and the traditional venue of the coronation of the kings and queens of England, including that of William the Conqueror in 1066. It is also a burial ground of Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Elizabeth I, Chamberlain, Gladstone and Chaucer to name but a few. Ben Jonson, the poet, was buried upright. The funeral service for Princess Diana was held at the Westminster Abbey but she was not buried there.
Big Ben is one of the most recognisable landmarks in London. Most people think that Big Ben is the name of the clock tower standing next to the Houses of Parliament, but it is actually the name of the Great Bell that chimes within it. The clock tower was constructed after the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire on 16th October 1834. Watch out for the light above Big Ben – it illuminates when Parliament is sitting.
Houses of Parliament is more correctly known as the Palace of Westminster which was built by Edward the Confessor in 1040. It was the principal residence of the kings of England since its construction until 1512.
The present Houses of Parliament were built after the Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1834 amd it took about 30 years to complete. Its existing buildings contain about 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases and over 2 miles od passages.
Parliament Square is the square located opposite the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. It is a tourist magnet and attracts hordes of camera-toting visitors every day. It is also a venue of large scale protests such as the anti-capitalist May Day protest in 2000 and the anti-war protest in March 2003. There are also lots of statues of famous politicians including Abraham Lincoln, Sir Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela.
The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel, has been the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK. Standing at a height of 135 metres, it is the largest ferris wheel in Europe, It lets people climb above the city and enjoy the panoramic view of Westminster and the rest of London. Since 1st January 2005, the London Eye has been the focal point of London’s New Year celebrations, with firework displays welcoming in the New Year, and involving fireworks firing from the wheel itself.
The Cenotaph is a War memorial located in Whitehall in the vicinity of Downing Street. A remembrance service is held here every year on the Sunday nearest to 11th November at 11.00am to commemorate the War Heros who died in the two world wars. More than one million men and women from Britain and the Commonwealth died in World War I between 1914 and 1918, and nearly 500,000 in World War II from 1939 to 1945.
Downing Street is named after Sir George Downing who bought the land and built the houses on it in 1680. Traditionally, No. 10 Downing Street has been the official residence of British Prime Ministers and No. 11 Downing Street the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, since 1732. However, for a period of about 10 years when Labour came to power in 1997, the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, switched residences to enable the Prime Minister’s growing family to have more room.
Horse Guards is Whitehall’s biggest tourist attraction. The Trooping of the Colour, where the Queen inspects her troops is held here every year on the Queen’s official birthday, on the third Saturday of June. The Household Cavalry mounts the guard here (10.00am – 4.00pm daily). The Changing of the Guard takes place every day (Monday to Saturday) at 11.00am and Sunday at 10.00am. This is different from the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
Trafalgar Square commemorates England’s victory over France at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson’s Column, built in 1842 and standing at 170 feet tall, is in the centre of the square with four large lions guarding it at the base of the column. Today, Trafalgar Square is one of the city’s most vibrant open spaces and provides a platform for new artistic performances and events. Visitors to Trafalgar Square used to enjoy feeding pigeons before the authorities put a ban to this popular activity.
Admiralty Arch on the south-west of Trafalgar Square, incorporated offices and residents for the Sea Lords at the time. It was designed by Sir Aston Webb in 1910 and completed in 1911 to provide an impressive ceremonial archways and form a spectacular entrance to The Mall leading up to Buckingham Palace. In 2000, the Cabinet Office moved into offices in the building, while maintaining its headquarters on Whitehall.
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. When the Queen is in residence, the Royal Standard flag is raised. You can watch the Changing of the Guard for free at 11.30am every morning during summer and every other day during winter (weather permitting). Regular exhibitions take place at the Queen’s Gallery to enable the public to see one of the finest private collections of art and antiques in the world.
Chow Siew is a retired management accountant. He now enjoys travelling and is the webmaster of . This site provides event news and activities in London including , theatre and and London Passes.
Posted by libertees on November 14th, 2011 | No Comments »
Blackpool Gay Hotels
Known well in the U.K. but not as well outside of the country, Blackpool is a British coastal resort town (population 140,000) on the Irish Sea, north of Liverpool and northwest of Manchester (England’s major gay hub after London). steadily over the past 15 years, it is become Northern England’s premier gay and lesbian beach location, and on May 16 and May 17, 2009, the city hosts Blackpool Pride, a lively series of parties, concerts, and gatherings.
This year’s Blackpool Pride features a significant change of venue: the two-day festival has moved from the North Pier location of previous years to Dickson Road, right in the center of the Blackpool Gay Village. Note, however that the Blackpool Gay Pride Parade (which takes place on Sunday, May 17) runs along the city’s Promenade, from St. Chads Headland to the city’s famed North Pier, which is two of one giant piers that jut out from the shore.
You can buy the official admission wristbands (the cost is 7 quid if over 18, and 5 quid for ages 14 to 17) to Pride online and at sure gay-friendly hangouts in Blackpool: the Flying Handbag pub at 48 Queen Street, Trades Bar at 38 Queen Street, and Mardi Gras at 114 Talbot Road – and yes, these bars are in the heart of Blackpool’s Gay Village, around Queen Street and Talbot Road, east of North Pier.
The Blackpool Gay Pride Festival features two days of activity, including a host of great performers: Austin Drage, Laura White, Scooch, Jo O’Meara, Daniel Fox, Andy Scott Lee, Jessica Garlick, Hazell Dean, Toyah Wilcox, Hoop La-La, Hannah Jones, Nicki Italian, Fixion, Kelly Wilde, and more by Blackpool Gay Friendly Hotels.
Additionally, the city’s plenty of gay-popular restaurants and bars, gay hotels, and shops have special events and parties throughout Pride Weekend. Check local gay resources, such as Blackpool’s online Gay Guide and Gayzout Magazine, for details. Also check out Visit Blackpool for general tourism information on the region.
Posted by libertees on November 9th, 2011 | No Comments »
Alaska Amongst the top spots in Alaska, the Inside Passage, the Glaciers and the Bering Sea are the ones which contain hidden treasures such as massive glaciers, waterways, Eskimo settlements near the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands respectively. On board activities to warm you up are always available in the cruises.
New England and Canada. Depending on the traveller preferences, cruises can include Ireland, Iceland and Maritime Canada. The usual destinations are Montreal, Nova Scotia, Quebec and New England. Fully equipped cruises with a wide variety of facilities cruise these waters so that holidaymakers can enjoy before getting to the ports.
Hawaii. With two basic alternatives, Hawaii is one not to be missed. Start from Honolulu, go around the other Polynesian islands and get back to the most populated island takes around seven days. Other choices would leave from Vancouver, San Diego or LA. The longest cruise would take almost two weeks from mainland, taking few of those days to get to Hawaii. Visit the big Island and look at the volcanic formations, enjoy luxurious Oahu and Maui full of resorts and beautiful beaches.
The Bahamas. With around seven hundred islands to visit, the Bahamas region is one of the most favourite destinations for tourists. Do not miss the chance to visit the Grand Island or do some shopping in the Freeport Harbour. Spectacular sandy beaches where one can enjoy water sports and other marine related activities, and luxurious hotels and villas to have the time of the life.
Caribbean. Most cruises leave from Miami and take around seven days, though there is a large variety of other US ports one can take a cruise from. This popular zone is divided into three areas, Western Caribbean including Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, South Florida and the Keys, Jamaica and Grand Cayman. The Eastern Caribbean compromise Puerto Rico, Leeward and the Virgin islands. And finally the Southern Caribbean which covers Martinique, St Lucia, Dominica and Grenadines also passing by Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and Curacao.
Ocean Cruise, the most competitive and creative and stay specialist around.
Posted by libertees on November 8th, 2011 | No Comments »
One of the many advantages of a cruise is that everything is organised for the tourist if the person wants it to be so. They can also choose how long they want to be away for, whether it is a mini cruise, a seven day cruise or even longer. Reserve an European cruise in North or South Europe, sail to the famous Mediterranean with yachts, mouth-watering food, mountains, lovely historical buildings, perfect beaches and friendly folk.
The Baltic Sea area Starting in Northern Europe, do not miss the Medieval Baroque architecture of Norway and Finland and also its dramatic scenery and rich history. Visit St Petersburg, Russia s most beautiful city and a most in any tourists itinerary. Enjoy the wild night life of Hamburg or Copenhagen in Germany and Denmark respectively. Explore one of the richest areas in the world and take advantage of the cruises’ facilities.
Europe Departing from Southern England, visit the Atlantic ports of France and Spain –experience the world famous fine cuisine and wine culture! Cruises sail through the Bay of Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar, where tourist can also enjoy the most beautiful ports of Portugal and Southern Spain. Finally some cruises also visit the well renowned Spanish islands including Mayorca and Ibiza. The Mediterranean Visit historic places, romantic cities and beautiful islands in the Mediterranean, but also enjoy the top quality resorts and sandy beaches. The Mediterranean has been divided into three main areas, as follows: Western Mediterranean cruises include the French Riviera, la Costa Brava and volcanic Sicily. Southern Mediterranean sails through Northern Africa, including the most important ports in Egypt and Morocco. Eastern Mediterranean cruises travels along the Aegean Sea covering most of the Greek Islands, Turkey and Italy; expect to find amazing ruins from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians
Ocean Cruise organise very convenient in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Finding 5 star hotel deals London is not quite an easy affair. You need to do a thorough research work on the Internet to get some deals and discounts of the 5 star hotels in London. The special offers of the 5 star London hotels include free wellness treatment, romantic stay at a discounted rate, summer deals and packages, complimentary buffet breakfasts, night stays with discounts and even free night stays to the guests.
So, are you planning to visit London? Definitely make your stay in a 5 star category hotel in London and enjoy the luxury offered by the hotel. Although it is true that 5 star hotels in London are costly but if you avail the packages offered by these hotels, you would definitely find your stay to be worthwhile out there. Not only does London offer its tourists some of the popular historical monuments but also some luxury hotels for their stay. A London tour is incomplete without experiencing and enjoying the 5 star hotel deals London.
When visiting London, always ensure to book a hotel room in advance. If you think that you can get the hotel room in London effortlessly after arriving in the city, you are wrong! Even though, if you get a room, it may not be of your choice. To experience the best accommodation and facilities, it is thus important to avail the 5 star hotel deals London. Most of the 5 star hotels offer a free night stay to its guests when staying for 5 nights in the hotel. Whatever be the purpose of your visit to London, you can definitely make your stay in one of the 5 star category hotels in London for at least 5 nights and get to stay the last night without paying any charge. Don’t you think this is a superb deal provided by the 5 star hotels?
While staying in the hotels, you can refresh and rejuvenate yourself with the free wellness treatment offered by the hotels. Reflecting the glamour of the hotels, the spa facility at these hotels is equipped with lush facilities. They offer a wide range of blissful treatments such as head massage, manicure, foot massage, pedicure and facial. These treatments are offered for free to the guests which otherwise would have required a lot of money.
If you are planning for a romantic stay or looking for a romance package, you should look for 5 star hotel deals in London. The romantic package offered by the luxury hotels can make your love life filled with an explicit time, subdued with love and caress. The chilled champagne bottle and some delicious homemade chocolates are generally served when you would check in. The dinner would also be served in a very romantic surrounding. Complimentary buffet breakfast is served to all guests who plan to book a hotel room in a 5 star hotel London while availing the 5 star hotel deals London.
Are you looking for ? Log on to http://www.grandroyalelondon.co.uk/ and get some best deals and packages with . The hotel offers a wonderful location and superb accommodation facility to its guests.
Posted by libertees on September 13th, 2010 | 2 Comments »
This video from The Big Blue Hotel, Pleasure Beach Resort inBlackpool is brought to you by Eurobookings.com to make your hotel selection decision easier. Here, you can get a better idea of room types, the lobby, exterior and interior of The Big Blue Hotel, Pleasure Beach Resort to provide you with information before you make a reservation. Book a room here through Eurobookings.com to receive up to 75% off! www.eurobookings.com Eurobookings: Your European Hotel Specialist
Posted by libertees on September 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »
This video from Hilton inBlackpool is brought to you by Eurobookings.com to make your hotel selection decision easier. Here, you can get a better idea of room types, the lobby, exterior and interior of Hilton to provide you with information before you make a reservation. Book a room here through Eurobookings.com to receive up to 75% off! www.eurobookings.com Eurobookings: Your European Hotel Specialist
Posted by libertees on July 27th, 2010 | No Comments »
This video from Hotel Meridiana inLondon is brought to you by Eurobookings.com to make your hotel selection decision easier. Here, you can get a better idea of room types, the lobby, exterior and interior of Hotel Meridiana to provide you with information before you make a reservation. Book a room here through Eurobookings.com to receive up to 75% off! www.eurobookings.com Eurobookings: Your European Hotel Specialist
Posted by libertees on June 13th, 2010 | No Comments »
– London may not give guarantee for sunshine. But Londoners and people visiting London have a wonderful journey while discovering different gardens in the city. It is a city having luscious plants and shady trees. The gardens of London offer a refreshing angle to the city. To enjoy the wonderful summer of London there are many design hotels in London. These London hotels have a different style and are chic and refreshing. Located at the top of the impressive Park Lane district, The Cumberland is a design hotel. The lobby of this hotel has avant-garde sculpture, a wall of flowing water, and screens behind the reception desk that project modernistic images. Rhodes W1 is run and owned by the famous chef Gary Rhodes. You can have pre and post dinner ambience at the Kua Bar. There are 1,019 rooms in this hotel having airy, contemporary design and are decorated with either bright green and blue, or red and pink colour schemes. The rooms have laptop-compatible desks, in-room safe, coffeemakers and refrigerators. They also provide flat-screen televisions, and high-speed wire and wireless internet access. The en-suite bathrooms have Molton Brown toiletries and heated towel racks. The May Fair hotel in London is located one block from the Green Park Underground Station in the May Fair area of London. It has a beautiful ruby-laden Baccarat chandelier in the hotel’s lobby that displays diverse Russian, Thai, and Vietnamese objects d’art. The Amba bar and grill serves British cuisine. All the 406 rooms are air-conditioned having contemporary decor featuring Asian designs. The rooms have Italian-designed Cattelan beds with leather headboards and built-in reading lamps. The en-suite bathrooms and dressing rooms are made of marble and provide Gilchrist & Soames toiletries. The Apex City of London Hotel is a modern hotel housed in a large, glass-clad building. The rooms are decorated in contemporary style, having a bold colour scheme. The furniture is made of wood having bedsteads, writing desks and coffee tables. The rooms are air-conditioned having satellite TV, wireless Internet, tea/coffee making facilities, CD/DVD players, power showers and a pillow menu. In west end of London is the A Morgan’s Hotel. It is a hotel having a world of fantasy among the history of London. It is housed in a 1950s Sanderson building which has lush landscape interior courtyard garden. All the 150 rooms are unique and revolutionary. They characteristic sleigh beds, a carpet inspired by Voltaire’s handwriting and oil paintings of comfortable landscape panoramas hung on the ceiling. The loving bathrooms are surrounded in a floor-to-ceiling glass box, covered with layers of sheer curtains. Few of the rooms have views of the London cityscape while other rooms have the view of the courtyard garden.
Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes London UK hotel is a classy hotel located in the famous Baker Street. It is housed in Victorian townhouse. There are 119 guest rooms having oak furniture, knotted rugs, and beds dressed with Egyptian sheets. Many of the rooms have wood-panelled floors. There is satellite television and high-speed wired, wireless and dial-up internet along with coffeemakers and mini bars. The en-suite bathrooms are contemporarily designed having sliding frosted-glass doors, bathrobes and designer toiletries. The fashionable Andaz Liverpool Street London is located near the Liverpool Street Station. Andaz’s 267 climate-controlled rooms are decorated in a discreet style. The rooms have wireless internet connections; satellite TV, telephone, mini bars and the bathrooms are stocked with bathrobes and designer toiletries. Threadneedles Hotel is just opposite the Bank of England. This London hotel has 69 air- conditioned rooms decorated in warm tones having internet access, cable television, mini bars among other amenities. The limestone bathrooms have bathrobes and spectacular architect toiletries. Book your cheap hotel online at Author is a marketing specialist having great knowledge on Travel and Tourism. To find out cheap hotel deals visit cheap london hotels, budget london hotels, cheap hotels in central london and affordable london hotels
http://www.hoteltravelexpress.com/ – London may not give guarantee for sunshine. But Londoners and people visiting London have a wonderful journey while discovering different gardens in the city. It is a city having luscious plants and shady trees. The gardens of London offer a refreshing angle to the city. To enjoy the wonderful summer of London there are many design hotels in London. These London hotels have a different style and are chic and refreshing.