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The Spirit of London
London often gives the impression of being more comfortable with its past that its
present. From the world-famous landmarks of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham, Palace
and the Tower of London to the traditional and well-loved double-decker buses, the
theatres and many grand hotels, England’s capital offers visitors a journey through
centuries of history. This journey is even better now that the building works, which
covered many historic sites, have been taken down. Newly cleaned and restored buildings
are revealed, and the city looks as if it has been revitalized.
The city has also rediscovered its river. The area between the South Banks Arts
Centre, which includes the national Theatre, and Tower Bridge, has been brought back to
life and the city has found a new heart along the forgotten riverside. As you walk
westwards along the river from Westminster, you will discover that old warehouses have
been transformed into galleries, shops and clubs.
Across the river from London Bridge is ‘The City of London’, the fi9nancial
district of the capital. The City has its won historic delights as the 15th century Guildhall
and churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren. But the capital is not a historical
theme park. It is a lively and exciting metropolis which is well-known for its popular
culture, music, clubs, street fashion, and visual arts. Today, many of its wide variety of
restaurants claim to be as good as in any other European capitals. For example, Marco
Pierre White’s highly recommended restaurant is a perfect example of new English
cuisine – unusual, sophisticated and extremely expensive. When it comes to shopping,
Covent Garden and King’s Road in Chelsea offer a mixture of reasonably priced
chainstore clothing and unique boutiques selling everything from rave gear to
skateboards. Shoppers with full wallets and more sophisticated tastes should head for
Knightsbridge, where Harrods and Harvey Nichols compete to be the most exclusive
department store in London.
Much of London’s energy and originality is now centred in Soho, the city’s
liveliest and most bohemian area, squeezed in between the department stores of Oxford
Street and the bookshops of Charing Cross Road. Soho, once considered one of the
dirtiest and most dangerous parts of London, was cleaned up in the early 1980’s. Today,
with its gurgling cappuccino machines and pavement cafes, it has become a meeting
place for all kinds of people from all over the world, whatever the hour of day or night.
So, even if you are new to the city, you don’t have to try hard in order to
experience the real London. Despite its heavy traffic and shaking underground railway, it
is still one of the world’s greatest and most cosmopolitan cities.