Jewels of London that allures tourist from around the world ( Part 1)

         

Skyline of London during dusk ( collected)

London is simply a magical land. Anybody visiting her for the first time will be in love with her for the cosmopolitan ambiance, the food, the landmarks, the public transportation system and the ‘jewels’ or the famous landmarks that the tourists are crazy to visit. Basically, you can take the tourist transport system like the Big bus or other means to go around the city. Ig bus gives an array of choice of places you can visit. You may choose to buy tickets online for the places you would love to see. In case you buy from the Big bus officials that might have a good deal for the day or be cheaper than the price displayed online. While touring London, you have to be very tactical and buy tickets which comes with discounted offers. Research is all yours, and you have to choose to form the array of options. I had literary 9 days to cover London. Initial two days were spent in touring the city from the terrace of Big Bus, and the rest days were spent in viewing the hotspots.

     

1.      Madam Tussaud’s museum:  Madam Tussaud’s museum is situated in Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LR, UK. The museum is a multi-storeyed building which has several floors displayed with wax models of celebrities around the world. The brains behind this, Marie Tussauds, a French by birth learned the art of sculpting from her mother’s employee Dr. Phillippe Curtius. The first wax sculpture was of Francois Voltaire. Opened in 1835, the museum attracted each and every visitor in London who desires to pose with their favorite character or rub shoulder with the wax bodies. Each model was invited for a sitting, and then measurements were taken. Madan Tussaud was said to be imprisoned during the French revolution where she made death masks for the executed nobles. However, the museum underwent losses when hit by a bomb during World War II

Posing with my favorite Bollywood heroine 

Posing with the ' Queen of hearts'

                                                                          

   

Basically, you have to be sure to be standing in the long queue before entering the museum. After you get your entry you will be exposed to a wonderland where you can find each and every personality from any niche be it entertainment, royal family, politics or sports. I chose my favorite Bollywood and Hollywood heroes to pose with. I liked the chamber which demonstrated the method of making molds. 

Demonstrating on the molds

The Royals and popular figures in a line

                             

Never miss the 4 D show that will never fail to amuse you. The last attraction of the museum, London ride is an interesting one, which will take you virtually through the various ages and evolution of London. Visit the gift shop and buy some souvenirs for you to remember.

2.      

T     Thames river cruise viewing the tower bridge and other landmarks:

If you want to see London, buy a ride on the cruise along the Thames River. There are a regular cruise and the timings can be noted from the information online. We bought tickets online and the cruise started at the Tower Pier. Generally, the hop on, hop off cruise starts from the Tower Pier, Westminster Pier, Greenwich Pier and London Eye pier. 24 hours valid tickets are also available from the same counter.  I boarded the vessel, chose my seat and comfortable corner. 

                

Tower bridge standing tall 

There was ongoing commentary which enabled to understand the importance of the landmarks. I am very keen on photographing cityscapes and has some exclusive shots in my collection. The best part was to see the tower bridge open.
         

Viewing Shard, the highest point in Western Europe 

                         

 We enjoyed the panoramic view of important landmarks like Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Shakespeare globe, Shard, Gherkin, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, and the Millennium Footbridge. 

                

The cantilever bridge opens 

 It was a splendid experience floating over the weaving Thames River.  Something that sparked my mind was that London was old but a planned city since the Roman times as it was accessible by the water and road transport as well.

3.      Westminster Abbey and Big Ben: Westminster Abbey is one of the rated tourist spots of London. The iconic building has been the seat of the British monarchy and also the symbol of British politics that the world looks upon. There are regular tours that last for 3-4 hours, thereby explaining the importance of the Elizabeth tower, statue of kings reflecting over the Thames River and also the house of parliament. 

                             

Westminster Abbey as seen from the cruise 

            

           The iconic structure is important as it has seen important coronation ceremony starting from William the conquerer in 1066 and ending with Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. British monarchs were wedded here. 

                          

Inside of the Westminster Abbey ( collected)

                The world has seen the wedding of William and Kate in this iconic building in 2011.  You will simply feel like standing amidst the rich history of Britain since the time it was called Britannia.

       

               Big Ben: Big Ben is the nickname to the clock tower situated on the northern side of Westminster Abbey. Originally it was called the clock tower and it was renamed as Elizabeth tower in 2012.  The big ben is said the chime every hour and there is a quarter bell that chimes every fifteen minutes. Or visiting Beg ben, it requires a permission from the British parliamentary authorities and tickets are sold six months in advance.  

                    

Big Ben under renovation

Presently the Big Ben is undergoing repairs and the renovation is expected to be completed by 2021. We were not lucky to go inside the clock tower but just have a fair view from outside.