Tel Aviv, Israel תל אביב, ישראל

מה לא נאמר עליה. העיר העיברית הראשונה, שתושביה חיים בבועה משלהם, שהיא עיר נהנתנית המרוכזת בעצמה ובהנאות העולם, בירת התרבות של ישראל, שהיא בעצם מדינה, וכמובן שהיא עיר ללא הפסקה. הכל נכון. תל-אביב, העיר הכי מגניבה בארץ, חיה ובועטת, כאן ועכשיו.

תל-אביב היא אמנם העיר השנייה בגודלה בישראל מבחינת מספר תושביה (כ 393,000 נכון ל-2009), אך שטחה המרכזי אינו גדול כל כך יחסית, וקל ונעים לטייל בה ברגל ולהנות מכל מה שיש לה להציע כיאה לעיר שאינה הולכת לישון לעולם. בעיר פזורים בתי קפה רבים, מסעדות שיתאימו לכל חיך, שווקים, חנויות מכל הסוגים והרשתות, פסטיבלים ומוקדי עיניין ותמיד תמצאו מה לעשות, בין אם זה הופעה חיה בפאב מול הים או פסטיבל מזדמן בגן- מאיר.

אם זו הפעם הראשונה בביקורכם בעיר, או שאתם "תל-אביבים מתחילים", ודאי תרצו לדעת מהם המקומות השווים ביקור. אז התיישבתי ועשיתי רשימה איפה הכי כדאי לבלות בעיר ומתי.


בכל המקומות שהזכרתי פה ראוי לבקר כמעט בכל עת, אבל בשישי בבוקר כדאי במיוחד, אז יורדת על העיר אווירה מיוחדת של סוף השבוע, וכולם בחוץ מבלים, אוכלים ועורכים קניות לשבת.
אז בואו נתחיל, קחו חבר, מצלמה וסקרנות, משעמם בטוח לא יהיה:

1. שדרות רוטשילד- השדרה הארוכה הנמתחת מתיאטרון הבימה בצפון ועד רחוב הרצל בדרום. בשדרה רבים מבנייניה היפים של העיר בסגנון הבאהוס, בתי קפה ומסעדות שיקיות לרב, וכן הבינין בו הוכרזה מדינת ישראל (ביקרתי שם ביום העצמאות האחרון והיה ממש מרגש לבקר בחדר בו הכריז בן-גוריון בכבודו ובעצמו על הקמת המדינה).

2. מפגש הרחובות המשולש והתוסס של העיר הוא בין הרחובות: שנקין, אלנבי וקינג ג'ורג שהומה אדם משעות הבוקר ועד מאוחר אחה"צ. האיזור מלא בחנויות בהן ניתן למצוא מציאות במיוחד: בגדים, תיקים, נעליים ואקססוריז למשל בשוק בצלאל היוצא מקינג ג'ורג. חובה לבקר בשוק הכרמל הצבעוני והאותנטי ויריד האומנים הנחמד במדרחוב נחלת בנימין (פועל בימי ג' ו-ו' בין השעות: 10:00-17:00). הביקור באיזור הנ"ל הוא חוויה כפולה בשישי בבוקר כאשר המון אדם ממהרים ברחובות, קולות וריחות נישאים באוויר בעירבוביה, ויוצרים יחד את התחושה המקסימה שהנה אוטוטו מגיעה שבת. 

מפגש הרחובות שנקין-אלנבי-קינג-ג'ורג

3. רחוב דיזינגוף ו"דיזינגוף סנטר"- פעם דיזינגוף היה "הרחוב", ועד היום נחשב לרחוב הבילויים של המדינה. עד כדי כך הוא היה פופולארי שאפילו הומצא למבקר בו פועל מיוחד- ל"הזדנגף". הרחוב הארוך והתוסס מלא בבתי קפה, פאבים, חנויות ובגדי מעצבים וגולת הכותרת "דיזינגוף סנטר", מרכז קניות גדול שבקצהו הדרומי. ביום שישי הרחוב הומה במיוחד, נחמד לבקר בכיכר דיזינגוף (במקור צינה דיזינגוף על שם אשתו של ראש העיר הראשון מאיר דיזינגוף) ולצפות במזרקה המפורסמת, לבקר ביריד עתיקות ויד שנייה הסמוך הפועל בימי שלישי ושישי ולקנח בשוק האוכל ש"בדיזינגוף סנטר" שם תמצאו אוכל ביתי מוכן כמעט מכל עדה.

דיזינגוף סנטר במפגש הרחובות דיזינגוף וקינג ג'ורג

4. רחוב בוגרשוב המקסים נמצא בסמוך ל"דיזינגוף סנטר" עם בתי קפה, מסעדות וחנויות בגדים במחירים שפויים. באיזור גם נמצא החומוס הכי טוב לדעתי בת"א. חומוסית "משוושה" תעניק לכם תענוג קולינרי בדמות מנת קומפלט הכוללת חומוס חמים טרי שנטחן במקום עם פול וטחינה, חמוצים ופיתות חרוכות בדיוק במידה הנכונה בכ-20 שקל (רחוב פינסקר 40). תשאירו את החומוס לסוף הטיול כי אחרי מנה כזו אי אפשר לזוז-ראו הוזהרתם!


5. שרשרת החופים הנמתחת מבניין האופרה ועד חוף גורדון במיוחד בשעות בין הערביים היא האהובה עליי ביותר, המים חמימים, האווירה טובה וכל קו החוף של תל-אביב נפרש מול העיניים כשאתם כמה מטרים בתוך הים. בשישי ושבת בעונת הקיץ לא תוכלו לזוז מרב אנשים לכן כדאי להגיע מוקדם כדי לתפוס מקום טוב. הכי אני אוהבת לפחות פעם בכל ביקור ללכת ברגל בתוך הים במפגש בין מפרצי החופים שהוא גבוה וניתן ללכת עליו- עד לשובר הגלים.

חוף בוגרשוב כאשר מלון דן ברקע

6. ביקור בנמל ת"א. הנמל המתפתח יפה לביקור בכל שעה. כיום הוא אחד ממוקדי הבילוי הגדולים בת"א ומכיל מסעדות, בתי-קפה, פאבים, דאנס-ברים ועוד. נחמד לטייל לאורך הנמל,על דק העץ, לבקר בשובר הגלים ולהמשיך עד לארובה של רידינג שמעבר לגשר על נהר הירקון.


7. יום סיור ביפו העתיקה: אפשר להתחיל משוק הפשפשים ואחה"צ לשוטט בסמטאות יפו העתיקה- אנחנו קנחנו את הסיור ב"ד"ר שקשוקה" מסעדה ותיקה ולא יקרה שמתמחה באוכל טוניסאי-ישראלי ושמה יצא למרחוק, ונמצאת סמוך לכיכר השעון ביציאה מיפו לכיוון ת"א.



יפו בשקיעה



כיכר השעון בכניסה ליפו העתיקה



8. נווה צדק- השכונה היהודית הראשונה שנבנתה מחוץ ליפו ב 1887. שכונה עם בתים ציוריים שכיף להסתובב בה ושכמעט כל סמטאותיה יובילו אתכם למרכז השכונה היפהפה -מרכז "סוזן דלל",שהוא מתחם לאירועי תרבות.

מרכז סוזן דלל, נווה צדק

9. פאב שאני אוהבת- "מולי בלומס" ברח' הירקון פינת מנדלי מוכר ספרים (ליד מלון דן). זהו פאב אירי אותנטי  מקסים ונעים. הכי כיף להגיע ביום שני או רביעי ב 21:30 או ביום שישי בסביבות 16:30 לשבת על כוס גינס טעימה, ולהאזין למוזיקה אירית חיה שמנוגנת על-ידי צוות נגנים שיושב לו במעגל בין יושבי הפאב. חוויה נהדרת ומחממת את הלב שמטיסה אתכם לשעה קלה לאירלנד. מה שיותר יפה זה שזה חינם ולא מעשנים בתוך הפאב.


10. מקום מדליק אחר הוא "מייקס פלייס"- מול החוף סמוך לשגרירות ארה"ב. הפאב מלא תיירים וכל ערב בסביבות 22:30 ישנה הופעה חיה או ערבי נושא. הכניסה חינם.


11. טיילת תל אביב- נחמד מאוד להסתובב לעת שקיעה בטיילת - על אופניים זה הכי מומלץ. אפשר להתחיל מהדרום, הטיילת שסמוכה ליפו ולעלות צפונה. בדרך נעבור בטיילת ששופצה סמוך לגן צ'רלס קלור- שם ישנם מרחבי דשא גדולים וגן משחקים מודרני הכולל מספר נדנדות למבוגרים (מומלץ!). מפה נמשיך עד לבריכת גורדון המחודשת והמרינה (שווה לבקר ליד הסירות ולטייל לאורך שובר הגלים!) ונמשיך לדווש עד לנמל ת"א. חוויה מקסימה!

 טיילת תל-אביב

12. שכונת פלורנטין בלילה מקסימה וברחוב פלורנטין וסביבתו פאבים ובתי קפה רבים וקוליים, וכמובן שוק לווינסקי בשישי בוקר-המקום לקניית תבלינים, פיצוחים ופירות יבשים (-:


13. רחוב אבן גבירול הארוך והתוסס הוא אחד מעמודי השדרה של העיר. פה נמצאת עיריית תל-אביב, וכיכר רבין, מרכז קניות "לונדון מיניסטור" , אולמות תרבות (בית ציוני אמריקה ומצוותא) ובסמוך רחוב שאול המלך בו נמצאים מוזיאון תל-אביב לאומנות המרתק, מתחם התרבות של תיאטרון הקאמרי ובית האופרה.

לגבי אירועים שיש בעיר- ויש כמעט תמיד-אני תמיד מתעדכנת באתר של עיריית ת"א, שם אפשר למצוא על כל המתרחש בעיר עפ"י תאריך, האתר:http://www.habama.co.il/PagesTelAviv/Area.aspx?Subj=1&Area=1



אלו הן רק הנקודות המרכזיות, ועוד לא הזכרתי אפילו את פארק הירקון, רחוב הרצל ורחוב אחד העם.

פה אסיים רבותיי את שלי ואעביר אליכם את השרביט, צאו לגלות את תל-אביב שלכם.

Los Angeles- California, U.S.A

Los Angeles, the big city on the west side of United States. The capital city of the American entertainment and film industry.

On June 2010 I visited LA for the first time in my life, after a trip in Hawaii, and decided that I am going to dedicate the few days I had there to explore the city itself. I was very curious to see finally what is it that everybody talks about and get a little bit of star dust.

Day 1: Santa Monica

We arrived to LAX (Los-Angeles) airport early in the morning, after a 5-hour flight with American Airlines from Kona in Hawaii.

After hesitating about where to stay in LA, and assistance from the voluntary travel adviser at the airport, we decided to choose Santa Monica as our base. We wanted a place where there is easy access to the beach, night life and that would also be a lively place.

Santa Monica Beach

Just from our ride in the bus from the airport to our hotel in Santa Monica, I discovered just how big L.A is. The streets are very long. For example, our ride on Lincoln Boulevard took us about an hour and even then were dropped only halfway along the street!

So, these are the places that you can visit in Santa Monica:

The entance to the pier at Santa Monica

• Santa Monica beach- Wide beaches with white sand. Here was shot the popular program from the 90's: "Baywatch". We were in June and it was cold and the water look so grey. To be honest the beaches did not impressed me so much.

• Santa Monica Pier - The famous pier that is also the end of the classic "Route 66", is a lively place. You can find there an amusement park with a roller-coaster, many shops, souvenir stalls, restaurants, video games room, outdoor performers. Visiting it brought me back to the 80's!

• 3rd street down town Santa Monica-Lively street with singers and performers in .the evenings. Nice atmosphere and many shops and restaurants.

Santa Monica Pier

Day 2: Walk of Fame

 Hollywood Blvd. Walk of Fame

• Hollywood Walk of Fame-The main part in Hollywood Boulevard with a trail of stars on its pavement, with names of famous people from the entertainment world on them. Look for your favourite actor/singer/band/comedian/Radio presenter.

• The Chinese Theatre- Many premiers of films are celebrated here. In the front of the entrance of the theatre. you will find the famous footprints, hand prints and signatures of many celebrities from all times.

 

 At the entrance to the Chinese Theatre

• Kodak Theatre - the famous theatre where the Oscar prize is given every year. The Theatre is located in a shopping centre full of restaurants, shops and tourists and from here you also will be able to see the famous Hollywood sign. I expected to see a glorious place full of stars but the only stars that you will see at night will be the stars on the sky.

Day 3: Venice Beach

• Farmers market, Santa Monica - This is a very nice market with great food from California, great local fruit and vegetables (especially the strawberries, oranges and tomatoes) and you can taste the produce in almost every stall.

 Farmers Market, Santa Monica

• Venice Beach - Lively board walk a few metres from the beach, surrounded by palm trees, full of performers and shops, interesting stalls and people, roller blade court, roller blade dancing area, "Muscle Beach", where Arnold Schwarzenegger used to train. There is still a feeling in the air that this was the hippie centre in the 60's. Don't miss a visit here!

Venice Beach

Day 4: Downtown Los-Angeles

We arrived there easily by bus from Santa Monica and walked through the districts 

• Little Tokyo - the centre of the Japanese-American community. A few shops and interesting buildings and the monument to the Japanese Astronaut, Ellison S Onizuka.
• Pueblo - The remnants of the Mexican community in LA is here. At the centre is Olvera street, which has many cool shops with Mexican food, clothes and souvenirs. You also can visit the oldest, Mexican style, house in LA there. (NB It closes at 16.00).
• Chinese area - We saw the gate with the dragons at the entrance to the main street and visited a Chinese temple.
• Civic centre- Many federal and municipal buildings are here. Between them you can find The City Hall. In the square at the front you can see a few flags that include the draft versions of the American flag prior to the final version of today.
• Jewellery district
• Fashion district

There is a feeling of being in a ghost town in Downtown, especially in the Jewellery and Fashion districts. At 17:00 all the streets were almost totally empty and many old buildings looked  abandoned and vacant, like remnants of the glory that was here in the early 20th Century.

Day 5: A tour by car
After discovering that travelling by bus takes time, we decided to rent a car for a day and discover the rest of LA. We saw a lot of things in one day.

• Venice canals - unlike the Venice in Italy, these canals here were a strange group of ugly channels with no meaning and definitely no glory. The original idea was by millionaire Abbot Kinney who dug the channels to drain land.
• Malibu -We drove north to see this famous beaches which did not impress me at all.
• Bel-Air - Yea Yea Yea, the famous neighbourhood where "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was set. An exclusive neighbourhood with not much to see.
• Beverly Hills - What can I say about this famous neighbourhood where all the rich and the beautiful live? A very, very exclusive neighbourhood which every private house seems like was designed according to the fantasy of its owners. You can buy  a map of the houses of the stars from the shops in Hollywood Boulevard.
• Rodeo Drive- The famous street which is the shopping centre in Beverly Hills. You can find there many top designers and labels shops. We were told that there is a big chance to watch a famous actor do their shopping there and well, maybe I imagined it, but I swear that I saw Penélope Cruz in one of the shops!
• Sunset strip - A very cool area with plenty of restaurants.
• Hollywood sign - the most famous sign in the whole world that is located on the Hollywood hills. We were determined to see it close up. We found the secret of how to get really close to the sign. (Coming soon!)

 Hollywood sign (view from Hollywood Blvd.)

Day 6: Shopping

• Target - A big store for clothes, toys, make-up and other stuff (free parking for the 1st hour).
• The Grove - Such a cool outdoor shopping centre with a fountain that "dances" to the songs that played and a trolly that drove there in circles from noon in the area. At the other side the Farmers market of L.A. On the roof of the parking you can see the view of all L.A. AMAZING! (free parking for the 1st hour).
• K-Mart - An American net for huge department store. Great shoes!

That was our last day in the journey. We returned the car in Santa Monica and went to the airport, back home to Israel, tired but happy.

 At Hollywood Blvd.

Tips for the traveller:

• America is America: Huge shopping centres everywhere, with cheap, fatty, fast food. In LA you will also find a lot of (somewhat healthier) Mexican food.
• We missed our flight back home because of a huge traffic jam from Santa Monica to the airport. Come early to the airport.
• The bus system is convenient, but if we had rented the car for all the days, we would have done all this in half of the time.
• You will find many Tours that will be offered to you - like tour buses to Rodeo Drive and the homes of the stars. It is worth negotiating the price, because they ultimately want to fill the buses!
• Please notice that when you drive in U.S and arrive to a junction when you need to turn to the right, you can still can drive to the right when the traffic light shows red.
• If you have time, it is very popular to visit one of the famous studios or the theme parks, like Disneyland, Universal Studios and the Six Flags Magic Mountain - which is great if you like roller coasters!

Me at the Walk of Fame

The Hawaiian Islands

Have you ever seen a giant sea turtle sunning himself within touching distance? You feel bliss at the sight of dolphins leaping in the wild? You had such a juicy pineapple that made you groan with pleasure? The last time you saw a spectacular sunset and swim at the beach that looks like it was taken from the "Guide to the Good Life".

All this and much more you will find in Hawaii. Group of distant islands in the Pacific which is about twenty-hour flight from Israel and is the object of the dreams of many.

Not long ago I returned from a trip of three weeks to this remarkable archipelago and I was left with strong impressions. I visited four of the eight major islands, enjoying every moment.
Come and walk with me in the magical realm of the Kingdom of Hawaii, ready?


Oahu: The Gathering Island

The Island of Oahu, where the capital, Honolulu is located, reached via a ten-hour flight from Newark - We landed straight into the "Aloha" atmosphere (which is the blessing of peace and love), with an intoxicating sense of freedom. We were on the other side of the world!

Upon arrival to Honolulu, we visited one of the world-famous beaches - Waikiki. A beautiful lively beach with many hotels along it and nearby streets that are busy all day.

Surfing culture occupies a prominent place among locals and all the time you see men and women of all ages carrying surfboards in every size and colour on the way to catch another wave. Do not miss famous monument is the father of surfing, "Duke Kahanamoku", a native, who made surfing the most popular activity it is today.

Traditional hula dance is a mesmerizing dance that can be seen in many places in Waikiki and it is often accompanied by the traditional string instrument, the Ukelele.

Pearl Harbor, the bay where the Japanese bombed the U.S. Navy anchored there, is within a few minutes drive from Waikiki. At the visitor centre you can see a touching movie about that black day on December 7th 1941. You can also visit the monument located on the US Navy ship Arizona's remains which are buried with its sailors deep in the bay.

On the North side of the island are a number of beautiful beaches, lined with coconut and palm trees, that are more fit for surfing than for bathing because of the high waves. To our good fortune, at Waimea Bay beach we encountered groups of dolphins right near the coastline. It was very exciting to see them jumping for fun in the open sea. Sunset Beach with picturesque, turquoise water, is where some of the most important surfing competitions in the world are held and in the romantic Turtle Bay, we ended the day watching a spectacular sunset in front of the great ocean.


Kauai: The Garden Island

Dramatic Lookout at Kaua'i

We arrived at the little, charming island, Kauai, in the North of the archipelago, within a short flight, 20 minutes from Honolulu. The wild mountains that kiss the clouds, provided an impressive and dramatic scenery for a number of famous movies filmed here, including the movie Jurassic Park.

The Island is full ofÿ tropical vegetation, waterfalls and rivers, which justifies its nickname "The Garden Island". On the other side of the island you can see the impressive Waimea Canyon, which left us open-mouthed for several minutes.


Maui: The Valley Island

On the beautiful, popular island of Maui, we began a fascinating journey to the West via a steep and narrow road between the mountains, part of which was in the clouds. More than once, a rainbow was seen, that completed the euphoric picture in front of us.

Later we stopped to look at the huge cliffs that descend into the ocean and we visited beaches in the Napili and Kaanapali areas that are tropical and extremely photogenic.

In the South-West was a chain of wonderful beaches that seemed to never end, and at the end of the road there was a rocky and black beach that was made from lava that hardened, a reminder of the volcano that erupted here many years ago. We felt like we were walking on the moon.

Next was, Ia'o Valley, a green and beautiful place. located between several high mountain ridges.

"The Road to Hana" is considered one of the world's most beautiful drives. After visiting the North Island surfers' town, Pa'ia, we began our journey East along the coast, 109 kilometers that, at its end is the city Hana. The drive was rich with vegetation of wild tropical jungle, flowers, fruit trees such as banana and mango, numerous waterfalls and spectacular ocean views. In the South, the landscape changes completely to that of the desert, shades of brown and black rule. Visiting the winery and tasting local wines was a refreshing end to the journey in this part of the island and completion of the circle around it.


The Big Island of Hawaii

The highlight of this amazing and multicoloured island is the volcano that has been active continuously since 1983. As soon as we left the airport, we immediately felt the oppressive heat and intense volcanic fog ("vog"), and the ground for miles is rocky and black. We spent a pleasant few days in the Western side of the island. In Kona, there is a nice promenade and a farmers' market. You can lounge around on beautiful beaches with crystal clear water and white sand like flour and snorkle in Kahalu'u Bay.

At Hilton Waikoloa Village you can watch dolphins training, a day of real fun. From Kona area we drove North to the city Waimea. The landscape began to become greener and greener. We stopped to look at the breathtaking beauty of Waipi'o Valley. It is painted in shades of Valley Green, caressing the sea and is a beautiful picture postcard. From there to the city of Hilo, that is in the East of the island and is surrounded by tropical forest, waterfalls and never-ending green. From here, the way to the icing on the cake was very short. In the National Volcano Park, we spent twenty-four hours. The scene of the smoking volcano is literally breathtaking and makes you think how small we are compared to the power of nature.

At night we went back in total darkness to see the red glow of the burning lava, which seemed hypnotic and surreal. The next day we walked along the Kilauea Iki crater that once was a giant lava lake - it dried only in 1959. The rest of the park is mainly lava fields and on its beach you can see the road that is blocked by lava to this day.

Punalu'u beach is unique in that is has black sand. We were happy to find a giant sea turtle sunbathing on the beach. From there we went to the small town Nahalu'u, which is the southernmost city in the U.S. Finally, we visited a historic park, a reconstruction of an ancient city of refuge with the Hawaiian ways of life. Here, too, ended our intense and fascinating journey.

In conclusion, Hawaii is a pearl in the Pacific Ocean in which nature is alive and kicking in every direction. It has a rich variety of animals and plants, some unique, beaches, breathtaking landscapes, fascinating culture. It's easy to tour the country because it is part of the U.S. and everyone will find what he wants. So do not hesitate if you have ever dreamed to visit this paradise, Hawaii will welcome you with Aloha.


Tips for the Traveller in Hawaii

• Don't worry if you come to Hawaii without having done your homework. You can find plenty of free information, such as maps and weekly magazines on each island, and at the airports. 

• Buses: In Oahu it is very easy to travel with buses almost everywhere and when you buy a ticket, it can be used for a transfer to another bus for up to two hours in between stops.

• Hawaii generally is very expensive. There are many activities you can do for free, for example public Hula shows (ask locals or check in the free magazines from the airport and in hotels). To see turtles and dolphins in the ocean, all you have to do is go to the right beaches according to the map. We saw them many times, even without planning. Many free events occur in the shopping centres. Snorkling is easy in the right place. You can buy cheap equipment and in fact almost everything in Walmart stores.

• Whales are very common in the Hawaiian archipelago but can only be seen in the right season, which is December to April (check with locals). You can see sperm whales and their young.

• All the prices in Hawaii are quoted without tax included. Do not be surprised if the cost seems higher than you first thought.

• Be aware of tourist traps. It is not necessary to use all the offers of organised tours and boat trips. You can find many ways to find the natural beauty of Hawaii without expensive 'help'. Watch out for timeshare deals disguised as deals on cheap or free attractions. 

• Before you are tempted to buy shells and dried starfish from local shops, please ask the shop where they obtained them from. Some shops take illegally harvested shells which involved the death of a rare ocean creature. 

• Hawaii is part of the USA, therefore you will find big shopping centres, big cars, American fast food, the US dollar and the expectation for tips.

• In the Hawaiian language, the letters K, W, U and H are very common. Please read place names carefully as sometimes these can be very similar or even the same in different locations.

• The ocean is, in some beaches, really wild with big, rough waves and strong currents. Please take care when entering the water.

Slang

The most common word you will here is "Aloha", which is used for hi, bye, welcome, love.

"Mahalo" is thank you. For the restrooms; "Wahine" means women and "Kane" means men.

The famous flower necklace is known as a "Lei". It is customary for the one who makes the Lei to give it away to someone else with aloha. 

London, England

If it's your first time in London, the huge, capital city of Great Britain, there are a few places I recommend you must see.

1. Buckingham Palace - this is the Queen's residence when she is in London. Don't miss the changing of the guards. When I was there last December, it was every 2 days at 11.00 but check the times on the internet because it changes according to the season. Nearby is the beautiful St James's Park, where you will see ducks, squirrells and a beautiful lake.

2. Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament - the most famous clock in the world is located just by the river Thames in the city centre in the area known as Westminster. From there, you can take a nice walk on the South Bank of the river Thames.

3. The South Bank - this has a very nice walkway which is always very lively with music an artists. You can spend the whole day there. If you come from Big Ben, you can see:

• London Eye - huge wheel just on the river. Its better to purchase tickets online to avoid queues.
• Royal Festival Hall
• National Theatre
• The Southbank Centre - centre for many events and festivals. Open to the public. The home of London Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Tate Modern - centre of modern art in London. (Free entrance)
• Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - reconstruction of Shakespeare's original theatre.
• Southwark Cathedral - very old original cathedral. (Free entrance)
• HMS Belfast - and old Royal Navy ship that today is a museum which you can visit.
• Tower Bridge - the famous Bridge with the towers and the road that lifts up.
• Tower of London - can visit.

TIP: Afterwards you can take a riverboat ride from the station at London Bridge back along the river (use your travelcard).

4. Covent Garden - a complex of shops and market stalls - for tourists so its expensive. It is worth visiting to see the open entertainment, acrobats, jugglers and musicians.

5. Leicester Square - in the centre of the London West End, you can find many theatres. Tip: You can find half price tickets for most of the shows on the same day in Leicester Square.

6. Chinatown - colourful and interesting to walk through to see the gate and architecture. As you would expect there are many Chinese restaurants.

7. Trafalgar Square - famous for New Year celebrations and its fountains. At the centre is the statue of Admiral Nelson who won the battle of Trafalgar - when the English navy beat the Spanish who wanted to invade. Just nearby, dont miss the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery. I really enjoyed these.

8. Oxford Street - London's popular shopping street with a variety of shops for everyone. You can start at Tottenham Court Road and walk to Regent Street.  On the way is Soho - the famous area for London's film industry and sex shops. After Regent Street is Piccadilly Circus with the famous Eros fountain and electric advertisement screens. At the Western end of Oxford Street, you can find shops such as Selfridges, Marks and Spencer, Primark superstore. At the end is the famous Marble Arch monument.

9. Hyde Park - a beautiful, green park with a lake at the centre. At the South you can find the Princess Diana memorial fountain. Every year in the Christmas holiday period, there is a huge Christmas Market in European style, with many traditional foods, crafts and an amusement park.

10. Kensington - The area is famous for high society shops and fashion designers. Visit Harrods first. It is the famous shop that apparently claims you can find anything on Earth you need. Continue along Brompton Road to the Museum area. You can visit the famous Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum and Science Museum. Continue to a concert in the Royal Albert Hall and end your day for amazing food at the Hard Rock Cafe.


11. British Museum - Not far from Tottenham Court Road, this famous museum contains, among many other things, fascinating exhibitions of ancient statues from Egypt, mesopotamia and the ancient Levant (now Israel).

12. St Paul's Cathedral - very old cathedral with interesting architecture, that survived the bombings of World War 2. Walk round this area and you will find the financial district and you can see the old stock exchange buildings and the Bank of England. If you walk to Fleet Street, you will see the Royal Courts of Justice and some interesting architecture.

If you have extra time...

Camden Town - Alternative area, famous for its complex of shops and extensive market near the canal. In the evening the night life is interesting and the streets are full of alternative people; punks, grunge guys and hippies.


Spitalfields Market - near Liverpool Street Station, is Spitalfields market. It is worth visiting on Sundays, when there is also a flea market all along some of the streets.

Baker Street - you can visit Madame Tussauds, the famous Wax Museum that started here; the Sherlock Holmes Museum; Regent's Park and London Zoo. Not far from here is the Jewish Museum.

Tips for the traveller:

• The most economical way to travel by public transport in London is to buy a Travelcard for a day or for a week. This is available from many shops and Tube stations. The Travelcard can be used for underground trains, buses, local overground trains, river boats.

• If you would like to try local English food, don't miss Fish and Chips in one of the many pubs or Fish and Chip shops. This is very tasty with a pint of beer! Try London Pride or Boddington's for example. Please note most pubs stop selling alcohol at about 23.00.

• If you would like to try some Indian food, which is very popular in the country, in Brick Lane you can find many Indian restaurants who will be glad for you to come in their door.

• To watch a concert by a famous, international star in the huge O2 Arena is a totally remarkable experience.

• If you love 80's music, the Reflex club in Watling Street, near St Paul's Cathedral, is the place for you. 

• Smoking is forbidden in all clubs, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, museums and public spaces.

• The cheapest and nicest places to stay are the YHA Youth Hostels, such as the one at St Pancras or near St Paul's Cathedral.

Slang
Don't forget to say 'please', 'thank you', 'excuse me' - the British people are really polite.
'Loo' in the local word for toilets.
'Tube' in the word for the London Underground train.


Currency
Pounds (Sterling) is the currency of Great Britain.
Euros or Dollars are not accepted in shops in England normally.