Parliament
The awesome neo-Gothic brilliance of the Houses of Parliament has been restored thanks to a recent spring clean of the fa?ade. The building includes the House of Commons and the House of Lords, so the grandeur of the exterior is let down only by the level of debate in the interior. There‘s restricted access to the chambers when they‘re in session, but a visit around 6 pm will avoid the worst of the crowds. Check the time on the most recognizable face in the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben.
Downing Street, the official residence of the prime minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has been guarded by an imposing iron gate since the security forces realized that the lone iconic bobby outside Maggie‘s door was not sufficient to stop the IRA mortar bomb attack in 1989.
Museums & Their Booty
The British Museum is the oldest, most august museum in the world. It is so big and so full of ‘stuff‘ collected by Victorian travelers and explorers that visitors often make the mistake of overdosing on the antiquities. See as much as you want to see, not as much as you believe you should. Highlights include the weird Assyrian treasures and Egyptian mummies; the exquisite pre-Christian Portland Vase and the 2000-year-old corpse found in a Cheshire bog.
The Victoria & Albert Museum has an eclectic mix of booty gathered together under its brief as a museum of decorative art and design. It sometimes feels like an enormous Victorian junk shop, with nearly four million artifacts on display. It‘s best to browse through the collection whimsically, checking out the Chinese ceramics, Japanese swords, cartoons by Raphael, sculpture by Rodin, the Frank Lloyd Wright study and the pair of Doc Martens.
The Natural History Museum is one of London‘s finest Gothic-revival buildings, but even its grand cathedral-like main entrance can seem squashed when you‘re confronted with hordes of screaming schoolkids. Keep away from the dinosaur exhibit while the kids are around and check out the mammal balcony at the Blue Whale exhibit or the spooky, moonlit rainforest in the ecology gallery.
Those Famous Galleries
The cash-strapped National Gallery, located on the edge of Trafalgar Square, has one of the world‘s most impressive art collections. Famous paintings include Cezanne‘s The Bathers and van Eyck‘s Arnolfini Wedding. Entry to the gallery is free, which means if you feel like dropping in and looking at just one or two pictures, you can do so at your leisure without feeling obliged to cover extensive territory.
The Tate Gallery is the keeper of an impressive historical archive of British art. The adjoining Clore Gallery has a wonderful collection of JMW Turner paintings, and tries not to miss the pre-Raphaelite room. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, the brand-spanking new Tate Modern displays the Tate‘s collection of international modern art, including major works by Bacon, Dal? Picasso, Matisse, Rothko and Warhol, as well as work by more contemporary artists. The building is as exciting as the art: gorgeous industrial-strength red brick with a 325-foot-high chimney. The former turbine hall, below street level and running the length of the vast building, now forms the awe-inspiring entrance to the gallery.
Cultural Centers
Several of London‘s large cultural centers are bleak, concrete monstrosities, but the events held inside are world class. The South Bank, on the ‘wrong side‘ of the Thames, looks spectacular at night, and includes the Hayward Gallery, the brilliant Festival Hall, the National Theatre and the National Film Theatre. The Barbican is a brutal architectural nightmare, saved only by the fact that it‘s the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Classical Orchestra. The restored Globe Theatre is a faithful reproduction of the original (complete with thatched roof and ash and nutshell floors), which featured Shakespeare‘s plays and was closed by Puritans in 1642. The Institute for Contemporary Art is a great place to relax, hang out and see some cutting-edge film, dance, photography, theatre and art.