London calling!

One of the world's great cities indeed, even for one who has spent many years living here in the past. It was interesting seeing it again with fresh eyes and I was duly impressed. Again. Little seems to have changed in the last 20 years or so, until you realise it is a lot cleaner now, mainly due to the spruce up it got for the Olympics, and from the reduced volume of traffic. Still plenty of buses and taxis, but fewer private cars since the congestion charges have some in. And quite a few new buildings too: the Gerkin, the Shard, the London Eye, and the “Harry Potter” bridge.

London is still an easy place to walk around as long as you don’t try and see everything in one day. Always lots going on and, as it was a Saturday, mainly tourists around. Not sure if it was a highlight, but a traffic jam caused by 1,000 naked cyclists added to the entertainment!

What struck me most is the sheer number of very large and impressive stone buildings. Not necessarily tall, but often taking up complete blocks with courtyards in the middle. Mostly dating from the 19^th century or earlier and all very attractive. Very few of the modern buildings seem to have had anything spent on “extras” – those adornments that take them beyond the  purely functional. So, for those of you who have visited London before, what are your enduring memories? Let us all know in the Comments below!