London, use and abuse.

The numbers speak for me: British Museum 5.5 million visitors, National Gallery 5 million visitors, Madame Tussaud's 2.6 million visitors, Tower of London 2.4 million visitors, Tate Gallery 1.8 million visitors, Natural History Museum 1.7 million visitors, Science Museum 1.5 million visitors, Westminster Abbey 1.3 million visitors, St. Paul's Cathedral 1.1 million visitors. And the city life speaks for itself. London is as crazy as it wants to be.

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London's Underground system is called the 'Tube.' Do not refer to London's Underground lines as the blue line or the red line. Many underground lines have similar colours and Londoners won't know what you are referring to. Use the names (Piccadilly Line, Bakerloo Line, etc). Maps can be obtained from tube stations or at the main railway stations. Check the destination on the front of the train since most lines have branches and not all trains go to the end. Trains are usually very frequent unless there is a problem. Many escalators don't work. The word 'bus' is reserved for city transport - the ones traveling between cities tend to be called 'coaches.' A good way to see London is from the top deck of a double decker bus.

Portobello is really several markets in one, Saturday being the day when all are in full swing. Then you can experience a mile of hustle, haggle, colour and energy. The feature of Saturdays is the opening of hundreds of antique and specialist shops and stalls. You will also find clothes, household items, junk, records and more. There are some talented and bizarre street performers to be spotted too. During the week Portobello is the domain of the fruit and vegetable market traders, shouting the odds from their many colourful, aromatic stalls. Sundays are rather quiet with a small area under the motorway selling mainly bric-a-brac and second-hand clothes. One thing for sure about Portobello - there is something for everyone.

Almost every King or Queen of England over the past 900 years has been crowned in Westminster Abbey. Founded in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor the abbey has always had a strong royal connection, which has been consistent over the centuries. Westminster Abbey contains numerous tombs and memorials of some of Britain's most famous people from history.

The interior of Westminster Abbey is stunning, the main features being: The Nave, The Choir and Sanctuary, Shrine of King and St. Edward the Confessor, Henry VII's Chapel, The South Transept and Poets' Corner and The Cloister and Chapter House.

Ancient fortress in London, England, just east of the City and on the north bank of the Thames. Now used mainly as a museum, it was a royal residence in the Middle Ages. Later it was a jail for illustrious prisoners. The Tower is enclosed by a dry moat, within which are double castellated walls surrounding the central White Tower. Although Roman foundations have been discovered, the White Tower was built c.1078. Various towers subsequently built were used as prisons; one of them now houses a collection of medieval arms and armor. The crown jewels are displayed in the Waterloo Block, a former barracks. The Traitors’ Gate (giving access by water from the Thames) and the Bloody Tower are associated with many historically noted persons, including Queen Elizabeth I (when still princess), Sir Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey. Many persons beheaded within the Tower precincts, or on the neighboring Tower Hill, were buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula. The Yeomen of the Guard (“Beefeaters”), dressed in Tudor garb, still guard the Tower.

The British Museum is a Mecca for historical enthusiasts everywhere. It houses the finest collection of archaeological and historical artefacts in the World, covering cultures from every corner of the Globe.

Despite some of its best known exhibits having been collected from abroad, notably from the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa, the Museum also displays the finest and most historically important artefacts discovered across Britain, and especially England. One of the major exhibits of the Egyptian department is the basalt slab known as the Rosetta Stone. The Greek treasures include the Elgin Marbles and a caryatid from the Erechtheum.

One of London's most famous landmarks, the bridge was constructed in the 1890s. Tower bridge features a road which can be raised to allow tall ships to pass and an elevated walkway affording permanent access. Nowadays there is a museum in the bridge.