We have put together some ideas on what to experience either before you leave or while you visit this beautiful and enchanting country. From literature to cuisine, accommodations to historical attractions, or simply souvenirs, you will find it here. Simply click on a tab above to read more about the topic.
The British Museum
Universally considered one of the greatest museums in the world, London's British Museum contains an absolutely magnificent collection featuring treasures as diverse as the Elgin Marbles and ancient Egyptian mummies. Highlighting the works of man from prehistoric to modern times with collections drawn from the whole world, the massive collection contains such famous objects as the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon, and countless others.
Universally considered one of the greatest museums in the world, London's British Museum contains an absolutely magnificent collection featuring treasures as diverse as the Elgin Marbles and ancient Egyptian mummies. Highlighting the works of man from prehistoric to modern times with collections drawn from the whole world, the massive collection contains such famous objects as the Rosetta Stone, sculptures from the Parthenon, and countless others.
The Berkeley
The Berkeley is one of London's most charming sanctuaries of gracious living. It is perfectly placed for the shops and stores of Knightsbridge and Sloane Street. It also offers outstanding facilities for relaxation and dining. The Berkeley health club and spa overlooking Hyde Park provides Christian Dior health and beauty treatments and has its own roof-top gym and swimming pool opening to the sky in fine weather. Newly created or restored suites and bedrooms are designed for any mood or occasion. Service and comfort are assured by the most up-to-date technology. With its discreet charms, the hotel embodies the most civilized of London's virtues.
The Berkeley is one of London's most charming sanctuaries of gracious living. It is perfectly placed for the shops and stores of Knightsbridge and Sloane Street. It also offers outstanding facilities for relaxation and dining. The Berkeley health club and spa overlooking Hyde Park provides Christian Dior health and beauty treatments and has its own roof-top gym and swimming pool opening to the sky in fine weather. Newly created or restored suites and bedrooms are designed for any mood or occasion. Service and comfort are assured by the most up-to-date technology. With its discreet charms, the hotel embodies the most civilized of London's virtues.
London is one of the culinary capitals of the world. The visitor is faced with an astounding array of delectable choices, from every corner of the globe, from Indian to Hungarian, and everything in between. London features every shape and size of cafe, pub, and restaurant for every price range and every desire.
In Scotland the culinary arts have lagged miserably behind the rest of the world. Dishes like tatties and mince or white pudding suppers historically formed a large part of the Scottish diet leading to the worst incidence of heart disease in the world followed by an equally abysmal dental record. Today, however, things have vastly improved. Vegetarianism and an increase in healthy eating is reducing the incidence of bad health. Year after year there are new and innovative restaurants opening to provide an ever-varying choice of good food. Pubs offering lunches and dinners have become standard and are usually both satisfying and inexpensive.
In Scotland the culinary arts have lagged miserably behind the rest of the world. Dishes like tatties and mince or white pudding suppers historically formed a large part of the Scottish diet leading to the worst incidence of heart disease in the world followed by an equally abysmal dental record. Today, however, things have vastly improved. Vegetarianism and an increase in healthy eating is reducing the incidence of bad health. Year after year there are new and innovative restaurants opening to provide an ever-varying choice of good food. Pubs offering lunches and dinners have become standard and are usually both satisfying and inexpensive.
From fabulous fashion shops to fine food halls, London is a shopper's paradise! London has all the latest designs and the wackiest looks - as well as the highest quality clothes made to the most exacting standards and the best choice of international goods. Whether you are searching for the classic 'English' look, or the most outlandish clubwear, this is the place to come! The city boasts a mind-boggling 30,000 shops, from huge department stores to tiny exclusive boutiques and weird and wonderful market stalls. Here's a sample of what you can find in London's West End and beyond:
In London, find the flagship stores of all the great British high street names, plus some wonderful one-offs and world-famous stores. Take a glimpse of a few of the best known - and where to find them:
Harrods (Brompton Road) - renowned for food, fashion, furniture and four Royal Warrants Marks & Spencer - everyone's favorite, visit the revamped flagship store at Marble Arch or the latest additions at Long Acre and Finsbury Pavement Liberty (Regent Street) - not just the famous Liberty prints, but all sorts of treasures from antiques to the works of up-and-coming designers Selfridges (Oxford Street) - a fabulous food hall and cutting edge fashion with big brand names make this a one-stop-shop for the stylish John Lewis (Oxford Street) - the flagship store of the well-known Partnership, superb for kitchenware and fabrics - its motto is 'never knowingly undersold' Debenhams (Oxford Street) - designer names at high street prices a stone's throw from Oxford Circus
Head to Regent Street, Sloane Street, Bond Street and Belgravia for the cream of the international crop. All the big names are there - Dior, Nicole Farhi, Guicci, Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith, Versace, Amanda Wakeley, Vivienne Westwood - the list goes on. Check out Carnaby (sexy since the Sixties) for 21st century design - especially in jewelry and men's tailoring. And dress-for-less by catching big names who design for the chains - Pearce Fionda and Philip Treacy appear in Debenhams, while M&S boasts a host of names, including Agent Provocateur.
Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly is synonymous with gourmet British food (and heavenly hampers) while in nearby Jermyn Street, Paxton and Whitfield is one of the oldest cheesemongers in the country. Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, Harvey Nichols and, of course, Harrods all boast the finest food halls. Harrods still bakes its own bread, sells 350 types of cheese, 1,200 different wines and spirits - and, fitting for an English store, 151 varieties of tea!
Harrods (Brompton Road) - renowned for food, fashion, furniture and four Royal Warrants Marks & Spencer - everyone's favorite, visit the revamped flagship store at Marble Arch or the latest additions at Long Acre and Finsbury Pavement Liberty (Regent Street) - not just the famous Liberty prints, but all sorts of treasures from antiques to the works of up-and-coming designers Selfridges (Oxford Street) - a fabulous food hall and cutting edge fashion with big brand names make this a one-stop-shop for the stylish John Lewis (Oxford Street) - the flagship store of the well-known Partnership, superb for kitchenware and fabrics - its motto is 'never knowingly undersold' Debenhams (Oxford Street) - designer names at high street prices a stone's throw from Oxford Circus
Head to Regent Street, Sloane Street, Bond Street and Belgravia for the cream of the international crop. All the big names are there - Dior, Nicole Farhi, Guicci, Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith, Versace, Amanda Wakeley, Vivienne Westwood - the list goes on. Check out Carnaby (sexy since the Sixties) for 21st century design - especially in jewelry and men's tailoring. And dress-for-less by catching big names who design for the chains - Pearce Fionda and Philip Treacy appear in Debenhams, while M&S boasts a host of names, including Agent Provocateur.
Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly is synonymous with gourmet British food (and heavenly hampers) while in nearby Jermyn Street, Paxton and Whitfield is one of the oldest cheesemongers in the country. Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, Harvey Nichols and, of course, Harrods all boast the finest food halls. Harrods still bakes its own bread, sells 350 types of cheese, 1,200 different wines and spirits - and, fitting for an English store, 151 varieties of tea!
My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir
By Susan Allen Toth, 1994, 336 pages, paperback
Journalist and memoirist Susan Allen Toth brings her special England vividly to life as she recalls her many trips there over the years, where she explored the countryside, traveled both second-class and in luxury, theatre-hopped, hunted for ghosts, and honeymooned. Humorous, bittersweet, and wonderfully eccentric, this is a delightful remembrance to be savored by those who love to travel or just dream of it.
From Library Journal:
Over the last 30 years, Toth has regularly vacationed or taught in England. Here, she reflects on some of the country's endearing qualities that draw her back time and again. Each of the 20 chapters addresses a single subject from the intricacies of ``the tube'' to remote village churches. She is a frequent admirer of the many English gardens and has traveled extensively on the footpaths in the company of her husband and her favorite walking stick. Whether her topic is attending sheepdog trials, ghost-hunting, or indulging in a rare overnight at London's Savoy, one cannot help but become absorbed. Toth possesses the all-too-rare ability of capturing the atmosphere of places she visits. Reading this is like taking a vacation; it's travel writing at its best and essential for armchair travelers or potential visitors.--Jo-Anne Mary Benson, Osgoode, Ontario
By Susan Allen Toth, 1994, 336 pages, paperback
Journalist and memoirist Susan Allen Toth brings her special England vividly to life as she recalls her many trips there over the years, where she explored the countryside, traveled both second-class and in luxury, theatre-hopped, hunted for ghosts, and honeymooned. Humorous, bittersweet, and wonderfully eccentric, this is a delightful remembrance to be savored by those who love to travel or just dream of it.
From Library Journal:
Over the last 30 years, Toth has regularly vacationed or taught in England. Here, she reflects on some of the country's endearing qualities that draw her back time and again. Each of the 20 chapters addresses a single subject from the intricacies of ``the tube'' to remote village churches. She is a frequent admirer of the many English gardens and has traveled extensively on the footpaths in the company of her husband and her favorite walking stick. Whether her topic is attending sheepdog trials, ghost-hunting, or indulging in a rare overnight at London's Savoy, one cannot help but become absorbed. Toth possesses the all-too-rare ability of capturing the atmosphere of places she visits. Reading this is like taking a vacation; it's travel writing at its best and essential for armchair travelers or potential visitors.--Jo-Anne Mary Benson, Osgoode, Ontario