London’s top attractions- Museum of London:

A great museum to spend time in is the Museum of London.
With a history of a quarter of a million years there is so much to explore and to learn about this wonderful city, even Londoners will find it exciting.
The museum is located at the London Wall and can be reached easily by tube.
Travel back in time to AD 50, when London was a Roman camp called Londinium and see a whole reconstructed dining room from AD 250.
The exhibition moves further through Saxon London, Medieval London, and Tudor London with Henry VII, Henry VIII or Elisabeth I. At that time London became the centre for overseas exploration, literature, trade and arts.
Very interesting is the bit about the Great Fire of London in 1666, with a fascinating voice presentation and a screen where visitors can watch the fire spread.
The exhibition travels through Stuart London, the 18th century London and ends in the 20th century.
It definitely makes history come alive.
I went there a view times as the entry is for free and the museum is open daily, it is a perfect solution for a rainy day.
The museum is very friendly to children and gives them enough space to explore.

At the moment not every part of the exhibition is accessible due to reconstruction works until 2010, but the museum still covers so many topics that it is not disruptive.

The museum is open daily from 10:00 – 18:00

London’s top attractions- Madame Tussauds:

Where else can you stand face to face with the Queen or chill out with the Beatles…how about travelling back in time to meet Henry VIII?
At Madam Tussauds, the famous wax-figure cabinet this and many more is possible.
Since more than 200 years visitors went to see the famous historical and celebrity figures.
It all started in France, when Madame Tussaud learned how to make models out of wax.
Since 1777 she started to model figures of famous people at that time like Voltaire, Jean- Jacque Rousseau or Benjamin Franklin.
During the French Revolution she was making death masks of the executed aristocrats.
When she came to Britain in the early 19th century, there was a huge public interest in her wax figures and it has been ever since.
The exhibition is constantly growing and visitors now have the chance to ride in a time- travelling taxi, which takes them 400 years back in time through the history of London.
For those who are not afraid, the chamber of horrors shows cruel mass murders, criminals and the victims of the French Revolution.

Although with around 22 £ the tickets are not cheap, it is definitely worth to experience the exhibition.

Madame Tussauds
Marylebone Road, London
open daily from 9:30 – 17:30

London’s top attractions- The National Gallery:

The National Gallery has a great collection of European paintings.
It is located in the heart of London at Trafalgar Square.
The museum displays paintings from 1250 to 1900, which includes work by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Cezanne and Van Gogh.
I like in particular the museum’s “Line of Vision” workshops, which give children the opportunity to get to know and engage in the Gallery.
The learning gallery, which was launched in 2004, invites young people to discuss specific paintings and work with contemporary artists in a studio with materials to produce their own piece of art in response to the viewed paintings.
What a wonderful way to encourage and bond following generations!

Current exhibitions are:

PICASSO: Challenging the Past
- June 7th
PICASSO’S PRINTS: Challenging the Past
- June 7th (Admission charge)
LINE OF VISION 2009
- May 24th

Following exhibitions :

COROT TO MONET: A fresh look at landscape from the collection
July 8th – September 20th
Admission free

THE SACRED MADE REAL: Spanish Painting and Sculpture 1600 – 1700
October 21st – January 24th
(Admission charge)

The museum is open daily from 10:00 – 18:00
and Fridays from 10:00 – 21:00

London’s top attractions- Tate Modern:

The Tate, which is located at the South Bank, is Britain’s national museum of modern art and of international modern and contemporary art.
It displays artists such as Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso, Rothko, Dalí, or Warhol.
The Tate reports that an aim is to increase the public knowledge and understanding of British art from the sixteenth century to the present day.

Current exhibitions are:

Restaurant Comission: James Aldridge Cold Mouth Prayer
- Aug 18th
Rodchenko and Popova: Defining Constructivism
-May 17th
Roni Horn aka Roni Horn
-May 25th

Future exhibitions are:

Level 2 Gallery: Stutter
From April 24rd – Aug 16th
Futurism
From June 12th – Sept 20th
Per Kirkeby
From June17th – Sept 6th

London’s top attractions- The British Museum:

The British Museum, a museum of history and culture, exhibits works from prehistoric to modern times and has a collection of 7 million objects, which represent the variety of human cultures.
It was founded more than 250 years ago. It has a huge ancient Egypt and Sudan department which holds the famous Rosetta stone, the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Department of the Middle East, Department of Prints and Drawings, Department of Asia, Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas and others.

There is a newly- refurbished medieval Europe Gallery.

The British Museum is for free- except for special exhibitions.

The Museum is open daily from 10:00- 17:00
Until the 14th of June the exhibition Shah Abbas: The Remaking of Iran is on.
Admissions: £ 12, Members are free
From May 28th till August 23rd a new exhibition- Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur opens. Admissions: £ 8, Members are free

Austrian delicatessen

I am very passionate about food. As I am Austrian I missed the food I grew up with.

One day I found out that there is an Austrian delicatessen called “Kipferl” not far from my university.
As they have a very nice homepage I could get a lot of information of what kind of food they offer.
Soon I made my first visit there to buy some Austrian bread, which I miss most here in London.

The shop is small but cosy and the employee was very friendly.
There are some tables, so visitors can have coffee or soups such as Hungarian goulash soup, Russian borscht, fritatten or liver dumpling soup.
I was happy to see that the shop was full and a lot of English people enjoyed their food.
Most popular are the sausages such as kaesekrainer (filled with cheese), wiener or debreziner.
The shop also offers homemade cakes which are very nice.

I was especially very happy about the shelf with products from Austria such as Almdudler lemonade, Manner Schnitten (nice biscuits) and my favourite jam from Staud’s.
I highly recommend “Kipferl” to everyone.

Try the Austrian cuisine, you won’t regret it.
It is situated on 70long lane, EC1A 9EJ
Tel.: 020 7796 2229

London Aquarium and London Eye

Citymagazin reports that the London Aquarium is to be relaunched as Sea Life Aquarium on 31 March.

This week is closed for the finishing touch of a £5m refurbishment.
When it opens again I would like to visit it and see the new glass “ocean Walk” tunnel.

There will be plenty of new displays including sharks and stingrays.
The London Aquarium is the first attraction of its kind in London, and is one of Europe’s largest exhibitions of global aquatic life, displayed in over 2 million litres of water.

There is also a possibility of buying a combined ticket with The London Eye.
As the Aquarium is situated on the South bank next to the London Eye it would be a good opportunity to try out both.

When I went on the London Eye last time I was not sure if I really wanted to go up there, as ticket prizes are quite high.
I most say honestly that it was worth it as I had the most magnificent view.

I could see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, St. Pauls’s cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and all the houses and streets.
As it was evening I was able to see an amazing sunset who covered the whole city with a golden and purple light.

Street Markets

I love street markets. Last time I went to Camden Market in Camden Town.
Although I live in London, I have never been to Camden Market before.

I liked the crowded atmosphere with a mixture of shops and street restaurants.
There are a lot of Asian street restaurants at one corner and there was a wonderful smell of mixed spices in the air.
The restaurants have a huge buffet towards the street and busy employees try to sell you all kinds of food. I got offered a piece of crispy chicken and although I am not a chicken lover, I got addicted in the second the food touched my tongue.
I still have this strong feeling of going back there to buy some more.

I also liked the Stables Market, which is the largest section of the Camden Market.
The Market is build in the former Midland Railway stables and horse hospital and inside are lots of different shops.
I liked especially a really nice antique shop which was crammed with a lot of interesting things.
There was also a shop which sold all different kinds of mirrors. Some where huge and golden and had a baroque touch.
It was just wonderful to stroll around and look at all sorts of fancy things.

Portobello Market is another really nice market.
It is situated on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.
There are some wonderful antique shops around but my favourite shop only sells door knobs but of such variety and beauty that I am sure my apartment will only have door knobs.

Italian Restaurant

A view days ago I went with my friend to his favourite Italian Restaurant “Pulcinella”, located in Soho, which is a part of the West End of London.

We went to sit upstairs next to the window, which I like more because it is very cosy.
The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere and can be quite crowded, so it is best to reserve a table.

There is a firewood oven downstairs and Pizzas are made freshly in front of customers.
I am not a big Pizza eater, as my heart goes for Pasta, but the Pizzas in Pulcinella are really good with fresh ingredients and very filling.

I also like the Pasta and the Risotto but I always have Bruschetta with Tomatoes as a starter
They are even better, when you ask for some chilli oil.

I think they also have a nice vegetarian choice.
The last time I went there, I had a mushroom Pizza with garlic.

I can’t tell any exact prices but last time me and my friend had Bruschetta as a starter, two Pizzas and 4 non alcoholic drinks and I paid around 28 Pound.

Pulcinella is located in 37 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 5JX

It is not far away from Leicester Square underground station.

Opening hours are Mon-Wed 12:00-00:00
Thu-Sat 12:00-01:00
Sun 12:00-00:00

Hampton Court Palace

Today I read an article from Reuters that the Major of London, Boris Johnson, is attempting to tell London’s story and celebrate its past, present and future.

There is a series of events planned in June called “The Story of London.”

Boris Johnson said: “London. Londinium amo. A little place by the river that is home to millions and is a colossus on the world stage. There are so many stories to tell, in so many different ways, and the Story of London will be a kaleidoscopic exposition of the city’s past, present and future. It will bring together some superb attractions for visitors and Londoners, who will also be able to ‘revisit’ their city with fresh eyes.”

This year there is also another event coming to London.
I don’t know yet if it will be part of “The Story of London” but it sounds very interesting to me.

The year 2009 marks the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne.

There will be a three day academic conference to honour the occasion along with Kingston University London, Hampton Court Palace and others.

As the homepage of Hampton Court Palace describes, the conference will be drawing on history, literature, music, art, textiles, architecture and theology.
It will also focus on the fashioning of Henry VIII’s court.

Actually I went to Hampton Court Palace last week.
I did not have enough time to go inside, but I went strolling around the gardens, which are set along the River Thames.

Although spring has not come yet, I had the most magnificent view.
The trees were shaped like giant mushrooms and there were sparkling fountains as well as beautiful layed out gardens.

I was also able to see the Great Vine, which was planted in 1768 and still produces lots of grapes.
I could not believe how huge it was.

There is so much more to explore and I definitely will go back to see the inside of the castle.