SUMMER IN THE CITY - LEGENDARY LONDON

Posted by Yuka as Hot Cities

SUMMERTIME MEANS HOT STREETS , MELTING ICE CREAM , PARKS FULL OF SUNBATHERS , AND CONCERTS UNDER THE STARS , IT’S A TIME OF YEAR WHEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN HAVING FUN, THAT’S WHY WE’VE CHOSEN TO TELL YOU ABOUT FOUR CITIES YOU CAN VISIT FOR LESS, SURE, TRAVELLING IN EUROPE IS EXPENSIVE, BUT OUR LONDON AND DUBLIN AUTHORS GIVE YOU TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE HARD -EARNED MONEY -EVEN WHEN YOU’VE GOT THE KIDS WITH YOU. THE EXCHANGE RATES MAKE TRAVELLING TO PLACES LIKE TORONTO AND WASHINGTON, DC, A SUPER DEAL , BOOK YOUR FLIGHT FOR A SUMMER BREAK THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK!

LEGENDARY LONDON
EVERY FAIRY TALE BEGINS THE SAME WAY;ONCE UPON A TIME , A BOY GREW UP IN LONDON, HAVING CONQUERED FARAWAY KINDOMS AND MARRIED A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS , HE DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO TAKE HIS SON ON A VISIT TO HIS HOMELAND, SINCE I AM PAUPER MORE THAN PRINCE , HOWEVER, THE IDEA IS TO SPREAD A LONG WEEKEND SEEING A VERY EXPENSIVE CITY FOR AS LITTLE MONEY AS POSSIBLE.
SO MANY ACTIVITIES IN LONDON COST NOTHING, SUCH AS VISITING THE SCIENCE AND NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS, THE FAMOUS BRITISH MUSEUM AND THE SPECTACULAR NEW TATE MODERN, THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE IS STILL FREE, AND CLOSE BY, YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK THROUGH THE IRON GATES INTO DOWNING STREET, WHERE THE PRIME MINISTER WORKS AND LIVES , AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE, YOU CAN FEED HUNGRY PIGEONS THE LEFTOVERS FROM YOUR LUNCH , SANDWICHES AND SUSHI ARE A CHEAP ALTERNATIVE TO RESTAURANTS.

GETTING AROUND ON TRANSPORT FOR LONDON IS EASY ENOUGH WITH AN OYSTER CARD FOR THE GROWN-UPS, READ THE RULE; IN MANY CASES , YOUNG CHILDREN CAN TRAVEL FREE OF CHARGE, SITTING ON THE TOP DECK OF A RED BUS AT THE FRONT IS ONE OF THE CITY’S GREAT EXPERIENCES;AND ON ROUTE 15 FROM TRAFALGAR SQUARE TO THE TOWER OF LONDON, YOU CAN STILL OFTEN USE THE OLD -FASHIONED “HOP-ON,HOP-OFF”BUSES.

SOONER OR LATER, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO START SPENDING MONEY. A FAMILY TICKET FOR THE TOWER OF LONDON? THAT WILL BE 46POUNDS, PLEASE. THE SAME FOR MADAME TUSSAUD’S? THAT’LL BE 74POUNDS TO SEE THE WAX FIGURES, MY SON, LEWIS, AND I TALKED ABOUT OUT PRIORITIES LONG BEFORE WE LEFT FOR LONDON. WE DECIDED THAT THE TOWER WAS A MUST. WE DECIDED TO CLIMB UP THE 530 STEPS TO THE TOP OF ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL FOR THE VIEW ACROSS LONDON. WE THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER VALUE THAN THE LONDON EYE, WHICH COSTS 15POUNDS FOR ADULTS AND 7.50POUNDS FOR KIDS.
FOR A QUICK AND ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION TO THE SIGHTS, WE RODE THE LONDON DUCK , THIS 75-MINUTE TOUR OF THE WEST END USES AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR . THE HIGHLIGHT IS WHEN THE DUCK DRIVES RIGHT INTO THE RIVER THAMES AND CRUISES UP TO THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

EVERY ENGLISHMAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE, SO WE TOOK A TRIP OUT TO THE SUBURBS TO SEE WHERE I GREW UP. DISAPPOINTINGLY , THE HOUSE WAS MUCH SMALLER THAN I REMENBERED IT , OR MAYBE I’VE GROWN UP. BUT FOR LEWIS, LONDON WAS AS MAGICAL AS A FAIRY TALE.

DYNAMIC DUBLIN
THE IRISH ARE AMONG THE FRIEDLIEST PEOPLE ON THE PLANET , IN DUBLIN, YOU’RE LIKELY TO SPEND TIME IN THE PUBS DRINKING AND CHATTING WITH NEW-FOUND FRIENDS;BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU’RE PAYING MORE THAN 4.50 EUROS FOR A PINT OF GUINNESS, YOU’RE IN RTOURIST COUNTRY,
HISTORIC DUBLIN IS BEST SEEN ON FOOT, MOST VISITORS PAY 8 EUROS TO SEE THE BOOK OF KELLS, THE FAMOUS 9TH-CENTURY MANUSCRIPT OF THE GOSPELS,IT’S IN TRINITY COLLEGE’S OLD LIBRARY , BUT WANDERING THE SCENIC COURTYARDS COSTSNOTHING , IDEAS FOR A RAINY DAY INCLUDE THE NATIONAL GALLERY , NATIONAL MUSEUM AND IRISH MUSEUM OF MODERN ART. IF YOU HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CARD , BRING IT ALONG TO GET DISCOUNTS.

DUBLINERS MAKE THE MOST OF ANY SUNSHINE, SO AT MIDDAY, OUTDOOR SEATS AT CAFES AND BARS FILL FAST, TO ESCAPE THE CROWDS, PICNIC IN PHOENIX PARK , ITS 700HECTARES INCLUDE A ZOO AND THE PRESIDENT’S RESIDENCE. THE BANKS OF THE GRAND CANAL AND THE NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS ARE OTHER GREAT PICNIC SPOTS. ON SATURDAY NIGHTS IN JULY AND AUGUST, GO TO THE TEMPLE BAR QUARTER, TICKETS FOR MOVIES UNDER THE STARS IN MEETING HOUSE SQUARE COST NOTHING . FROM JULY 13 TO 20 ,TEMPLE BAR’S PUBLIC SPACES ALSO BECOME AN ARENA FOR ACROBATS AND MAGICIANS , GREATER DUBLIN’S SEASIDE VILLAGES ARE ANOTHER SUMMER-TIME TREAT. FOR DREAMY VIEWS OF DUBLIN BAY