Travel to Europe

Tower of London

The Tower of London is mainly seen as a medieval place of imprisonment and execution. Nine hundred years of history are embraced within the thick, turreted walls. Even though the Tower's black and red  (death and blood) years are long gone, an aura of  medieval torture remains. These days, guided tours are available. The main attraction for most visitors are the impressively gorgeous Crown Jewels. It is also a chance to see the legendary ravens who live within the walls.

Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

An real paradise in central London, Hyde Park, together with Kensington Gardens to the west, is the largest of the three royal parks. On the north-east side is Speaker's Corner, a traditional haven of free speech. It is also well known for the Serpentine boating lake, complete with a designated swimming area, and the Serpentine Gallery. Lesser known is the Dogs' Cemetery at the northern end of the park.

Tower Bridge

This bridge is famous over the world, and also one of the most visited bridges in world history. Designed by Sir Horace Jones, and opened in 1894. Due to the volume of river traffic at the time, Tower Bridge was designed to have twin bascules that could be raised. The idea was that if a ship too tall to pass under the bridge came by, the bascules could be raised and the bridge would, effectively, disappear. This still takes place several times a week .

Canterbury

Canterbury is a cathedral city in Kent, the most south eastern county known as the "Garden of England". Canterbury is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the chief bishop of the Church of England and home of the Canterbury Cathedral. This city was bombed pretty badly during the WWII, but still has a lot of ancient buildings and its medieval town center. The Canterbury Cathedral is the burial place of King Henry IV and Edward the Black Prince, definitely a must visit! You can also visit St Martin's Church, which is the oldest church in England still in use, and the Canterbury Castle, spectacular ruins of a Norman castle built in the 11th century.

England

England is one of the four nations that compose the United Kingdom, and is also the largest of them, in surface area and population.
England is divided into three main regions, with distinctive linguistic and historical roots, and each one of these regions, can be divided as well into counties. The main regions are South, Midlands and North, and are divided like this:
South - London, South East and the West Country.
Midlands - East Anglia, East Midlands and West Midlands.
North - Yorkshire, North West and North East.
A very relevant point, is not to confuse England with the larger Britain or with United Kingdom, England is part of the United

Kingdom.

South Oxford

Grandpont
Continuing on down St Aldates and over the river at Folly Bridge leads to the Abingdon Road. Off to the right is Grandpont,  narrow streets of terraced turn-of-the-century houses running parallel to the main road. Everywhere is either within walking distance or a short bus ride of the centre, so this is a popular area for budget conscious students as well as visitors.
Hinksey
The city's outdoor swimming pool is just off the Abingdon Road in Hinksey and there are walks across the railway track through fields to South Hinksey.
Iffley
A 5 minute bus ride from The High, Iffley is a village within the city with several shops, a hotel and a no-through road which ends at Iffley Lock on the river, from where there are some attractive walks. Also situated here is the beautiful twelfth century church of St Mary with signs of the Zodiac reliefs over the west doorway. It is one of the best preserved twelfth century village churches in the country.
Rose Hill
A further 5 minutes walk from Iffley, a 1930s area with some useful shops.

Grandpont

Grandpont is located continuing on down St Aldates and over the river at Folly Bridge leads to the Abingdon Road. Off to the right is Grandpont, characterised by narrow streets of terraced turn-of-the-century houses running parallel to the main road. Everywhere is either within walking distance or a short bus ride of the centre, so this is a popular area for budget conscious students as well as visitors.

North Oxford

In the centre An area with wide tree lined roads and large individual period houses built in the nineteenth century to house college dons and wealthy tradesmen in the Gothic style. It is within energetic walking distance (10-20 minutes) or a short bus ride of the University.

Summertown
Further north is an alternative shopping area with plentiful parking. Roads become narrower but the houses have charm - many are Victorian and Edwardian.

Jericho
Oxford University Press has its home here, the biggest employer in Oxford in the nineteenth century, encouraging the building of the terraced town cottages to house local workers. Many are well modernised and some are ingeniously enlarged with basement and roof conversions. There are some late night specialist food shops, interesting pubs and a good cinema on Walton Street. Walton Manor Close by is Port Meadow, 350 acres of grassland bordering the Thames and the Oxford Canal. It still provides grazing for freemen's horses and cattle according to ancient tradition. A major new housing development, Oxford Waterside, is currently under construction beside the canal. Wolvercote Close to North Oxford with a rural ambience because it overlooks Port Meadow, the common land meadows, and the River Thames.
At the top of Port Meadow lie the ruins of the twelfth century Benedictine Godstow Abbey. There are good walks to be had and several famous pubs in Wolvercote.

Center of Oxford

The centre of Oxford is dominated by the University colleges, the most famous being Christ Church, Trinity, and Balliol (from a total of thirty six). Most visitors orient themselves around Carfax, a crossroads in the very centre of the town. From here stretches The High to the east - "One of the world's great streets" (Nikolaus Pevsner), St Aldates to the south leading down to the river, Cornmarket to the north and Queen Street to the west - the latter two being the main shopping streets of Oxford.

St Giles'

Close to the Playhouse Theatre, the Randolph Hotel, and Oxford's principle (and world famous) museum - the Ashmolean, St Giles'    is well-known for many things.

At the south end lies the recently restored Martyrs'  Memorial which commemorates Archbishop Cranmer  and Protestant Bishops Latimer and Ridley who were burnt  at the stake in Tudor times by the  Roman Catholic Queen Mary. A cross in the road outside  Balliol college marks the actual spot of the execution.

Shopping

Oxford offers an extensive range of shops and restaurants.  At the end of Queen Street lies The Westgate, a modern shopping  complex. Further shopping centres are found at the Clarendon Centre (between Queen Street and  Cornmarket),and the Golden Cross arcade next to the fanous Covered  Market.                

Not far away lies the recently redeveloped Gloucester Green, next  to the bus station, where a weekly fresh produce market is held.

 

London

London is that place where the time seems to be stopped, where the historic past and the vibrant present come     alive as one. A blend of history, ground-breaking architecture and culture has     created an amazing and constantly evolving city.

 

Not surprisingly the capital has become a mecca for visitors and an excellent     place to live.

There is something to appeal all and whatever     your interests may be, the city has it covered.

     

With countless and don't forget prestigious museums, galleries and entertainment options     throughout the city there has never been a better time to travel and find     out just how much it has to offer.