London
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There are other popular attractions in London.
Madame Tussaud's
Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum is one of the very few attractions in London that is both centuries old and completely modern.
Madame Tussaud learned her unusual craft of modeling figures in wax by creating death masks of those executed by guillotine in 18th and 19th century France. Among her 'clients' were Louis XVI and Marie Antionette. That mixture of precise art and macabre display is reflected in the modern museum - but with a much greater sense of fun!
The museum displays a large collection of famous figures from world history along with the latest Hollywood celebrities. The collection traces its origins to Madame Tussaud's inheritance of her tutor Dr. Curtius' collection. In 1802, she moved from Paris to London and the museum began in 1835.
But far from being an historical relic, the collection has been continually updated and there are several very different subsets for tourists of all interests.
The Chamber of Horrors continues the grisly tradition of displaying murders, bloody warlords and others - but, though realistic enough to scare sensitive children, the emphasis is on amusing visitors.
The Garden Party features politicians both old and modern, movie celebrities, sports stars and others.
The Spirit of London is a taxi-ride ala Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, but here it's through 400 years of English history. One highlight of the ride is a portion showing the sights and sounds of London at the time and place of Jack the Ripper, including the old carver himself.
The Grand Hall also has figures from British history, with a variety of famous -and not so famous- examples of Royalty and Head of State.
One of the most popular tourist attractions, the museum is typically crowded with visitors. Over two million visits annually. Everyone wants to take a photograph with anyone from The Hulk to Brad Pitt, from Jack the Ripper to Princess Diana or Winston Churchill.
The figures are almost all done with extraordinary fidelity. The lifelike figures are one of the reasons for the frightening effect in the Chamber of Horrors, which also shows a variety of modes of torture and execution. No expense has been spared to hire the finest modeling craftsmen to bring the figures to life.
London Planetarium
Housed in the same building, and admitted on the same ticket, is the London Planetarium, recently renamed The Auditorium. Though shows have been reduced in number and length, visitors can still get an impressive view of the sky as seen from London's latitude and longitude. The current show lasts only ten minutes and with the renaming it's uncertain how long the owners - who also own Madame Tussaud's - will continue it. So, catch it while you can.
The attractions are easily accessible via the tube. Exit at the Baker Street tube stop, near Regent's Park. Expect to wait in line outside and dodge elbows inside, where there is still often a wait of 20 minutes or more. It tends to be a little less crowded in the very early or late hours.
The London Eye
One of the best ways to see London is from the air. Unfortunately, that was fairly difficult until recently. Now it's as easy as stepping onto a platform that moves slower than the average escalator into the London Eye pod.
The London Eye can only approximately be described as an enormous Ferris Wheel. The designers beginning with the originators Julia Barfield and David Marks have produced an engineering marvel. True enough it rotates in a circle through a vertical plane. But it never stops or starts apart from the occasional need to accommodate the elderly or handicapped.
Conceived as part of the British Millennium celebration, the wheel was eventually worked on by several architects under the sponsorship of British Airways. So large it had to be cast and constructed in sections, it took over a week to hoist into position.
Though not open to the public due to technical problems until March 2000, the wheel now provides rides to thousands of daily visitors. Even at the current somewhat high prices the cost of rent, construction and interest on loans keeps the operation from being in the black.
Given its status as a major tourist attraction, though, the British government has vowed to keep it in London and in operation for years to come. With 15,000 per day who come to 'take a flight' there's definitely the potential for a profitable operation.
The bicycle-hub-and-spoke design supports oval shaped pods that accommodate visitors in comfort and style.
The 443ft (135m) high wheel holds 32 of the glass pods, all with 360 degree views of London. The pods, which hold 20, are air conditioned and the wheel provides a smooth, nearly noiseless ride. The passengers may not, so choose your partners well.
Not only spectacular to look at it provides unobstructed views that, on a clear day, can extend all the way to Windsor Castle dozens of kilometers outside London.
The total trip is around 30 minutes and during that time riders can see Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) and the Thames as it meanders through the city.
During the continuous ride, you can take in the view of everything from the mundane Ministry of Defence building across the way to the Saatchi Gallery and the spectacular Millennium Dome. The latter, largely a failure as a turn of the Millennium tourist attraction, is finding new life as a sports arena and concert venue.
Open all day and year round, many visitors take the trip early in the day to get a clear view of daytime London. Another visit allows seeing the scenery at dusk when the setting sun makes the city glow.
The London Eye is located nearby the IMAX cinema and the London Aquarium, not to mention Big Ben and the Tower, so there are lots of attractions within a short walk. Getting there is easy, too, via the London Underground. Exit at Waterloo station.
To minimize the wait, get tickets online and collect them from the automated ticket machine inside the main hall. See the London Eye web site for additional info and prices.
Where to go from here? There are many options: Explore British food, get familiar with British pubs, travel to another city of the world, taste food in Europe, discover wine in Europe, or return to World Food and Wine home page and seek a new adventure.
