London Vacation

London glances over its shoulder at two thousand years of history, then turns to the future. The former power station, Tate Modern is London's cavernous temple to the new, the latest music pours out of Victorian pubs and celebrity chefs are reinventing the dishes British mums have made for generations. But don't panic -- the bowler hat may be long gone but under its hip veneer, traditional London still exists, from high tea at the Ritz to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Things to Do

Take a ride on the London Eye observation wheel to get to grips with the mammoth metropolis' eclectic patchwork of villages. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament bristle across the Thames below. Back on the ground, London relaxes in its parks and gardens. Fringed with grand Regency terraces, Regent's Park is the place to head for rowing and roses. At Hyde Park's Speakers' Corner you'll hear heartfelt political missives alongside oddball rants as roller skaters flash past.