London

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1. The London Eye (also known as the Millennium Wheel), at a height of 135 meters is the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom. It was formally opened by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on 31 December 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. Since its opening, the Eye has become a major landmark and tourist attraction. The tower of London is a historic monument in central London, on the north bank of the River Thames. The Tower of London is often identified with the White Tower, the original square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078. However, the tower as a whole is a complex of several buildings. The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners). This last use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower" (meaning "imprisoned"). It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. Completed in 1894, Tower Bridge was instantly considered a London icon and one of the great engineering marvels of its age. The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square was founded in 1824 and it houses a rich collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is a non-departmental public body; its collection belongs to the public of the United Kingdom and entry to the main collection is free of charge. Trafalgar Square is a square in central London. With its position in the heart of London, it is a tourist attraction; at its centre is Nelson's Column which stands guarded by four lion statues at its base. The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars.
2. The Science Museum was founded in 1857 with objects shown at the Great Exhibition held in the Crystal Palace. Today the Museum is world renowned for its historic collections, awe-inspiring galleries and inspirational exhibitions. Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. The nickname is often also used to refer to the clock and the clock tower. It celebrates its 150th birthday in 2009. Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for British monarchs. The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) meet. The palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. Covent Garden is a district in London, located in the eastern parts of the City of Westminster and the southwestern corner of the London Borough of Camden. The area is dominated by shopping, street performers, and entertainment facilities, and it contains an entrance to the Royal Opera House, which is also widely-known simply as "Covent Garden”. Covent Garden Piazza is located in the geographical centre of the area and was the site of a flower, fruit and vegetable market from the 1500s until 1974, when the wholesale market
3. relocated to New Covent Garden Market in Nine Elms. Nearby areas include Soho, St James's, Bloomsbury, and Holborn The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, it was founded in 1852. Its collection spans 5000 years of art, from ancient times to the present day, from the cultures of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Madame Tussaud’s is a famous wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in 1835. (photo taken from www.madametussauds.com/London) The most famous address in Downing Street is 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury—and thus, in modern times, the residence of the Prime Minister. (photo take from www.adnkronos.com) Hamleys is one of the world's largest toy shops and it is located in Regent Street, It is named after William Hamley, who founded a toy shop called "Noah's Ark" in 1760. Harrods is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge. Harrods is one of the largest department stores in the world together with Macy's New York The Harrods motto is Omnia Omnibus Ubique — All Things for All People, Everywhere. Several of its departments, including the seasonal Christmas department and the Food Hall are world famous. Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, and it is famous for its Speakers' Corner. The park is divided in two by the Serpentine and it is contiguous with Kensington Gardens. Hyde Park remains open throughout the year from 5 am until midnight.
4. The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture situated in London. Its collections, which number more than 7 million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present Among these objects we can find the Rosetta stone (key to the deciphering of hieroglyphs) and the Elgin marbles (marble sculptures from the Parthenon, on the Acropolis in Athens). The British Museum was established in 1700, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. The museum is a non- departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. As all other national museums and art galleries in Britain, the Museum is free of charge. Rosetta Stone St Paul's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, and the seat of the Bishop of London. The present building dates from the 17th century and Sir Christopher Wren was officially assigned the task of designing a replacement structure in 1668. Piccadilly Circus is a famous road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly. In this context a circus, from the Latin word meaning a circle, is a circular open space at a street junction. The Circus is particularly known for its video display and neon signs mounted on the corner building on the northern side, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of an archer popularly known as Eros.
5. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located in Holloway in the London Borough of Islington, and has served as the home of Arsenal Football Club since it opened in July 2006. (www.popartuk.com/sport/arsenal/the-emirates-stadium) Stamford Bridge is a football stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that is home to Chelsea Football Club. (it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Bridge) Carnaby Street is a pedestrianized shopping street in London, located in the 'Carnaby' area within the Soho district, near Oxford Street, just to the east of Regent Street. It consists of twelve pedestrianized streets with 168 fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques. Portobello road is a street in theNotting Hill district It runs almost the length of Notting Hill from south to north. On Saturdays it is home to Portobello Road Market, a veru famous street markets, known for its second-hand clothes and antiques. If not stated otherwise, the photos were taken by Chiara Sabatini in July 2010.