Simply Abu Dhabi III

A&J pack their bags and venture down to London town. A city that seems to be bullet proof to the recession and where every day, feels like a holiday. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium. London’s ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile medieval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly. London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world’s largest financial centre alongside New York and Tokyo, has the largest city GDP in Europe and is home to the headquarters of more than 100 of Europe’s 500 largest companies. It has the most international visitors of any city in the world and LondonHeathrow is the world’s busiest airport by number of international passengers. London’s 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutions in Europe. In 2012 London will become the first city to host the Modern Summer Olympic Games three times. London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions, andmore than 300 languages are spokenwithin its boundaries. In July 2010Greater London had an official population of 7,825,200, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union. The Greater London Urban Area is the second largest in the EU with a population of 8,278,251, while London’s metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million. London had the largest population of any city in the world from around 1831 to 1925. London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory marks the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) andGMT). Other famous landmarks include BuckinghamPalace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, 30 St Mary Axe (“The Gherkin”), St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and Wembley Stadium. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions including the British Museum, National Gallery, British Library, Wimbledon and 40 theatres. London’s Chinatown is the largest in Europe. The London Underground network is the oldest underground railway network in the world and the most extensive after the Shanghai Metro. Whether you are having high tea at Harrods, relaxing at the Spa in the Mandarin Oriental, indulging in some retail therapy at Harvey Nichols, or rubbing shoulders with Beyonce and David Beckham at Madame Tussauds, London quite simply Rocks! 179 SIMPLY ABU DHABI SIMPLY TRAVEL MANDARIN ORIENTAL MADAME TUSSAUDS HARVEY NICHOLS HARRODS HARRODS BANK