Essential London | The top sights in London and beyond
The best cultural and historical sights in London and beyond.
In 2019, Scotland welcomed almost 3.5 million inbound visitors who spent approximately £2.5 billion in the country. This has resulted in the UK Government earmarking £19 million to promote destinations across Scotland. The influx of visitors has helped secure the UK’s position in the top five countries globally when it comes to inbound visitor spending.Thanks to this [...]
Here are a few pictures taken during a summer trip to Rome. The stand out visit was to the recently reopened Domus Aurea, Emperor Nero’s Golden House - aided by VR headsets showing it’s past magnificence! Photos (c) Essential London Here is the official website for booking tickets to the Roman Forum and Domus Aurea. [...]
Pushing the boundaries of ‘beyond London’ here, but wanted to share some pictures taken of Ostia, the ancient port city of Rome. Brought to our attention by Mary Beard and her excellent TV show ‘Meet the Romans’. Ostia kept Rome’s population fed with imported grain from Africa - freely dispensed to citizens to keep them [...]
Before the lockdown, my brother and I took a trip to Normandy (ahead of the 75th anniversary commerations of VE day on 8th May 2020). We visited the D-day landing beaches, museums and memorials. We also visited the Bayeux Tapestry (depicting the Norman invasion of England in 1066) and the burial tomb of King William [...]
Recently returned from a summer-break in France, during which a highlight was the annual medieval fete in Vouvant, Pays de la Loire - the only fortified village of Vendee. Between 1150 and 1216, all of western France was ruled by the English kings; Henry II and Richard I - before being lost during the reign [...]
After years of thinking about it, we arranged a weekend trip to Pompeii in autumn this year. Flights to Naples are frequent, accommodation is plentiful and the crowds are fewer. Trains depart Naples (on the Circumvesuviana line) to Pompeii (alight at Pompeii Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station) and three stops after Pompeii you alight for [...]
Among the most popular of European city breaks is Barcelona. Its mild climate, vibrant culture and quick (and inexpensive) flights make it a perfect weekend trip from London. Many visitors are familiar with the popular areas of La Rambla, Place de Catalunya, Park Guell and Diagonal. But visitors shouldn’t miss the historic area around the [...]
Girona is an historic city in Catalonia in north eastern Spain, close to the Costa Brava and Barcelona. It has a warm climate, a fascinating history and fine restaurants. And the city is served by an international airport with frequent, quick and inexpensive flights from London. All these factors make it ideal for a short [...]
Earlier this year, we set off to 'The Athens of the North' to visit some of my old haunts, see the key sights once again - and watch a rather important rugby match. In the early 1800's Edinburgh re-branded itself 'The Athens of the North' to reflect its growing importance. It has been the capital [...]
The 105th Tour de France starts on Saturday 7 July in the Vendee. Some 3500 km later, the 22 teams and 176 riders will aim to complete the 21 stages in Paris, on Sunday 29 July. To see the final stage in Paris, book an early departure (c.7am) on Eurostar (St Pancras to Gare de [...]