A daytrip in Wales

Portmeirion Village, WALES

Just three miles south of Porthmadog is the spectacular Italianate village of Portmeirion, created by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis between the years 1926 and 1976. He had one purpose in mind, and that was to show how a naturally beautiful location could be developed without spoiling it. Clough died on April 8, 1978.

Today, Portmeirion is owned by a registered charity, the Second Portmeirion Foundation. The grounds are designated as a Conservation Area and most buildings are listed Grade II. The village attracts over 240,000 visitors a year from all over the world; the admission charge levied at the tollgate contributes directly to the maintenance of the grounds and buildings.

Within the village itself are many wonderful restaurants and shops to mooch around in. With Portmeirion being only two hours from either Shrewsbury or Aberystwyth, you can easily make a full day of it — but don't forget your camera — this daytrip is a memorable one.

Castell Deudraeth Bar & Grill (Portmeirion) Brasserie style menus based on fresh local produce including lobster, crab, and scallops from the Lyn Peninsula, rock oysters brought in daily from the shores of Anglesey, Welsh beef and lamb hill-farmed from the farms around Bala.

Cadwaladers Ice Cream Parlour (Portmeirion) Uses fresh local dairy produce to create its traditional ice creams. Tea and coffee also served.

The Town Hall Restaurant. Also known as Hercules Hall, it was designed to house a Jacobean ceiling, panelling, and mullioned windows salvaged from Emral in Flintshire. Self-service restaurant with seating both inside and outdoors. Offers a choice of hot and cold meals as well as snacks.

Portmeirion is a beautiful and unique attraction, one that should not be rushed. Be sure to visit every magnificent piece of architecture within the village.

Leave the car park to the Tollgate, where you will pay your admission charge. Then proceed to the Battery Square. The surface is delightfully cobbled and surrounded by a pair of archway-linked buildings — The Round House and Lady Lodge. The Round House is one of a pair of Baroque shops linked by an overhead walkway. The building now the Prisoner Shop. The other Baroque shop — Lady Lodge, has a beautiful semi-circular mural above the bay window by Hans Feibush. Originally Lady Lodge was built as a lock-up garage, but was converted in the early 1960s into the Battery Stores and then The Peacock. The shop is now called Siop Bach (little shop) and above it is the Lady Lodge Beauty Parlour.

Castles in England

The England castles features are some of the most famous in world as well as a major tourist attraction. Castles have been an important part of life in England since the early days of the Norman conquerors, and have served as defensive strongholds, homes, and historic sites throughout the years. While some tourists come to see the castles England features as the primary focus of their Europe vacation, other travelers hope to visit the castles England has as part of a larger trip. No matter what your particular focus, castles in England are one of the most impressive attractions in England.

Details about some of the most notable castles in England:

Windsor Castle

Winsor Castle is the largest inhabited stronghold in the world as well as the largest castle to be found in England. Windsor castle is a favorite residence of the current royal family, and has served the purposes of the monarchy since the days of William the Conqueror. Tours of the castle are available daily.

A visit to Windsor Castle makes a great day-trip from London and a good break from the capital city’s urban attractions. The grandest of all castles in England is also situated just two miles from Legoland, a good place to take the kids after trekking them around this historic fortress.

Knole

Knole is a stately home situated close to Sevenoaks in north-west Kent, surrounded by a 1000 acre deer park. It is remarkable in England for the degree to which the early 17th-century appearance of its state rooms is preserved: the interiors of many houses of this period were altered later on. The surrounding deer park is also a remarkable survivor, having changed little over the past 400 years except for the loss of many trees in the Great Storm of 1987.

It is one of the most unique castles in England. Knole features 365 rooms (one for each day of the year), 52 staircases (weeks in the year), and 7 courts (days of the week). Of England castles with a Tudor theme, Knole is one of the best examples. Tours are available daily.

Hatfield House

England castles all come with fascinating stories, and Hatfield is no different. It was here that Elizabeth I first learned, while playing under a tree, that she had become Queen of England. This is one of the most beautiful resident castles in England, with lovely maintained grounds and exquisite artwork featured inside the castle, where tours are available.

Hever Castle and Gardens

This is one of the England castles that remains a favorite among history lovers. The former home of the famous Anne Boleyn, this castle has since been purchased and restored.

Woburn Abbey

This castle has a Wild Animal Kingdom with one of the most extensive collections of animals in all of England. Woburn Abbey was also one of the castles of England loved by Queen Victoria, and tours of the castle will include a view of her former bedroom.

Thornbury Castle

Thornbury is one of the delightful castle hotels England features. Castle hotels England has to offer generally combine history with modern luxury. The Thornbury Castle is 500 years old, and guests will experience the thrill of walking the same halls as Henry VIII, as well as many other historical kings and queens. Of the castle hotels England offers, Thornbury Castle is one of the oldest, and the only Tudor castle to be opened as a hotel.

Whether you plan to spend the night in an English castle, or simply hope to make a tour of some of the more prominent castles in the country, the castles of England are one of the most fascinating sites in Europe. Tours of the castles of England can be arranged through travel companies, many which combine sightseeing with accommodation and other activities.

LONDON - UNITED KINGDON

London - United Kingdom

London is the capital and largest city of United Kingdom, and the largest city in western Europe. Situated on the River Thames in South-East England, Greater London has an official population of roughly 7.5 million people (07) —although the figure of over 14 million for the city's total metropolitan area more accurately reflects London's size and importance. London is historically one of the great "world cities" and remains a global capital of politics, culture, fashion, trade and finance.

London is a major tourist destination, with four world heritage sites and numerous iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye among its many attractions, along with famous institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery. Its main geographical feature is the River Thames which runs through the city from the southwest to the east.

HYDE PARK

The park is in the borough of Westminster, London. It covers more than 340 acres (138 hectares) and is bordered on the east by Mayfair and on the west by Kensington Gardens.

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner. Hyde Park is 1.4 km². The park has become a traditional location for mass demonstrations.

Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace was built in the days when Kensington was just a small village. Today, it is still home to the Royal Family.

Kensington Palace is located at the western end of Kensington Gardens. The palace was originally called Nottingham House. It became a royal property in 1689 when it was acquired by William and Mary.

Queen Victoria spent her childhood at Kensington Palace and it was in Kensington Palace in June 1837, that she first learned of her accession to the throne.
The palace was also the London home of Diana, Princess of Wales and is still home to several other members of the Royal Family.
The State Apartments and the Court Dress Collection are open to the public and highlights of a visit include the recently restored Kings Apartments and a timeless collection of paintings. The Court Dress Collection includes a fabulous and rare court mantua made sometime between 1750-53 and the 'exploded' gentleman's outfit - everything from underclothes to fine lace cuffs and all part of the elaborate costume worn to Court by an 18th century gentleman.

The ground floor is given over to the dazzling Court Dress collection, an array of dresses and gowns, spanning the reign of 12 (twelve) monarchs, including dresses designed for Diana, Princess of Wales. Outside the Sunken Gardens and Orangery Gardens, complete with Queen Anne's "Summer Supper House", The Orangery.





Buckingham Palace is the weekday home to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and their 450 or so staff. It is one of the Queen's six homes

The balcony where the Royal family gathers to wave to the crowds on big occasions, was added in 1913 when this side of the building was redesigned and clad in the grey Portland stone.

Regent's Park

Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. The 2.0 km² park is mainly open parkland which supports a wide range of facilities and amenities including gardens, a lake with a heronry, waterfowl and a boating area, sports pitches, and children's playgrounds. The north-east end of the park contains London Zoo. There are several public gardens with flowers and specimen plants, including Queen Mary's Gardens.

Built between 1675 and 1710, St Paul’s Cathedral is widely considered to be crowning achievement of the glittering career of Sir Christopher Wren.

Its iconic dome dominates the London skyline and visitors with a head for heights can climb the 530 steps (85 metres) from the Cathedral floor to the Golden Gallery for breathtaking, panoramic views of the capital. St Paul's Cathedral's is probably the most magnificent of all London church tours.

The Whispering Gallery at this London cathedral is famous for its acoustics and is 30 metres above the cathedral floor, while below, in the elegant and spacious crypt, are the tombs and memorials of such historical luminaries as Admiral Lord Nelson and the Duke Of Wellington.

A £40 million programme of cleaning and repair work to coincide with the 300th anniversary of St Paul’s Cathedral has transformed the interior of the building. London visitors to the cathedral can see the difference created, with the creamy Portland stone, dazzling Byzantine-style mosaics and highly intricate carving that the cleaning has revealed.




The London Bus is one of London's principal icons, the archetypal red rear-entrance double-deck roadmaster being recognized world-wide.

The Tube

London has one of the most comprehensive public transport systems in the world. The London Underground - also known popularly as "The Tube" - has trains that criss-cross London in the largest underground rail network anywhere in the world (it was also the first, the first section of the Metropolitan Line dates back to 1863). The Underground serves 275 stations and runs over 408 km of line. Over 3 million passengers use the Underground each day, with an average of 3.4 million passengers on weekdays.

The Liverpool Underground Station

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a square in London that commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars. The original name was to have been "King William the Fourth's Square", but George Ledwell Taylor suggested the name "Trafalgar Square". The square, a popular site for political demonstrations, is the site of Nelson's Column, and related sculptures of note.

Albert Memorial Statue

The Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861.The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. Opened in 1872, with the statue of Albert ceremonially "seated" in 1875, the memorial consists of an ornate canopy or pavilion containing a statue of Prince Albert facing south. The memorial is 176 feet tall, took over ten years to complete, and cost £120,000.

This tribute to Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert is well worth a visit. It accurately captures a royal love story that, like the statue, has stood the test of time. The Queen’s grief, and that of her public, was directed at the monument which reflected both the Prince’s various public passions and Victorian achievements of the time.

THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

The Royal Albert Hall is an arts venue situated in the Knightsbridge area of the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.

The Royal Albert Hall is one of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, recognizable the world over. Since its opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from every kind of performance genre have appeared on its stage. Each year it hosts more than 350 performances including classical concerts, rock and pop, ballet and opera, tennis, award ceremonies, school and community events, charity performances and lavish banquets.

The Hall was originally supposed to have been called The Central Hall of Arts and Sciences, but the name was changed by Queen Victoria to Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences when laying the foundation stone as a dedication to her husband and consort, Prince Albert. It forms the practical part of a national memorial to the Prince Consort - the decorative part is the Albert Memorial directly to the north in Kensington Gardens, now separated from the Hall by the heavy traffic along Kensington Gore.

The site was part of the former Kensington Gore estate which was historically part of Knightsbridge.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a living Church, part of the Church of England: a House of God, where almighty God is worshipped daily, continuing a 1400 year tradition in this place. Every day of the year (except Good Friday and Holy Saturday) the Eucharist is celebrated at 8.00 a.m. Almost every day the Abbey’s world-famous choir sings one or more of the daily services. You can find details of the worship elsewhere on the website. Whether you are Anglican (Episcopalian), or of another Christian Church or of another faith, or seeking or doubting, you are warmly welcome to attend any service.

Westminster Abbey is the House of Kings, where the coronation of Kings and Queens has taken place since 1066, and where many of the Kings and Queens of England and of the United Kingdom are buried. Principal among them is St Edward the Confessor, King of England from 1042 to 1066, whose shrine is at the heart of the Abbey Church. Beside and around them are buried or memorialised many of the great men and women from almost every century of these islands’ history: statesmen and politicians, lawyers, warriors, clerics, writers, artists, musicians. Westminster Abbey is a Royal Peculiar, whose Dean is directly answerable to the Sovereign.

Besides the Abbey Church itself, within the Abbey precincts you are welcome to visit St Margaret’s Church (the Church of the House of Commons), the Great and Little Cloisters, the stunning Chapter House and Museum, and, on several days of the week, College Garden, an oasis of calm at the heart of the City. Specialist visitors are welcome by appointment to the Library and the Muniments Room. In the precincts are also Westminster School, strongly associated with the Abbey, and Westminster Abbey Choir School, which educates the Abbey’s choristers

Entrance of Westminster Abbey

Each year the Abbey welcomes visitors, worshippers and pilgrims from all over the world and tries to ensure that the needs of everyone are met.

Inside Westminster Abbey. One of its cloister.

Kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers; poets, priests, heroes and villains - the Abbey is a must-see living pageant of British history. Every year Westminster Abbey welcomes over one million visitors who want to explore this wonderful 700-year-old building. Thousands more join us for worship at our daily services. The Abbey is in the heart of London. Once inside audio guides are available in eight languages or there is the highly-popular verger-led tour.

A visit to Westminster Abbey is an experience, a blessing and pilgrimage of life is encourage.

The Big Ben

London's Big Ben clock tower viewed from Parliament Square London Eye

The Clock Tower (Big Ben) in Palace of Westminster

Big Ben at night with the River Thames in the background.

The London Eye

Experience breathtaking views from the luxury of your own Private Capsule with up to 25 guests.

The height of the London Eye is 135m (equivalent to 64 red telephone boxes piled on top of each other) making it the fourth tallest structure in London after the BT Tower, Tower 42 and One Canada Square in Canary Wharf.

London has the London Eye - an extraordinary symbol for an extraordinary city. The world's largest observation wheel offers a spectacular way to take in over 55 of London's most famous landmarks in just 30 minutes! Combine your flight on the Eye with a 40 minute circular cruise on the Thames. Departing from the London Eye pier the commentary takes you from the Houses of Parliament to the Tower of London and back to the London Eye.

THE MELLENIUM CAPSULE

The passenger capsules of the London Eye incorporate an entirely new design form for observation wheels. Instead of being suspended under gravity, they turn within circular mounting rings fixed to the outside of the main rim, thereby allowing a spectacular at the top.

LONDON EYE AT NIGHT

LondonEye :