Quickie Tour of London

Many tourists just don't want to be called tourists. They consider themselves aloof from the usual busloads of sightseers and souvenir shoppers. To those I say forget the subterfuge, join the crowd and simply say, "I am a tourist."

This series of city travel quickies are for all tourists, with engagement the prime objective. The wheels of public transportation and walking guarantee a connection with the locals and an appreciation of how a city interrelates with tourism. All tours are best during the day. Grab your camera, put on comfortable shoes and if in England don't forget the umbrella.

London:

Purchase a 1 or 3 day Travel card from any tube (Underground) station. These are a great deal and give you the freedom to travel on all trains and buses in Zone 1 and Zone 2 which covers central London and the immediate vicinity.

• Take the tube or a bus to Piccadilly Circus.
• From the Eros statue you can see London's West End Theatre District, Regent Street, Piccadilly and a ton of traffic converging from all sides. Piccadilly Circus is also the neon-center of London and a return at night is sure to dazzle.
• A short distance is the beginning of Haymarket.
• There are many tourist shops as you head down Haymarket but the further you get the quieter it becomes. Admire the Theatre Royal opened July 4^th 1821..
• Spin round to Trafalgar Square; feed the pigeons, climb the lions and look down Whitehall with Big Ben gonging in the distance.
• Pass the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields and head up St Martins lane toward Leicester Square. Enjoy a pint and a meal at the many pubs in the area.
• Head down Garrick St and left onto King St and into Covent Garden. Covent Garden is the old home of London's Fruit & Vegetable Market. The old buildings remain and are inhabited by restaurants, bars, shops and one building has a small flea market. There is free street entertainment from Opera to the bizarre action on the Piazza. Eat, drink, shop, visit a museum and take in all that this wonderful area has to offer; a perfect end to this tour.
• Find your way to Covent Garden or Leicester Square tube stations or hop a bus and head back to your hotel.