The London Stone
Picture
Behind this anonymous looking grille at 111 Cannon Street in the City of London, sits a shapeless piece of limestone, the remains of what is known simply as the "London Stone".
Tourists from all over the world flock to Blarney Castle in Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone, whereas the Ancient Egyptian Rosetta Stone is the most visited exhibit in the British Museum. But how many people are even aware of the London Stone's very existence?
London's oldest treasure, probably as old as the Thames itself, stood at the heart of the city the Romans knew as "Londinium", which then was just in front of Cannon Street Station. It was the point that from which all distances were measured, and at the centre of the Romano-Celtic community, a place where deals were made, where information was swapped and oaths were sworn.
Many myths and legends surround the stone, which is also known as the "Brutus Stone" after Brutus of Troy, the legendary founder of London. It is said to have been part of an altar he built. Other stories state that the stone once formed part of an ancient stone circle that stood on Ludgate Hill, while another story claims that it was the very stone that Arthur pulled Excaliber from, though that is pretty unlikely.
Whatever the truth, what we do know is that the London Stone was for years recognised to be the heart of London, and a legend says that rather like the ravens of the Tower, that as long as the stone is fine, London will flourish. In 1450, Jack Cade led a rebellion against the insane Henry VI. As the rebels crossed London Bridge and marched towards Guildhall, Cade struck the London Stone with his sword and declared himself Mayor of London.
The stone was mounted upon the wall of St Swithin's Church, which stood upon the stone's current site until it received a direct hit during the Blitz. Amazingly the stone was left perfectly intact.
This incredible time capsule, that has survived Boudicca's burning of London, the Great Fire of 1666 and the relentless bombing by the Luftwaffe surely deserves much more awareness than it currently has. Countless people scurry past it daily without even knowing it. It isn't as pretty as the Elgin Marbles, but it must merit pride of place in the British Museum, as one of the few truly British artefacts in the exhibition. The current tomb that it occupies is unworthy and insulting. People should know their history, and the London Stone ought to be as iconic as Stonehenge.作者: zzleezz 時間: 2012-6-22 01:05 AM
英國航空倫敦眼（The British Airways London Eye），或又稱為千禧之輪（Millennium Wheel）是世界上首座、也曾經是世界最大的觀景摩天輪，僅次於南昌之星與新加坡觀景輪。
端踞泰晤士河畔，金碧輝煌的國會大廈(House of Parliament)，與精準報時的大鵬鐘(Big Ben)，是白廳區(Whitehall)最明顯的地標，終日人潮不斷。仿哥德式雄偉建築的國會大廈，是大不列顛民主的象徵，英國國會分為上下議院，上議院(House of Lords)以女王為首多為世襲議員，國會開議式時女王會在寶座上發表演說；下議院(House of Commons)由各政黨的代表組成，議員數最多的政黨組成政府，該黨魁出任首相。除了欣賞國會大廈仿哥德式雄偉建築外，想要入內參觀可利用「議會開議」及「夏季導覽」。「議會開議」遊客可於St. Stephen’s入口排隊入內，參觀議員們唇槍舌戰的精彩議事討論，親自體會英國民主風範；「夏季導覽」則於每年7~9月國會休會時舉行，導覽時間為75分鐘。位於國會大廈高塔上，又被暱稱為大笨鐘的大鵬鐘(Big Ben)，其實指的不是那四面時鐘，而是重達14噸、每整點敲響一次的共鳴鐘，自1859年迄今每天提供精準的報時，另有4個較小的鐘每隔15分鐘響一次。
[attach]1716391[/attach] [attach]1716392[/attach]作者: zzleezz 時間: 2012-6-24 12:08 AM
The Abbey Road zebra crossing in North London, which appeared on a Beatles album cover, has been recognized with a grade II listed status。
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport recognized the crossing's status following English Heritage's advice for its "cultural and historical importance。"作者: lilitan008 時間: 2012-6-24 04:14 PM
Kelvingrove艺术馆
Kelvingrove艺术馆及博物馆富有维多利亚时代教堂的建筑特色，该展馆建于1902年，收藏了不少苏格兰和欧洲的艺术品。其中包括梅尔维尔（Arthur Melville）、麦克塔格特（McTaggart）、卡德尔（Cadell）、Joseph Crawhill，也有现代画家普罗西（Eduardo Paolozzi），麦克林（Bruce McLean）、David Hockney和琼斯（Jasper Johns）。其它的油画作品包括荷兰画家林布兰的名作《盔甲骑士》（Man in Armour），以及波提且利（Botticelli）、印象派大师莫奈（Monet），还有激昂画家梵高（Vincent Van Gogh）和立体派画家毕加索（Picasso）的作品。中心大厅的一端由风琴管组成，因为独奏会是这里必不可少的节目。博物馆一角详尽介绍苏格兰的自然历史。楼下展示了一些有趣的人工制品，其中包括史前苏格兰的考古发现、欧洲的武器和盔甲，以及银器。
动物园特色
1. 在动物园中玻璃亭举行的“生命之网展”[The Web of Life Exhibition]向游客们展示了自然界千姿百态的生物品种。
2. 在儿童乐园里，孩子们还可以与小动物们有亲密的接触。
3. 由名家设计的企鹅馆和大鸟舍都有很高的建筑欣赏价值，值得一看！企鹅是伦敦动物园最受欢迎的动物，建议在饲养员喂食的时候参观，那些企鹅非常之可爱！
4. 伦敦动物园的卖点之一是动物表演。比如你可以去看大猩猩学讲话。不过大部分情况下它都在睡觉。5. 外观是一个巨大充气昆虫形状的蝴蝶馆，里面开满了鲜花，各种各样的蝴蝶在你身边飞舞，它们一点都不怕人。
1565年創立的皇家交易所(Royal Exchange)，是伊莉莎白時代(1558~1603)的商人兼大臣葛雷賢爵士(Sir Thomas Gresham)所開設的，目的是作為商業交易的中心，伊莉莎白女王一世並御賜以「皇家」的頭銜。另外，皇家交易所的正前方是一個小廣場，在19世紀的時候，英國最早的男性公共廁所就建在這裡。交易所和其對面的英格蘭銀行(Bank of England)，形成倫敦主要的商業金融區。英格蘭銀行是1694年為籌措對外戰爭的經費而設立，現今建築僅剩外牆部分為18世紀索恩爵士(Sir John Soane)的設計，其他均為1925~39年的新建築。在銀行附設的博物館，可見證到這個日不落國300年來的銀行史與金融制度說明，也展示了過去的銀行卷、原版紙鈔、以及英格蘭發行過的各種錢幣等等。作者: huhut6432gj 時間: 2012-6-24 11:05 PM
[attach]1718138[/attach]作者: fls125 時間: 2012-6-25 08:59 AM
本帖最後由 fls125 於 2012-6-25 09:06 AM 編輯
The Brown Hotel, London
布朗酒店，伦敦
There have been many contenders for the highly-prized title of being named as “London’s oldest hotel”.Brown's Hotel is a luxury 5-star hotel in London, United Kingdom.
Opening its doors in 1837, it has been owned by The Rocco Forte Collection since 3 July 2003 and is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.Brown's Hotel is set in the heart of Mayfair on Albemarle Street. It is located within walking distance of shopping streets such as Bond Street and Regent Street in addition to theatres, art galleries and central London landmarks. It also sits on the doorstep of Green Park and Hyde Park.
The Grosvenor (near Victoria station) and the Hilton Paddington (formerly the Great Western) can both lay claim to an impressive heritage dating back to the mid-nineteenth century during the reign of Queen Victoria. However, Brown’s in Mayfair probably wins the honour overall.
The hotel has hosted many distinguished guests over the years, including US president Theodore Roosevelt and legendary Ethiopian emperor Haille Sellassie.Brown’s has also witnessed many historic events, such as the first ever telephone call by Alexander Graham Bell. Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’ was also written during the author’s stay at the hotel and Agatha Christie apparently based her famous novel ‘At Bertram’s Hotel’ on Browns.
[attach]1718178[/attach]
[attach]1718181[/attach]作者: EvilgranII 時間: 2012-6-25 11:29 AM
Rolling Bridge (UK): The Bridge that Curls Up on Itself
Designed by Heatherwick Studio, the award-winning Rolling Bridge is located Paddington Basin, London. Rather than a conventional opening bridge mechanism, consisting of a single rigid element that lifts to let boats pass, the Rolling Bridge gets out of the way by curling up until its two ends touch. While in its horizontal position, the bridge is a normal, inconspicuous steel and timber footbridge; fully open, it forms a circle on one bank of the water that bears little resemblance to its former self.
Twelve metres long, the bridge is made in eight steel and timber sections, and is made to curl by hydraulic rams set into the handrail between each section.
[attach]1719176[/attach]
[attach]1719177[/attach]
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from many countries, in many languages and in many formats, both print and digital: books, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings. The Library's collections include around 14 million books (second only to the United States' Library of Congress), along with substantial holdings of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 2000 BC.
The library was originally a department of the British Museum and from the mid-19th century occupied the famous circular British Museum Reading Room. It became legally separate in 1973, and by 1997 had moved into its new purpose-built building at St Pancras
[attach]1719963[/attach]
[attach]1719964[/attach]
[attach]1719965[/attach]作者: EvilgranII 時間: 2012-6-26 11:24 AM
[attach]1720346[/attach]作者: fls125 時間: 2012-6-28 09:20 AM
本帖最後由 fls125 於 2012-6-28 01:32 PM 編輯
Somerset House London 常盛大厦伦敦
Somerset House in London is a spectacular neo-classical building in the heart of London (the work of architect Sir William Chambers, dating from 1776-96), sitting between the Strand and the River Thames. Somerset House hosts open-air concerts and films, contemporary art and design exhibitions, family workshops and free guided tours of spaces usually hidden to visitors. During summer months 55 fountains rise and fall dramatically in the courtyard, and in winter there is the famous ice rink.
At the London Canal Museum you can see inside anarrowboat cabin, learn about the history of London's canals, about the cargoes carried, the people who lived and worked on the waterways, and the horses that pulled their boats. Peer down into the unique heritage of a huge Victorian ice well used to store ice imported from Norway and brought by ship and canal boat to be stored. This unique waterways museum is housed in a former ice warehouse built in about 1862-3 for Carlo Gatti, the famous ice cream maker, and features the history of the ice trade and ice cream as well as the canals.
[attach]1725029[/attach]
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs both the gardens at Kew and Wakehurst Place gardens in Sussex. Created in 1759, the gardens celebrated their 250th anniversary in 2009.
The director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is responsible for the world's largest collection of living plants. The organisation employs more than 650 scientists and other staff. The living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plants, while the herbarium, which is one of the largest in the world, has over seven million preserved plant specimens.
這一區的各博物館中，科學博物館(Science Museum)相對之下「樸素」許多，沒有過多的外在裝飾，以大量的硬體展示忠實呈現數世紀以來的科學發展成果，特別英國是全球工業革命的濫觴，從早期的蒸汽引擎到最新近的太空工業科技，顯現各種科學奇蹟。 科學博物館地面樓有陸地運輸與太空探險，各種引擎、火車頭、車輛等都位於樓層主要位置，以及太空科學的發展與研究，火箭的設計和運行方式，導彈的演進等都有詳盡的導覽。一樓有針對基本科學原理設計的發射台(Launch Pad)，兒童可以親自操作電漿球，另一側的氣象館收藏了多專業氣象測量儀器，食物的探索區(Food for Thoughts)以兩個不同時代的冰箱作為比對，藉冰箱內食物的不同說明食品科學以及人類飲食習慣的改變。 科學博物館最能滿足人類想像空間的是位於3樓的飛行區，不論是早期的滑翔翼複製品，或是現代各種噴射機都有，飛行實驗室有模擬駕駛艙可親自操作。不可錯過的還有Welcome Wing區域，除了震撼力、臨場感十足的I M A X電影院、體驗登上太空船的Simex Simulator，也可以坐在如夜店般充滿科技感的餐飲區體驗未來世界。
The Emirates Stadium has been Arsenal FC’s home since 2006, replacing their previous stadium Highbury. The stadium has a capacity of 60,361 seats.
First plans for the construction of a new stadium arose in the late 1990s. Highbury had gotten too small and lacked the possibilities of expansion being enclosed by housing. A move to the new Wembley stadium was considered, but Arsenal preferred a location closer to Highbury.
In the end a site was chosen just a few hundred yards away from Highbury, and, after a few delays, construction of the stadium started in 2004. The total project budget amounted to £390 million.
The stadium officially opened on the 23rd of July 2006. The first match was a testimonial match played for Dennis Bergkamp featuring an Arsenal and Ajax side.
Due to the competition of nearby Wembley Stadium, the Emirates Stadium has never hosted the English national team, however the Brazilian national team has regularly scheduled friendly matches at the stadium. The stadium was furthermore chosen as a venue for England’s failed 2018 bid.
Getting there
The Emirates Stadium lies in the Islington area, slightly north to the centre of London, approximately 2 miles from Kings Cross St Pancras railway station. There are plenty of bars and nightlife in the vicinity of the stadium.
The stadium is best reached by metro. The nearest tube station is Arsenal, on the Piccadilly line. Alternatives are stations Finsbury Park (Victoria and Piccadilly line) and Highbury & Islington (Victoria line and North London Line). From both stations it is a 10-minute walk to the stadium. Note that Holloway Road and Drayton Park stations will be closed pre-match and are exit-only after the match.
Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington station can also be reached by train. It’s a 5-minute journey coming from either Kings Cross or Moorgate station.
Supporters are not advised to arrive by car on matchdays, nor is parking available around the Emirates Stadium on non-matchdays.
Address: Emirates Stadium, London N5 1BU
Tickets
Tickets for Arsenal matches can be bought online, or by phone 0844 277 3625 (from the UK) or +44 (0) 207 649 9003 (from abroad). Generally an Arsenal membership is required to be able to buy tickets. The most basic Red level membership currently costs £36.00. Arsenal sells out most of its matches, but with a membership card tickets can be available in pre-sale.
Arsenal matches fall into two categories, with category A tickets ranging in price from £51.00 to £100.00 and category B tickets from £35.00 to £70.00.
Stadium tours
Arsenal offers the option to see the Emirates Stadium through a self-guided stadium tour. You can walk through the stadium at your own pace with the company of an audio guide. The route includes the changing rooms and players’ tunnel.
Alternatively the club offers guided stadium tours by an Arsenal legend. Both tours include access to the Arsenal museum.
The stadium is opened 7 days a week for self-guided stadium tours. Entry is from 10:15 am with the last entry at 4:20 pm (3:45 pm on Saturdays and 4:00 pm on Sundays). There are no tours on matchdays and the stadium may close earlier on the day before the match. It can take you anything from 55 to 90 minutes to make the walk round the stadium.
The legends tours start every day at 10:00 am with an extra tour on Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 4:15 pm.作者: fls125 時間: 2012-6-30 03:50 PM
本帖最後由 fls125 於 2012-6-30 04:03 PM 編輯
Natural History Museum 自然历史博物馆
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London
英国自然历史博物馆（Natural History Museum） 位于伦敦市中心西南部、海德公园旁边的南肯辛顿区。
博物馆总建筑面积为4万多平方米，馆内大约藏有世界各地的7000万件标本，其中昆虫标本有2800万件。
全馆有20间大陈列厅，内容包括古生物、矿物、植物、动物、生态和人类等六个方面 ..
Covent Garden was once a covered whole sale market for fruits and vegetables.
It was designed in 1833 by Charles Fowler. Since 1974 the area has been transformed and is now known as the Theatrical and Entertainment district.
There are several theaters as well as the Royal Opera House. Covent Garden and the central market are very busy with tourists and street performers and musicians.
A lot of shops, restaurants and pubs can be found in this traffic free area.
Covent Garden and the Seven dials is very colorful and busy area. If you are a theater lover this is the place to be.
攝政公園(Regent’s Park)曾是亨利八世(Henry VIII)的狩獵場，1817~1828年由建築師Joh n Nash負責設計規劃成為公園。原本的構想是建成攝政王的行宮，以及包含56棟古典別墅的田園都市，但後來只蓋了8棟別墅就無疾而終，現在卻成為倫敦人最喜歡的綠地公園。中央的圓形區是瑪利皇后花園，超過四百個品種的玫瑰花，把公園點綴的相當美麗。夏季音樂劇活動開始的時候，露天劇場(Open Air Theatre)會演出莎翁名劇，這裡的氣氛總是相當活躍。作者: fls125 時間: 2012-7-1 08:59 AM
Hampstead Heath 汉普特斯西斯公园
Hampstead Heath (locally known as "the Heath") is a large, ancient London park, covering 320 hectares (790 acres).
This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London Clay.
The Heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient woodlands, a lido, playgrounds, and a training track,
and it adjoins the stately home of Kenwood House and its grounds.
The Heath has long been a popular place for Londoners to walk and take in the air.
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in the City of Westminster.
It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner.
The theatre should not be confused with the former Scala Theatre in Charlotte Street,
off Tottenham Court Road that was known as the Prince of Wales Royal Theatre or Prince of Wales's Theatre from 1865 until its demolition in 1903.
格林威治廣為人知的一大原因就是耳熟能詳的「格林威治標準時間」，這個名稱源自於1884年在美國華盛頓舉行的國際子午線會議，會中確定將地球分為東西兩半球的子午線以格林威治為準。目前的英國皇家天文台在劍橋，因此把格林威治天文台稱之為舊皇家天文台(Old Royal Observatory)。舊皇家天文台位於格林威治公園的小山坡上，遠遠即可看到洋蔥般造型的建築物，由鼎鼎大名的建築師列恩(Christopher Wren)所設計，洋蔥屋頂下有英國最大的天文望遠鏡。作者: fls125 時間: 2012-7-1 05:59 PM
本帖最後由 fls125 於 2012-7-1 06:00 PM 編輯
Sea Life London Aquarium 伦敦水族馆
The Sea Life London Aquarium is located on the ground floor of County Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames in central London, near the EDF Energy London Eye.
It first opened in March 1997 as the London Aquarium and remains the capital's largest collection of aquatic species and hosts about one million visitors each year.
In April 2008, the aquarium was closed for major refurbishments at a cost of £5 million, which were completed in April 2009. The attraction officially became a Sea Life Centre when it reopened in April 2009.
In May 2011, the aquarium opened a new penguin exhibit, with 10 gentoo penguins that were transferred from the Edinburgh Zoo.
Portobello Market in West London is one of the most famous street markets in the world. It is a popular destination for Londoners and tourists alike. Portobello Road goes straight through the heart of Notting Hill.
Portobello Market takes up most of what is actually more properly called Portobello Road, it stretches for around two miles, although on a crowded saturday afternoon it takes quite a while to walk from end to end.
歐洲最大的古董跳蚤市場，亦都是電影“ Notting Hill ”的拍攝地點，年中吸引不少當地人以及遊客在此尋寶以及回味電影中的點滴。要注意的是，最受歡迎的露天市集要到星期六才開放，要算好日子才來訪。從 Notting Hill Gate 地鐵站一出便能感受到熱鬧的氣氛，跟着人潮一直走，沿路亦有不少特色店舖值得一看。
除了街道旁的攤檔外，後面的有蓋市場更是不可錯過的藏寶庫。皆因此處集合了多間名貴古董店，從中世界的古董家具到維多利亞式的花瓶都有，有意要買不妨多作比較，貨比三家後才決定買入也未遲。更要認住如果店舖是 “ Portobello Antiques Dealers Association London ”（即 PADA）的會員的話，購買時可以更加安心，多一重保障。
Dover Castle is a medieval castle in the town of the same name in the English county of Kent.
It was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history.
It is the largest castle in England.
威爾斯公主溫室(The Princess of Wales Conservatory)是裘園裡生態最複雜的溫室，從潮濕的紅樹林沼澤到乾燥的沙漠不毛之地，兩種極端氣候的植物可以同時存在於這裡，而光是這座溫室，就同時擁有10個不同微型氣候區，每個區域都極盡所能地模仿原始自然生態。威爾斯公主溫室之所以能充分還原原生地生態，當然要歸功於整座溫室的設計。不僅外觀造型極具設計感，技術上，更因為要取代26座較舊的溫室，所以特別設計了能讓不同氣候區植物生長在同一個屋頂的功能。尤其那種階梯式斜屋頂及無邊牆設計，不僅太陽光能充分被植物吸收，順著斜屋頂流下來的雨水，也可以貯存在地底5萬加侖容量的水槽裡。
English folklore is the folk tradition that has evolved in England over the centuries. England abounds with folklore, in all forms, from such obvious manifestations as semi-historical Robin Hood tales, to contemporary urban myths and facets of cryptozoology such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor.
Examples of surviving English folk traditions include the Morris dance and related practices such as the Abbots Bromley Thorn Dance and the Mummers Play. In many, usually rural places, people still gather for May Day festivals on the first of May to celebrate the beginning of summer. This traditionally involves local children skipping around a maypole - a large pole erected on the village green (historically a tree would have been specially cut down) - each carrying a coloured ribbon, resulting in a multi-coloured plaited pattern. The festival traditionally features Morris dancing and various festivities, culminating in the crowning of a 'May Queen'. Many regional variations of the festivals exist; the oldest still practised today is the "'Obby 'Oss festival of Padstow, which dates back to the 14th century. The utopian vision of a traditional England is sometimes referred to as Merry England.
London’s oldest botanic garden, Chelsea Physic Garden was founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries for the purpose of training apprentices in identifying plants. It subsequently became one of the most important centres of botany and plant exchange in the world.
Situated in the heart of London, Chelsea Physic Garden has a unique living collection of around 5,000 different edible, useful, medicinal and historical plants. This ‘hidden gem’ is also a peaceful green oasis in which to enjoy a relaxing stroll with an award-winning Café and a Book & Gift Shop.
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200. It is bounded by Lambeth Palace Road to the west and Lambeth Road to the south.
The palace is now also home to Lambeth Palace Library, the official library of the Archbishop of Canterbury and principal holder of records for the history of the Church of England, founded as a public library by archbishop Richard Bancroft in 1610. This contains a vast collection of material relating to ecclesiastical history, including archbishops' and bishops' archives and papers relating to various Anglican missionary and charitable societies. The valuable collection of original manuscripts contains important material, some dating as far back as the 9th century. The various other collections contain material on an immense variety of topics from the history of art and architecture to colonial and Commonwealth history, and innumerable aspects of English social, political and economic history. The library is also a significant resource for local history and genealogy.
The library contains over 120,000 books as well as the archives of the Archbishops of Canterbury and other church bodies dating back to the 12th century.
[attach]1736981[/attach]
[attach]1736982[/attach]作者: dersert 時間: 2012-7-7 09:34 AM
