Big Ben, Karl Marx and Concorde

Around Europe in many different cultures - Part 7 UK

Last but now least, the UK. From London to Scotland, from the Big Ben to the Lakes, you are spoiled for choice. If you are only visiting the capital, walk along the river Thames. You will find the Parliament building and the London Eye are very near to each other, while Buckingham Palace is only ten-minute-walk away. The London Underground, locally famous as “the Tube” will give you access to many places of interest. Free maps are available in all tube and railway stations.

Further along the River Thames, the Tower of London is in the UNESCO world heritage list. William the Conqueror in 1066 built an imposing fortress around the White Tower to protect London and assert his power. Madame Tussauds is another popular place to see, but you need to allow more time to get in as the queue is always long.

For Indonesian passport holders, there are two affordable guesthouses run by the Embassy’s staff – Wisma Caraka in Hendon, North London, and Wisma Merdeka in Willesden Green (http://www.indonesianembassy.org.uk/info_residence.html).

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery

For Beatles fans, Liverpool offers an experience of its own. Try the Yellow Duckmarine for a unique one-hour amphibious sightseeing tour of Liverpool's historic waterfront, city and docks.

Then of course there is Manchester! Home of the famous United football club, The Smiths, Joy Division (and its successor New Order) and Oasis, Manchester is also the birth place of the 19th century industrial revolution, the first intercity passenger railway in the world, and the city where Karl Marx met Friedrich Engels.

Manchester witnessed Ernest Rutherford working with Hans Geiger, James Joules studied under John Dalton’s supervision (http://www.mosi.org.uk), and Alliott Verdon Roe (A.V. Roe) started the aviation industry that later became the British Aerospace (Bae) System. In Manchester Airport’s Viewing Park, you can see G-BOAC, the oldest Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde ever served the British Airways.

Away from science, Manchester is the great place to have authentic Indian food. Only a few bus-stops away from city centre and the University of Manchester, “the curry-mile” is home for all sorts of Asian food, most restaurants and cafes there are Halal.

For more UK features - from North West England to North Wales - please see my previous article http://adeline-andy.blogspot.com/2008/02/deers-camping-puffins-and-rafs-hawk.html