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The Spirit Of London
London often gives the impression of being more comfortable with its past than its present. From the world-famous landmarks of St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London to the traditional and well-loved double-decker buses, the theatres and the many grand hotels, England's capital offers visitors a journey through centuries of history. This journey is even better now that the building works, which covered many historic sites, have been taken down. Newly cleaned and restored buildings are revealed, and the city looks as if it has been revitalised.

The city has also rediscovered its river. The area between the South Bank Arts Centre, which includes the National Theatre, and Tower Bridge, has been brought back to life and the city has found a new heart along the forgotten riverside. As you walk eastwards along the river from Westminster, you will discover that old warehouses have been transformed into galleries, shops and clubs.

Across the river from London Bridge is `The City of London', the financial district of the capital. The City has its own historic delights such as the 15th century Guildhall and churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The best way to explore the City is on foot. For instance, you can "walk through the ages", starting from Mourner Street and ending at the modern Lloyd's building on Lime Street. Remember, however, that in London you are never far away from the past; the old-fashioned red telephone boxes are becoming popular again and many London pubs - where a visitor might ask for a pint of bitter - have been restored to their original Victorian beauty.

But the capital is not a historical theme park. It is a lively and exciting metropolis which is well-known for its popular culture, music, clubs, street fashion, and visual arts. Today, many of its wide variety of restaurants claim to be as good as in any other European capitals. For example, Marco Pierre White's highly recommended restaurant at the Hyde Park Hotel is a perfect example of new English cuisine - unusual, sophisticated and extremely expensive. When it comes to shopping, Covent Garden and King's Road in Chelsea offer a mixture of reasonably priced chainstore clothing and unique boutiques selling everything from rave gear to skateboards. Shoppers with full wallets and more sophisticated tastes should head for Knightsbridge, where Harrods and Harvey Nichols compete to be the most exclusive department store in London.

Much of London's energy and originality is now centred in Soho, the city's liveliest and most bohemian area, squeezed in between the department stores of Oxford Street and the bookshops of Charing Cross Road. Soho, once considered one of the dirtiest and most dangerous parts of London, was cleaned up in the early 1980's. Today, with its gurgling cappuccino machines and pavement cafes, it has become a meeting place for all kinds of people from all over the world, whatever the hour of day or night.
So, even if you are new to the city, you don't have to try hard in order to experience the real London. Despite its heavy traffic and shaking underground railway, it is still one of the world's greatest and most cosmopolitan cities.