Question of the week: What's one of the touristy things to do in London that you'd recommend? "As you've probably noticed, there are thousands of touristy things to do in London: one of my favourites is sampling the Italian ice cream available from the large, garishly-coloured shops on Leicester Square. However, I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone, as the prices are also touristy and two scoops of cioccolato are likely to absorb the best part of your weekly food budget.*
After the obvious visits to look at the Crown Jewels (quite good fun: you have to stand on a conveyor belt to see them) and standing outside in the sleet to witness the Changing of the Guard, many guide books are wise enough to recommend Camden. This is a very vibrant part of town, crammed full of an unfeasibly large collection of markets, each with its own identity, atmosphere and clientele. Take the Northern line to Camden Town and turn left out the exit. From here, simply wander up Camden High Street, past the many shops and restaurants, bars and clubs, making sure that you visit Camden Market, Inverness Street Market, Camden Canal Market and perhaps best of all, Camden Lock Market, where you can get everything from a juggling set to Indonesian silverware to a full-body tattoo (not that we'd necessarily endorse any of those things, of course; remember, juggling can be dangerous). In the summer, the canal front is a great place to relax with coffee and peoplewatch. For now, however, it's good to know that if you arrive just as the shops are beginning to close, the food stalls will begin to sell takeaways very cheaply. So cheaply, in fact, you might even be able to afford an ice cream.
*If you're interested, there is a much more reasonable ice cream shop on Villiers Street called Gelato Mio and, during the summer months, another place just opposite Kamen-Minerva. See the Rectors for details."
- Phillippa
* Photo by Tim Cowlishaw, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.
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