London Off the Beaten Path Tips by BluBluBlu

If you are on the Embankment...the section under London Bridge you'll come across this art. A pavement that changes depending on sound and movement...

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Although central London has some great places to visit its worth getting out to some of the suburbs to see where and how us Londoners live...

This is the link to Blackheath

and Eltham

and Chislehurst

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Londons markets used to be a thriving activity of buying & selling but have declined over the past forty years. Ones still worth visiting include:

Borough Market based in London Bridge for all things 'foodie' (Friday/Saturday)

Brick Lane in East London is a weird but fun place, with lots of contraband ciggies etc (Sundays)

Portabello Road is a great place for trendy clothes and bric a brac (Weekends)

Greenwich Market is spread over three sites bit has both old and new antiques, art, music, etc (Weekends)

Columbia Road in the east end is a great flower market...even if you dont want to buy theres some great cafes & pubs! (Sundays)

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If you walk around the 'City' of London you'll find lots of churches hidden away down backstreets, and many of these were designed by Wren after the Great Fire Of London in 1666.

This one is between Eastcheap and Lower Thames Street, and I just love the ivy clinging to its sides!

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Back in medieval times crimes against the State often resulted in death by being 'hung, drawn, and quartered'...which is not very nice. A chronicler of the time wrote:

"The greatest and most grievous punishment used in England for such as offend against the State is drawing from the prison to the place of execution upon an hurdle or sled, where they are hanged till they be half dead, and then taken down, and quartered alive; after that, their members and bowels are cut from their bodies, and thrown into a fire, provided near hand and within their own sight, even for the same purpose."

The quarters of the the body were then hung in various in the City of London as a deterrent(must have stunk!).

One famous death of this kind was the Scot William Wallace...better known these days as 'Braveheart'.

The photo is a sign on the side of a pub in Great Tower Street...a pub aptly named the 'Hung,Drawn,and Quartered'!

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This is a street market in the City open during the week. Everything from sheets & pillows to shoes, cd's...to handbags. This market has been around for over a hundred years, and the vibe changes every ten years or so as new immigrants breeze in. Its this market that swells into surrounding streeets on a Sunday to become 'Petticoat Lane'. If you are in the area and fancy a cheap bite to eat...try 'Kossofs'...an old jewish bakery that does great salt beef!

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On Fridays & Saturdays if you are in the London Bridge area then a trip to Borough Market is a must. Its foodie heaven with fresh veg, fish, meat to both buy and try. The aroma of venison burgers pervades the senses, as does the sight of so many cheeses. Its a real fun place with lots of cafes, bars & restaurants!

The main entrance is on Boriugh High Street, or through any of the alleyways close to Southwark Cathedral.

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The four original gates of London were Aldersgate to the north, Ludgate to the west, Aldgate to the east, and Bridgegate to the south, over the Thames. Other main gates were Newgate, Bishopsgate, Moorgate, and Cripplegate.

There were many other, minor gates added over the years, mainly from the River. These were for the use of traders. Some distance from the gates were smaller gates known as the bars. A renovation of the famous Temple Bar can be seen today at Paternoster Square (near St Pauls Cathedral). These bars were where travellers and traders stopped to pay any taxes or duty due before reaching the gates. The bars, or boundaries were marked by statues of griffins or dragons, and can still be seen in the City today.

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Wandering around the City at the weekend is a delight as its relatively empty as all the workers are at home! Lots of delightful lanes with glorious clocks, gems of churches, and just things interesting!

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Dr Johnson’s House is one of the few residential houses of its age still surviving in the City of London. It was built around 1700, and was the home and workplace for Samuel Johnson from 1748-1759. It was here that he compiled the first comprehensive English Dictionary.

Its in Gough Square, just off of Fleet Street.

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