"London what the tourists don't see" a London Travel Page by scanos

For those who think that this city is all about Mary Poppins and Eel pies, you'll be partially disappointed. The burghers still eat the latter, to a lesser extent, and are embarassed by the former (particularly if you mention Dick Van Dykes cobbled cockey accent).That said, you'll still find Beefeaters and Chelsea pensioners if you look hard enough.

With all of it's many forms of transportation, London is a great city to walk around. The West end is within easy walking distance of some great parks - Regents and Hyde park, to name but a few.

My favourite walks include
- St John's Wood to Camden by way of Regent's Park
- The Strand to the Golden Hind by way of Waterloo bridge and the South Bank.
- Walk from Hammersmith High Street to the Thames (via the Riverside studio of OGWT fame ) and along the river to Chiswick.

Tucked away along the South bank, the Golden Hind sits proudly basking in former glories, sandwiched between the Thames and Southwark Cathedral. I noticed like others that the ship backs onto the Thames, I suppose to stop someone stealing it. It's easy to find, just take the RV bus from Covent Garden and get off at Borough market.

Head down Southwark street to catch one of london's most authentic markets. Old and new traders compete in an amazing atmosphere. I stumbled across this jolly cidermaker, all the way from Dorset, as he exchanged tales of Ye Olde Cidermaking with willing customers. There's a great little makeshift bar at the edge of the market which sells some great real ale. You will also find Vinopolis adjacent to the market. This is a large wine emporium which offers tours and samplings through 27 distinct wine booths each under a railway arch. Tours start at £17.50 which includes 5 wine samplings but around Christmas it transforms in to a massive party.