One of the oldest cities in the world with a history that dates back to Roman times, culturally rich and diverse, and a city that remains one of the most influential cities in the world.

The capital and largest city of both the United Kingdom and of England, its history goes back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium. After the end of Roman rule in 410, London experienced a gradual revival under the Anglo-Saxons, as well as the Norsemen, and emerged as a great medieval trading city. Great playwrights like Shakespeare made London their home, important depictions of London are Dickens' novels, and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.

The decline of the British Empire, and suffering during World War II when London was bombed in the Blitz, the city is still a top-ranked world city. London is the world's largest financial centre and is one of three "command centres" for the world economy, with New York City and Tokyo. London's second biggest industry is the media industry, the BBC and other broadcasters have headquarters around the city and many national newspapers are edited in London. It is one of the great "world cities," and remains a global capital of culture, fashion, finance, politics and trade. Europe's busiest shopping area is Oxford Street, a shopping street nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) long.

The London Underground, administered by Transport for London, is the oldest and largest metro system in the world, dating from 1863, serving 270 stations with more than 3 millions journeys per day. Known as the The Tube, because of the shape of the tunnels and trains. The red double-decker bus is an iconic symbol internationally recognised, and are a trademark of London transport along with black cabs and the Tube. The traditional Routemaster buses, with an open rear platform and on-board conductor to collect fares, have been phased out but still run on Heritage Routes number 9 and 15.

Having lived in London for several years I can only describe it as love/hate relationship, there are things which are fabulous and others that just make you want to run! Frankly, the quality of life here is low standard in comparison to other major European cities, though the plusses add up to a place like New York, if you can make it here,.. then you know you can make anywhere.

The trouble with London is knowing where to begin, there are countless things to do and see, it certainly offers much choice for the visitor. If your limited for time its best to plan your visit so you get as much as you can in, to be even more efficient its best to focus on the things you want to do here or you'll find you'll lose yourself in the wealth of activities and places at hand.

Before I go on I need to state the costs of things, frankly expect to pay 40% or more than you do back home, so a proper budget won't disappoint you when you arrive. A single cash ticket on The Tube can set you back £4, so be sure to investigate cheaper options by getting an Oyster Card in advance. The transport system is privatised meaning some tickets are not valid on some forms of travel including National Rail. Food, accommodation and entertainment can be costly, of course it also depends on how big your wallet is. Galleries and museums are free to enter.

Famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the is the British monarch. Piccadilly Circus is one of the most photographed sights in London. The statue of Eros stands in the middle while the north eastern side is dominated by a huge electric advertisements. Trafalgar Square, home of Nelson's Column and the lions is a nationally recognised monument , overlooked by the National Gallery, one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world. London Eye built for the millennium is now London's most visited attraction, the observation wheel. Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the home of the United Kingdom parliament and World Heritage site, as well as setting for royal coronations since 1066. The Prime Minister's residence is located nearby, at 10 Downing Street. St Paul's Cathedral with its world-famous dome, is Sir Christopher Wren's great accomplishment, built after the 1666 Great Fire of London. A section of the dome has such good acoustics that it forms a "Whispering Gallery". The Tower of London, also a World Heritage site, is London's original royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution by the Thames, over 900 years old, contains the Crown Jewels, guarded by Beefeaters. It is also considered by many to be the most haunted building in the world. Nearby, Tower Bridge is the iconic 19th century bridge decorated with high towers and featuring a drawbridge. Greenwich on the southern banks of the Thames, home of the Greenwich Meridien and the National Maritime Museum.

Photos of London 2008 © Joe Mendonca

Galleries and museums are plentiful, and FREE! Tate Modern is Britain's national museum of modern art, the British Museum houses famous objects including the Rosetta Stone. The
Natural History Museum is a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals (biology and geology), Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum (fashion and design). The British Library is the UK's national library, housing 150 million items.

If your seeking to be entertained London offers numerous shows and theatre which change often. Pubs and bars are usually packed most evenings, but late nights are better spent at the dozens (if not hundreds) of clubs, you'll be spoiled for choice, see TimeOut London for listings of events and venues.

The entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London and world film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements. London's theatre district, cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district (in Soho), and just to the east is Covent Garden.

London has a vibrant gay scene with countless bars, clubs and events in just about every district of the city, the core is undoubtedly Old Compton St and the surrounding area in Soho but over the last couple of years Vauxhall has seen a boom in Gay venues. QX and Boyz magazines covers the London gay scene with night by night listings, and is freely available at most London gay venues. Gay Pride is held every year in June with parade and street parties.

London is home to the the Abbey Road Studios where The Beatles recorded many of their hits. In the seventies and eighties, musicians like David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Cat Stevens, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Madness, The Jam, The Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, The Cure, Squeeze and Sade (band), took the world by storm, deriving their sound from the streets and rhythms vibrating through London. London was instrumental in the development of punk music, with figures such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash .

London's most popular sport is football and it has thirteen League football clubs, including five in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. London has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1908 and 1948. In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Games in 2012, which will make it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times

One of London's best-known annual sports competitions is the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, and London Marathon which sees some 35,000 runners attempt a 26.2 miles (42.2 km) course around the city, and also the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake.

Besides the main attractions its great to take walks in the huge number of green spaces and Royal Parks of parks of Hyde Park and Regents Park, walk along the south bank of the River Thames from Waterloo to Tower Bridge, or St.James Park with a view of Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. If your into royalty then a visit to Windsor Castle is a must, the official royal website is the British Monarchy.

Photos of London © Joe Mendonca

The magic of London is the energy that seems to radiate here, it buzzes at all hours, the vast number of people from all over the world seem to make this city work. Don't miss the local market, my favourite being under the arches at London Bridge, Bourough Market.

I've often wondered what the big fuss was about London. Yes it has a lot to offer the visitor but value for money its not, you can expect much more for your money by going elsewhere. Still, as a traveler, its one of those places that needs to be seen and experienced.