London, England. The words still evoke an era, probably the 1960s and 1970s of mods and rockers, Carnaby Street, youth culture, Princess Margaret, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, fun and fashion, but that image overlooks what London was then and is now. The funky sheen may have faded, but London still stands tall within its triumvirate of the three major cities in Europe: London, Paris, Rome. It remains one of the top global cities for business and culture.
London is an extremely old city, believed to have been established in about 46 AD; evidence suggests it was also a settlement during the Bronze and Iron Ages. It wasn’t until the Romans set up shop in about 60 AD (London’s situation on a major river is similar to Rome’s). Typically for London, all was well and fine until Queen Boudica and trashed the place. London’s indomitable spirit had already been entrenched and within a decade, it was rebuilt and growing, which it has continued to do.
It is this powerful start that has made London what it is today. It has survived, since Boudica, many major fires, a couple of rounds with the plague and mass influenza, the Blitz, civil war, riots and terrorist attacks; and then there’s Brexit. But London rises.
Today, it’s a renewed city of perhaps reluctantly cosmopolitan nuance and almost 9 nine million people, a bed of diversity. Once the British emigrated to mostly North America, leaving behind the bombed-out cities and towns post-WWII, immigrants came, many of them from third-world nations to repopulate. And London grew yet again.
One of the great historic capitals on the planet, London has seen its share of victories and defeats. And yet, its strength is not altered, its popularity unfazed. Like perfect English cream, it rises to the top. All this up-and-down history and cultural change has made for a fascinating city. It’s the London we know and visit today.
London literally has something for everyone. Shoppers go mad at Harrods. Historians are addicted to the Tower of London. Kids love the giant ferris wheel, the London Eye. Fashionistas are only happier when in Paris. Art lovers would move in to the Victoria and Albert Museum if it only let out flats. Theatre fans prepare themselves for overdose in the West End. The range of things to see and do in London is mind-boggling.
