Lively London
The Great Court at the British Museum (44.207.636.1555;
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/greatcourt)
was formerly a storage area for the British Library. The 1.5-acre
space is one of Europe's largest covered squares with a soaring
glass and steel roof with no visible supports. Lord Norman Foster,
responsible for several of Hong Kong's architectural wonders among
other accomplishments, has designed the courtyard to alter the movement
of people in and through the museum to allow the public to visit
the shops and cafes whether or not they visit the free galleries;
the courtyard will remain open every evening after the museum closes.
The Great Court houses several education centers, the African Galleries,
a new restaurant, and shops. The centerpiece is the famous round
reading room, meticulously restored and open to the public for the
first time.
Somerset House on the Strand has recently
opened more of its 18th-century rooms to the public, including the
Hermitage Rooms (www.hermitagerooms.com),
which will show rotating exhibits from the Hermitage. Enjoy lunch
or dinner in Somerset House itself at the Admiralty Restaurant
(44.207.845.4646), the new haute hotspot. The magnificent courtyard
features numerous jet fountains as unique performance art.
Well-known British Midland (800-788-0555)
offers the Discover Europe Airpass with rates of $109 US
within Great Britain and to nearby cities on the continent. A popular
newcomer is "go" (www.gofly.com),
the low-cost airline from British Airways. Go uses 148-seat, one-class
737-300s. Their London terminal is the uncrowded Stansted Airport
(40 minutes to town by Stansted Express train) and offers convenient
arrangements with quality car rental and hotel companies.
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Contact Information
Visit Britain
551 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10176-0799
Tel: (800) 462-2748
Fax: (212) 986-1188
www.visitbritain.com
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