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Looking for London locales that don’t involve a ticket to a coveted Olympic venue? Here are a few this reporter has frequented over the years, places that reflect the history and the imagination of what just may be the world’s greatest city:

  • Take a City Cruise of the Thames and immerse yourself in London’s Magical History Tour. It’s a bit breezy and it can get wet, but the upper deck is the best place to see the city. See the London Eye, The Tower, Tower Bridge and Greenwich. Tune the tour to the time you have. The shortest Thames sojourn is 20 to 30 minutes, the longest a three-hour roundtrip from Westminster to Greenwich and back again.
  • When you get off the boat in Greenwich, you find yourself at the front door of the National Maritime Museum. Take your time and explore 500 years of this island’s love affair with – and dependence upon – the sea. If you want to delve deeper into the story be sure to see the story of the Thames brought to live in Royal River.
  • One of the most fascinating renditions of modern British history is to be found tucked away underground, deep beneath the bustle of this amazing city. From the Cabinet War Rooms Winston Churchill directed the defense of England during the Blitz. See where the Prime Minister slept, met and mapped out strategy that saved the nation during its time of greatest peril. This is a trip back in time that will stay with you forever.
  • On to present-day London, to what’s perhaps the planet’s best toy store. It’s Hamleys, and the flagship store is located on Regent Street. Be you a Harry Potter aficionado, a lover of all things Tolkien, a collector of dolls or classic metal toy soldiers, this is a must-see. Time tends to take on a new dimension inside this magical dream emporium disguised cleverly as a toy store. Hours pass before you know it.

(Image: Erke)

About the author

Jerry ChandlerJerry Chandler loves window seats – a perch with a 35,000-foot view of it all. His favorite places: San Francisco and London just about any time of year, autumn in Manhattan and the seaside in winter. An award-winning aviation and travel writer for 30 years, his goal is to introduce each of his grandkids to their first flight.

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