13 London and Washington, D.C.

LONDON

London is the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. At the same time it is the largest city in the country, the residence of the monarch, the representatives of the Church of England, government representatives, Parliament and the Supreme Court. London is the centre of cultural, political and social activities. It is situated on the river Thames in south-east England. Tourists come here at all seasons of the year to visit the monuments, museums, galleries, scientific institutions, but also the theatres, of which there are about fifty in London.

London is home to about 10 millions inhabitants and is one of the largest cities of the world - it occupies an area of 1600 km2. The metropolis is divided into Old London and thirty-two districts. The City is the oldest part of London around St. Paul. There are many banks and offices here and also many parks with Hyde Park being the largest one.

History

The city was probably founded 2000 years ago. The Romans built their settlement and called it Londinium. The London probably comes from Celts. In 19th century it was the largest and most influential city in the world. London is still one of the world's major financial and cultural city.

• 800 BC - the city now known as London was a Celtic settlement

• 43 AD - Romans established a settlement and named it Londinium

• 5th century - Romans leave the island

• 11th century - William the Conqueror comes to London after the Battle of Hastings

• (1066) - City of Westminster is established

• 12th century - Norman kings move the royal court to London and it becomes the capital

• 17th century - London survived 2 great disasters - the Plague (which Killed almost 100,000 people) and the Great Fire (1666) which destroyed most of the city

• 17th century (2nd half) - the city went through a period of extensive reconstruction including the building of many churches and public buildings

• World War lI - London suffered extensive damage because of German bombing raids

• July 2005 - terrorist attacks on London

Cuisine

British cuisine, has a reputation as being bland, greasy, and generally not very healthy. But there is a trend now especially in big cities like London to change this. Because there are so many people from different cultures living in London, some non-traditional foods from countries like India, China, Indonesia, Jamaica, and the Middle East, are becoming more popular.

For breakfast, Londoners, as well as all Brits, enjoy such dishes as: porridge; cornflakes with milk; buttered toast with marmalade; baked beans; fried bacon with eggs; ham and eggs; and sausages. Usually at breakfast, people drink coffee, tea with milk, or juice.

Lunch is not as big as a typical Czech lunch, and people usually have something quick such as a sandwich (ham and cheese being one of the most popular).

For dinner, typical foods include: fish and chips; roast beef with Yorkshire pudding; steak and kidney pie; Sheppard's pie; steak; or roast lamb with vegetables