6/10/2008 at 9:30 AM
Tags: London Travel, London Attractions, Attractions (all tags)
There's about to be another way for the (reasonably wealthy) traveler to see London. The Star Over London is a German-built Zeppelin airship that will run scenic flights over London, starting July 10.
Over six weeks of summer, the airship will take off five times a day for a flight taking up to an hour, floating you over sights like Buckingham Palace (wave at the Queen's corgis!), St Paul's Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament, among others.
Oh, and in case your brain thinks airship-equals-Hindenburg, the manufacturers are saying very loudly that this is a more advanced--and more safe--model. The only thing that's crashing to the ground is your jaw when you hear the price: Zeppelin-ing over London starts at £185 ($360).
Related Stories:
· Zeppelin Airships to Fly Over London Again [UK Times]
· Star Over London [Official Website]
· London Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Favynet]
by amandak
5/21/2007 at 2:43 PM
Tags: Historic Attractions, Cutty Sark, London Attractions (all tags)
The Cutty Sark, a 138-year-old ship considered the last tea clipper in the world, caught on fire this morning while sitting in Greenwich harbor and sustained major damages. Restoration architects are currently looking over the ships remains, hoping that rebuilding is an option. The Cutty Sark Trust said it was still assessing the extent of the damage, but promised to rebuild the ship. The boat, a major tourist attraction in London since it docked for good in 1954, was in the middle of renovations and set to reopen in 2009.
In the days before Qantas, the Cutty Sark was one of the fastest boats running between the U.K. and Australia, and also made runs to (of course) China. It even inspired a brand of Scotch. The fire is being treated as suspicious, according to reports, because of the size of the boat.
Half the ship's timbers had been removed for renovation before the fire. The figurehead, masts and ship's wheel were not damaged.
For now, you can get a closer look by hopping a Thames cruise and seeing this piece of history -- or, sadly, what is left -- from the water.
To get more information on the ships daunting coming rebuild, or to support the The Cutty Sark Trust, go here.
[Photo: ridgway]
Related Stories:
· London Travel Stories [Jaunted]
by egw
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