LONDON

16Sightseeing17that lady’s memory as, in thedress collection, there are a bunchof her posh frocks.On your way to the Palace,cast your eyes to your left andtake in the Albert Memorial 1 ,the fabulous gold monument toPrince Albert (Queen Victoria’shusband) and the Royal AlbertHall, both highly impressiveexamples of Victoriana.The River TourHyde ParkThe Parks TourStart at Hyde Park Corner tube(make sure you take the correctexit) and stroll into one of theworld’s great urban open spaces,Hyde Park, designed to look like awedge of English countryside,complete with a sandy trail forhorse-riders. It’s here you’ll see theHousehold Cavalry trotting alongin their finest at 10.30am (an hourearlier on Sundays) and in-lineskaters year round. Follow signsfor the Serpentine 1 and you’llfind an impressive boating lake;follow the signs for the PrincessDiana Memorial Fountain 2(in Kensington Park, which kindof melts into Hyde Park) andyou’ll find a controversial, avantgardestream-cum-fountain.The Serpentine Gallery 3 showscontemporary art while theSerpentine Gallery Pavilion is anannual experiment in architecturevery much worth catching.Kensington Palace 4 , which you’llremember for the fields of flowersfollowing Princess Diana’s death, isthe place to pay your respects toKensingtonnGardensBayswater RoadHyde ParkFINISH The Serpentine 14325Kensington RoadHyde Park &Kensington GardensHyde Park Corner/Knightsbridge/Lancaster Gate/Queensway+44 (0)20 7298 2100www.royalparks.gov.ukThe SerpentineGalleryKensington Gardens (nr. AlbertMemorial), W2Hyde Park Corner/Knightsbridge/Lancaster Gate/Queensway+44 (0)20 7402 6075www.serpentinegallery.orgOpen: 10am-6pm, dailyAdmission: FreeKensington PalaceKensington Gardens, W8High Street Kensington/Queensway+44 (0)870 751 5170www.hrp.org.ukOpen: Mar-Oct, 10am-6pm, daily.Nov-Feb, 10am-5pm, daily. Lastentry 1hr before closing.Admission: £11; £7.20-8.30 concessions;group rates available.KnightsbridgeMarbleArchPark LaneSTARTHyde ParkCornerGreenwichGet yourself to Embankment tubeand down to the Thames (with apullover!) for a lovely river tour.Once on board, you’ll probably veerright to pick up fellow passengersfrom The London Eye 1 then it’soff downstream taking in thepotted history of London.You’llpass the Southbank Centre 2 ,Tate Modern 3 and Shakespeare’sGlobe 4 , HMS Belfast 5 and theTower of London 6 , before nippingunder Tower Bridge 7 and into astretch of river where Dickensmeets the 21st century.Canary Wharf 8 is London’smini-Manhattan with skyscrapersand shiny new blocks and bridgesbased around an old dock (wellworth a short afternoon’s visit) andlook out for The O 9 2 the newincarnation of the eye-catchingMillennium Dome.Then chug downriver, passing everything from oldwarehouses to modern estates,until you get to Greenwich, a prettypalace- and park-filled outposthousing the Royal Observatory 10 ,the National Maritime Museum 11 ,and the Queen’s House 12 , built byInigo Jones for Charles I’s queen,Henrietta Maria.Royal Observatory &PlanetariumGreenwich Park, SE10DLR (Docklands Light Railway fromBank tube station) Greenwich orCutty Sark.Tel: +44(0)20 8312 6565oEmbankmentSTARTTower Bridgewww.rog.nmm.ac.ukOpen: 10am-5pm daily, until 6pmin the summerAdmission: FreeNational MaritimeMuseumRomney Road, SE10DLR (Docklands Light Railway fromBank tube station) Greenwich orCutty Sark.Tel: +44(0)20 8858 4422www.nmm.ac.ukOpen: July-August 10am-6pm daily;213 4 567rest of year 10am-5pm dailyAdmission: FreeQueen’s HouseRomney Road, SE10DLR (Docklands Light Railway fromBank tube station) Greenwich orCutty Sark.Tel: +44 (0)20 8312 6565www.nmm.ac.ukOpen: 10am-5pm daily(last entry 4.30pm)Admission: Free; occasional chargefor temporary exhibitions.8FINISH1112109Sponsored byvisitlondon.com/gay