Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf is the place where we are going to work. It’s London’s new financial center, rivalling with the City. There are located the three tallest buildings in the UK : the Canary Wharf Tower, the HSBC Tower and the Citigroup tower. The name “Canary Wharf” comes from the sea trade with the Canary Islands in the Atlantic ocean. From 15 000 in 1999, its working population has quadrupled to 63 000 in 2004. Now, a lot of famous banks have their European headquarters in Canary Wharf : Credit Suisse, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, Bank of America, Barclays Capital, …

As a consequence of its increasing professional activity, it became very expensive to have an apartment in the area, even if it’s a bit far away from London’s center where the rents are astronomic.

It’s possible to go to Canary Wharf through the DLR (Docklands light railway) or by tube (Jubilee Line). The first time we went there, it seemed very similar to “La Defense”, which is the Parisian financial center.

Guide to travelling around London

In this article we would like to put emphasis on some of the most important monument of the city. If you had one day for visiting London, we recommend you the 6 following places.

Big Ben is one of the most famous places of London. It is very spectacular as you can see in this picture. Big Ben is a clock tower in the house of parliaments. The name Big Ben is said to be due to a heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt who was very popular at the time of it’s construction in the mid 19^th century. The clock is also known for its reliability.
Big Ben has become a symbol for the London in the media. Actually you easily locate that a film is taking place in London just by an image of Big Ben or an imperial bus or a red phone booth.

Hyde park is one of the largest parks in the center of London. This park is known thanks to princess Diana’s memorial, the upside-down tree and the speakers’ corner. In this area public speaking is allowed. Speakers can speak as long as the police consider that their speeches are ok with the law. Contrary to belief that there is an immunity and that there are no subjects proscribed the police can intervene either when they receive a complaint or when they hear bad language.

As far as museums are concerned, we believe that you should go to the Tate Modern. This museum is UK’s museum of modern art and is housed in a former power station which closed in 1981. Since the museum's opening in 2000, it has become a very popular destination. Be aware… the entry to collection displays and some temporary exhibitions is free.

Madame Tussaud’s is also an important museum in London. This wax museum is a very good attraction if you want to lie to your friend after coming back from London. If you want to meet ant get up close to your favourite celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Wayne Rooney, Robbie Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue or the Beatles and many more just come to Madame Tussaud’s.

London eye which is also known as the millennium wheel was opened on the 31^st of December 1999 to celebrate the new millennium. At that time, it was the tallest observation wheel in the world with 135m high. The revolution of the wheel takes 30min. When the capsule is at the top of the loop, you can enjoy a wonderful view on the Thames river and London’s attractions.

Harrods is the institution in London you should not miss. It’s a department store founded in 1834 and located in Knightsbridge. It has been bought recently by Mohamed El Fayed father of Dodi El Fayed who died with Diana, Princess of Wales in the Paris Alma Tunnel. Harrods is known because it was the holder of royal warrants from Queen Elizabeth II for Provisions and Household Goods. The main store is open, Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 8pm, and, on Sunday, from 12 noon to 6pm.