London is situated in the South-East of England in the Thames Valley.
Home to over 8 million people, the capital of the UK has been an important financial, educational and cultural center for hundreds of years.
Of the many gifts England has given to the world, none has been greater than her language and literature.
And if ever there's a city that reads like an epic saga, it's London.
The story of London began in the Bronze Age, but it didn't really get going until the Romans withdrew in the 5th century.
Growing into one of the great medieval trading cities, she truly came of age in the 11th century, when William the Conqueror built the Tower of London, which was to become one of England's grimmest prisons.
London is very easy to navigate around, and is compact enough to explore on foot.
This world city is filled with iconic symbols, and one of the most easily recognizable is Tower Bridge, an impressive reminder of London's rapid expansion during the industrial revolution.
Just upriver, at the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben's reassuring chimes peal across the city every hour, on the hour.
Buckingham Palace, perhaps the most famous palace in the world, is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth.
