London Things to Do

Those at the top of their sport have left London feeling rather weighed down by gold, silver, bronze or a combination of them clanking around their necks. One ex-Olympian admitted on TV that after one game (several years ago) he borrowed a medal from a friend who had won multiple so he could get an upgrade on his flight home – bravo!

And so it comes to a close. The spectacular cauldron will be turned off, the flame returned to Greece for another four years until it travels to Rio de Janeiro.

If the Opening Ceremony was anything to judge by, the closing of London 2012 will be worth taking notice of, even if there has been a lot less publicity about it.

The dramatic site of the 2012 London Olympics, Olympic Park has been taking a break since the close of the games but plans are well under way to transform the space into the ‘Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’. Set to become East London’s biggest public park, equipped with event stages, children’s playgrounds and 35km of walkways and cycle routes, the idyllic parklands will be back on the tourist itinerary in July 2013, as the North Park reopens its gates. The remainder of the 560-acre (230-hectare) park, including hockey and tennis facilities, The South Plaza and stadium, the aquatic center and the Orbit, will be open by Easter of 2014.

Each August, on the final bank holiday weekend of the summer, the eyes of London shift west to take in one of the city’s most vibrant and voracious street carnivals. The Notting Hill Carnival is organized by the area’s vast Caribbean population and is a celebration of their roots and heritage through music, dance, food and general flamboyance. Running since 1964, the carnival is Europe’s biggest street festival, drawing in crowds of over a million spectators to gawp at the flashy costumes and join in the party.

So you’ve just watched Michael Phelps win yet another gold medal in the pool, and seen Bradley Wiggins ride to gold medal victory to add to his Tour de France domination. Now you’re inspired to have a go yourself. Well, here are a few places in London to test your skills:

1. Swimming

If the 2012 London Olympics have inspired you to get active in the British capital, here are some of the best places to test your skills

Who is the oldest Olympian ever? Who was the youngest to ever win a medal? Who has made the most Olympic games appearances? Who began the Modern Olympics? Which country decided Beach Volleyball should be an olympic sport? And BMX racing?

If you’ve ever wondered the answers to some or all of these questions, then London has the answers for you in the many exhibitions around town at the moment.

Winning over a legion of new fans as the host of the London 2012 Olympics sailing events, Weymouth and Portland are among England‘s most attractive seaside resorts, drawing thousands to their shores each year.

Weymouth, with its sandy beaches and rugged coastal cliffs is the perfect antidote to London’s urban sprawl, earning itself a stellar reputation among outdoor adventurers. Rock-climbing, paragliding, hiking and cycling are all popular ways to soak up the scenic surroundings, and the resort has fast made a name for itself as a water sports hot-spot, with kite surfing, water skiing and wind surfing all on offer.

One of London’s eight Royal Parks and in close proximity to many of central London’s tourist attractions, Hyde Park is one of the city’s most popular parks, set around the vast Serpentine lake and home to a number of poignant monuments like the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain and the 7th July Memorial in honor of the victims of the 2005 London bombings.

As we all know, Olympic Football is largely being played outside London and in fact the London 2012 Olympics kicked off not in London or even England but in Cardiff, Wales making this a truly British Olympics despite its name.

So far all the dire predictions of crowds and transport chaos have failed to come true. London seems to be coping well with hosting the Olympic Games – although there are still many days remaining.

80,000 people left the opening ceremony without major delays even though the event ran well past midnight, but London kept the trains running until 2:30am – unheard of!