by Tracy Bee

Created on: June 30, 2007   Last Updated: October 15, 2009

Is it possible to experience London in five hours? The sprawling, colourful, culture-filled capital that is London, all in a mere five hours?

Indeed, it is.

While I was living and working in London not so long ago, a Canadian friend - who was be in London for less than half a day during a quick stopover after enjoying a Mediterranean vacation - challenged me to do exactly that. Give him a taste of the grandeur, spectacle, and renown that is Londonall in five hours.

I'm always offering travel advice to friends. But how, I wondered, would I pull this one off? Not one to turn down a good challenge though, I immediately set to planning how, on a very limited time budget, I could showcase all that London has to offer.

I eventually devised a strategic route chock-full of London's essential sites and experiences.

The journey began at High Street Kensington Tube station. I lived in the area, and thought it to be a fantastic starting point for viewing the city. Thus, on the day in question, when my friend emerged from the station, flustered and spewing forth apologies about the many train delays that had set him behind schedule, I assured him that train delays are synonymous with London life. In fact, I assured him that he was right on schedule. He had already ticked off the first essential London experience.

His next experience was sticker shock. While there is indeed much more to London than high prices, out on Kensington High Street, surrounded by the likes of Marks and Spencer, French Connection and Dixon's Electronics, it is hard to ignore them. Converted to any other currency, London's prices seem almost scandalous. Yet, we were not there to dwell on prices or alarming exchange rates. Instead, we found a caffeine fix at my favourite fuel stop (High Street Kensington's Coffee Republic) and set out on our journey.

The next stop was the bus shelter, where we willed the arrival of the C1 bus. Like waiting for late trains and standing in long coffee line-ups, waiting for a bus is an essential London experience. London buses are a thrill to ride, which more than compensates for their tardiness. As we stood waiting, I reminded Chris that this punctuality, or lack thereof, must be experienced firsthand. The bus "queue" is as authentic a London experience as sitting in one of its pubs. And, sadly, our five hour time limit could hardly afford us time in a pub, though we would walk by many.

A few rounds of "spot the Smart Car" later (they truly are everywhere on London's

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