When in the UK next, do plan a visit to Greenwich, not just to stand stride the two hemispheres, but also to visit sites steeped in history and hop across to the charming Greenwich village

What can I say about London that you don’t already know? Besides being the most visited tourist city in the world with its monarchy, London indeed has a lot to offer. First of all, its cultural diversity needs to be applauded. Asian restaurants, African shops, Belgian chocolatiers, Parisian fashion are all testimony of its cultural richness that is so starkly visible at every turn.

What’s amazing is the seamless merge of history and modernism on every street. It’s beautiful. When in London one definitely pays homage to the cliché tourist sites such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Madam Tussaud's, the London Bridge, the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, to name a few. Windowshopping on Oxford and Reagent Street is mandatory. But, a cruise down the Thames puts London’s beauty in perspective. Riding all day on its world famous underground subway system is a way to observe interesting characters and places. London is a home away from home for a lot of people.

But, what I realize is that while everybody goes to London, Greenwich is clearly a place that lives off the tourist trade since it is not on a traveler's priority list. And since I generally like to do the unusual and go on trips that others might not consider the in thing to do, there I was, one a Sunday morning in April at 8 am, opposite Hyde Park to catch the London Tourist Bus. My aim was to get to the Westminster Pier from where we could take the Thames riverboat to Greenwich. I could have taken the tube as well from Bayswater Tube Station but I decided against and instead took the bus, which goes through all the important sites in London. After three hours of touring London, I landed in Westminster Pier at around 11 am and the riverboat to Greenwich was at 11.20 am.

Once on to the boat, down the river, all on board were treated to typical self-deprecatory British sense of humour by a man who cleverly mixed it with tit-bits of interesting information.

As I listen, I find out that he is not a professional guide but one of the boat crew, who write their own patter, complete with jokes about ex-wives and the Traitor's Gate. (Many prisoners of the Tudors entered the tower of London through the Traitors’ gate. It was a gate built by Edward I to provide Watergate entrance to the tower, part of St Thomas’ gate, which was designed to provide additional accommodation for the royal family).

For 45 minutes, we motored between the banks of the Thames, passing interesting sights such as the new Globe Theatre, the London Eye and the Canary Wharf.

Finally, we arrived at what appeared to be a quaint village. Nautical at every turn, I felt Greenwich is one of the many places overlooked by the steady onslaught of tourists that flock England every second.

I think a trip to Greenwich should be mandatory if you are really interested in history, art and geography. The Greenwich Meridian (or to the layman “Prime” Meridian) runs through here. The world-known university that cranks out the best of geographers lives here. The Maritime Museum, The Trinity College of Music, the Queen’s house and the Royal Naval College are just a few of its assets.

Along the bank of Thames, as you enter the Greenwich Pier, you see a magnificent and gigantic Cutty Sark, the beautiful tea clipper ship built for the tea trade from London to China. bearing testimony to its past. There are compasses and anchors at every turn. A tourist may not find this intriguing and one wonders if only geographers are interested in coming to this place, but believe me, it is fascinating and you do not have to be a geographer and know about longitudes and latitudes to visit Greenwich.

Cutty Sark was open to the public after it was restored. This magnificent ship has been in the dry dock since 1954. A complete renovation was estimated to cost £25 million. The Cutty Sark Trust had secured a grant of £12.95 million (consisting of a £1.2 million development grant and £11.75 million Stage 1 pass) from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The fully refurbished ship is open to the public and comes with a ticket price of £13.50 per adult and £7 for minors.

The Cutty Sark was launched in 1869 for the tea trade, and these ships had to be fast, because in those days before refrigeration and cheap hermetic sealing, tea did not travel well. The precious leaves became weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable after too long in hold. The fastest and most beautiful sailing ships ever made were built so Londoners could have a fresh cuppa in the morning.

My next halt was at the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval College. But just sitting around the in the garden outside the Naval college and immersing yourself in the surrounding beauty is also fun.

Across Romney Road with its public entrance on King William Walk, the Royal Naval College permits the public access to only two areas, namely the Painted Hall, a 400-seat dining room and site of Britain's formal state dinners; and the Chapel, which is considered one of England's best acoustic halls where many a chamber music works are recorded.

The Baroque-styled Painted Hall, which is part of King William Court, was designed by Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's Cathedral, and painted by James Thornhill. This magnificent building is now in use as a dining hall and is one of the most spectacular function venues in the country. A look at the paintings and it appears to open the ceilings to heaven.

In the central oval, the painting shows peace and liberty, and triumph over tyranny. The painting on the west wall shows Britain’s new royal family from Hanover in Germany, with George I surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

Then there is the famous Trinity College of Music, the world-renowned music college that is now a part of the Old Royal Naval College. It is housed in the elegant riverside buildings of the former. llaya Raja, one of the leading music directors from India's South Indian film industry and A R Rahman have studied here. I walked along the Queen’s Field and Queen’s palace in Greenwich Park to get to the Royal Observatory, which is quite a long walk from the Old Royal Naval College. Queen’s field is where the Queen’s Palace is situated.

While I did not go inside the house, it sure is famous. For instance, Inigo Jones designed it in 1616, introducing Palladian architecture to England. It is admired for its Great Hall and Tulip Staircase. Presented by Charles I to his French wife Henrietta Maria in 1635, the house is now a part of the National Maritime Museum. The Queen's House also features a conservation studio and an artist-in-residence.

And how could an avid trekker like me not hike up to the Royal Observatory? Once can also take a shuttle bus (£1.50 each) up to the top of the hill. The seven pounds that is charged to get into the Observatory seemed a bit steep, and I decided against going inside and instead took pictures from outside. But, if one did go inside, one could get to see the Royal Observatory and its zero-degree longitude marker. The Observatory stands as a monument to navigational research. It is the original home of Greenwich Mean Time and is famous being the source of the Prime Meridian line that divides the East from the West (longitude 0° 0’0”).

In the courtyard of the Observatory, and right outside, are brass strips set in the ground and walls marking the exact site of the line of the Meridian. It is, therefore, possible to stand astride the line, with a foot in each hemisphere; a favourite tourist occupation.

I finally listened to a grumbling stomach and found a way straight to the Greenwich market. I'm glad I did. With its colourful multi-cultural atmosphere, the market is known for its variety of good food and beer. After a sumptuous lunch, I decided to get the cruise at 4.30 pm from the market. Thankfully, having walked so much at Greenwich I was tired and slept through the crew member’s monologue. But it was a day wonderfully spent.