London traveling Guide through King's Cross station

For visiting London, proximity to King’s Cross is the perfect location.  An intersection of six tube lines, including the Northern, Piccadilly, and Circle Lines, to name a few, can get you virtually anywhere from King’s Cross.  King’s Cross is also a train terminal, in the case that you are planning to visit the north of the UK.  But let’s not get off track and get back to seeing London via King’s Cross.  London, the cultural melting pot that it is, offers amazing and varied shops of anything you could desire.  Located near the major shopping zones of London, both commercial and artisan, King’s Cross is a convenient place for a shopping tour in London.  The city is also a magnet for great and creative minds, as is well known by all the thinkers, writers and artists who both came to and from London.  The wide range of museums and galleries reflects this intellectual breeding ground, and again, King’s Cross is a skip, hop and a jump away from many of these world-class museums.  Less conventional tours to start from King’s Cross could include a round of the city’s parks, exploring the wide web of the tube itself, or the nearby nightlife hotspots.  So, whether it’s shopping, rich culture, or any fun explorations that you’re after, King’s Cross will guide you there quickly and efficiently.  This paragraph is sponsored by Umrah 2015 from UK.

  For the shoppers!  Have an early and hearty breakfast (you will need the energy) and put yourself on the Northern Line, heading for Camden Town, where you will find open air markets selling art, crafts, clothes, accessories and much more.  It’s best to spend time here in the morning, as the area isn’t the safest at night.  After you’ve stocked up on original craft gifts at the market, head back to your hotel, drop them off, and back on the tube!  Via the Piccadilly Line, head towards Covent Garden, a famous indoor market, and the surrounding area, full of boutiques, shops, and nice cafes.  This picturesque market makes a nice lunch stop, with some cozy restaurants nearby.  Piccadilly Circus comes next: very commercialized, with many well-known brand stores.  Piccadilly is a fun place to return to at night, as the lights and pubs draw partiers to them like moths to the flame!  Head on to Knightsbridge to see the world famous Harrods’s Department store.  After this detour, it’s on to Oxford Circus to join the crowded throng admiring and buying the riches of Oxford Street, which is equivalent to New York’s Fifth Ave, a street of fancy department stores interspersed with chic shopping boutiques.  If your spending needs are still not satiated, check out other markets, such as Portobello, or just by walking through London, you will find hidden gems of stores throughout the city.  If, however, Oxford Street sums up the shopping day nicely for you, head back into the Oxford Circus tube, and the Victoria Line will conveniently take you right back to King’s Cross.

 For the culture seeker, you will start your day heading in the opposite direction of the shopper.  Head south on the Piccadilly Line to Russell Square, and just a few blocks south of the shady square is the British Museum.  After your explorations, you may also enjoy Covent Garden for its history and theater – check out the listings as they may draw you back in the evening.  Nearby is Trafalgar Square, home of the National Gallery.  From here, continue on to Green Park, and gasp at the size and beauty of Buckingham Palace.  Changing of the Guard takes place nearby, so check the season’s schedule if you are interested.  Slide down the Jubilee Line to Southward, and enjoy the neighboring Tate Modern and Globe Theatre.  Make your way back north of the river to Tower Hill, and explore London’s Tower.  Take the Circle line back to King’s Cross to conclude the cultural loop.  Click here to get information about Umrah visa 2015 and about Umrah hotel accommodation from UK.

 The adventurer who wants to learn the city by randomly coming across the interesting things may enjoy traveling from park to park, always great for people watching and discovering the wide variety of London’s inhabitants.  Regents, Hyde, Green, and St. James Parks are the main ones, each with distinctive personalities.  The Tube itself is extremely interesting, and it’s worth reading the entertaining advertisements of the tube, listen to some talented and not-so-talented musicians, pick out who the tourists are and who the natives are… the tube can be really enjoyable during your voyage.  Take advantage of being in this unique London sub world!  King’s Cross is also nearby to Leicester Square and Piccadilly, both popular nights out areas.  Or try traveling round Circle line and seeing how many pubs you can manage to stop at… after which, see if you manage to find your way back to King’s Cross on this concentric line!

  King’s Cross, recently made famous through Harry Potter’s platform 9 ¾, is more than a fictitious train platform.  It’s a station that literally will get you anywhere in London (and beyond) very conveniently.  If you’re visiting London to shop, to learn its culture, or just to explore it for face value, King’s Cross is the best starting and ending point.  You will get to where you need to go quickly, and at the end of the long day, you won’t have to wait long to be back at your London home, sweet home.

Wild Plants Backpackers Do you know?

Why learn about wild plants just to go backpacking? Of course it is interesting for some of us, but beyond that, a little knowledge of plants can save your life. This isn't just about the edible ones. Food is actually a low priority in most wilderness emergencies. However, there are many other important uses for the plants out there.

Useful Wild Plants

Cattails: The cattail is one of the most useful wild plants in the wilderness. Swampy or wet areas throughout the northern hemisphere have cattail plants, and once you identified them, you'll never forget them. While they have five edible parts, cattails are much more than food plants. Their long flat leaves have been used for centuries to make baskets and food-serving trays. You can weave them into mats for sleeping on, and even make crude clothing out of them.

The "fluff" of the cattail seed head that makes it one of the first wild plants you should learn about. The old fluffy seed heads often cling to the tops of the stalks year-round. Put a spark to these and it they can burst into flame. This can be a life-saver if you don't have matches. Stuff your jacket full of cattail fluff and you'll turn it into a winter coat, possibly saving you from the number one killer in the wilderness: hypothermia.Click here to get information about Islamic tour and about world tour from UK.

Some have also reported using cattail as an insect repellent. Just keep a smudgy fire going by burning the seed fluff. This may not be any more effective than any smoky fire would be, but it's so simple to collect and burn cattail fluff that it is worth remembering.

Yuccas: Sword-like leaves with sharply pointed ends make these easy plants to recognize. Few plants can be used so easily to make rope or twine. In the California desert I peeled yucca leaves into strips and braided them into a rope in a matter of thirty minutes. With two men pulling hard on either end, we couldn't break it. This is one of the better plants for making ropes as well as finer string (separate out the finest fibers).

Yucca can also provide needle and thread for emergency repairs. Cut the tip of a yucca leaf from the inside, an inch down and about halfway through. Bend it back, and you'll be able to peel some fibers out of the leaf, which stay attached to the "needle" or tip of the leaf. I've pulled out two-foot long strands of fibers this way, and sewn up clothing with them.

Milkweeds: Several parts are edible with proper preparation, and some people apply the white sap to warts to get rid of them. The really useful part of the milkweed, however, is the seed fluff. It is even more flammable than cattail fluff, so you can use it for starting fires from sparks.

It is a great insulater, too, even looking something like goose down. Fill bread bags with milkweed down and these "mittens" will keep your hands very warm. Insert your hands and tie the bags around your wrist or tuck it into your sleeves. This paragraph is sponsored by Umrah ticket 2015 from UK.

Some other useful wild plants? The bark the white birch tree burns better than paper, even when wet. Pop sap blisters on fir trees (young ones) and you can use the sap as an antiseptic dressing for small cuts. Smear the juice from crushed wild garlic and onion on yourself as an insect repellent. There are endless ways to use wild plants, so why not learn and practice a few?