London & Paris

London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom is a modern 21st century city with a rich history that stretches all the way back to Roman times. Reminders London’s rich past are everywhere. The city’s buildings are stunning milestones in a unique and captivating biography, and many of them are instantly recognisable landmarks. London’s ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 2.9 square-km medieval boundaries. The city boasts four World Heritage Sites: The Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey – site of British monarch coronations, the Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. At its centre stand the imposing Houses of Parliament and the iconic ‘Big Ben’ clock tower. Across the Thames River, the London Eye observation wheel provides panoramic views of the South Bank cultural complex, and the entire city.

Paris, the capital and largest city in France has been one of Europe’s major centers for art, fashion, gastronomy, science, music and commerce since the 17th century. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. With an illustrious artistic pedigree – Renoir, Rodin, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Dalí and Van Gogh are but a few of the masters who have lived and worked here over the years – Paris is one of the world’s great art repositories, harbouring treasures from antiquity onwards.