London offers a wealth of arts and leisure activities. The photo shows a classical music performance on a cafe terrace in Covent Garden. The impromptu audience toss coins as a sign of their appreciation for these musicians, who play to a professional standard.

Whenever you mention London, most people think of must-see tourist attractions like the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden, Buckingham Palace, or crowded places like Piccadilly Circus and the ubiquitous London Underground. The recent bomb attacks in London shocked the world and also made a deep impression on us. But very few people have heard that London is also a place where people grow flowers and vegetables.

In fact, London's big parks are all worth visiting, especially given that England is located at a northerly latitude and is blessed with four distinct seasons that are tempered by the sea. Winter is not bitterly cold, but there is precious little sunshine, so as soon the sun does make an appearance everyone goes to the park. Regent's Park and Hyde Park are teeming with people enjoying the flowers, picnicking, going for a stroll, or playing ball games. On the outskirts of the city, the London Wetlands Centre and Kew Gardens, which are home to a rich diversity of flowers and plants, present a different face of London.