Here are some thoughts on things to do & see as a tourist in Greater London, centered on Leicester Sq. / Covent Garden.

Also looking for a recommendation on a Tattoo Artist near Leicester Sq. And yes, I've checked yell.co.uk, but that isn't a recommendation, it's just a statement that they are in business.

Here are some thoughts, for a starter. This is just a quick list, additional suggestions are appreciated and requested.

Looking at and visiting: Big Ben / Bond Street & Old Bond Street / Camden Flea Mkt / China Town / Covent Garden Market / Downing Street (at least up to the gate to see what can be seen) / Drury Lane / grave yards & graves (to do some rubbings) / Greenwich Observatory / Guild Hall to see Gogg & Magogg / Leicester Sq (the center of Tourist Land) / London Eye / Millenium Bridge / Neal's Yard / New Shakespeare Globe Theatre (for a tour & a show) / Parliament / PlayersTheatre.co.uk (to see an old style Music Hall show) / Portobello Flea Mkt / Queen's Life Guard / Soho / Southwich Church (the sign says Shakespeare is not buried here) / Speaker's Corner / St. Martin's Café in the Crypt / Tardis / Dr. Who, last standing Police Box & the Dr. Who Expo @ Earls Court / Trafalgar Sq. / Westminster Abbey for a tour.

Places that I'd skip: The Children's Museum = a dull static museum / Pollock's = worse than the Children's, it's dull static and dusty / Portrait Museum = rude attendants / Tate(s) = great place to grow orchards, a rotten place to keep art / The Wax Museum = they can't even keep trace of their heads, name tags without a head to go with it.

Tour companies I'd consider using: LondonDuckTours.co.uk = a land & water tour / Theatre Ghost Tour = fun with history / Tower of London = including the crows / LondonWalks.com Ripper Tour & Others

Foods that may taste different from what's available in California: bangers & mash / bubbles & squeek / Chinese (to see how it tastes in England) / country pie / cucumber sandwich / fish & chips / High Tea / Indian / Japanese (ditto) / mashie peas / Pub Grub / treacle / yorkshire pudding

Museums to visit: British Museum / Clink.co.uk museum / Dickens House / Herb Garret & Old Operating Theatre thegarret.org.uk / Museum of London / Science Museum / Sherlock Holmes Museum / Theatre Museum (if they've reopened it) / Transport Museum / the V&A, just to see which sections are open or are closed.

Specific shops to visit: BBC shop (to get some dvds, I hav a multi-region player) / Burlington Arcade Shops / Charing Cross Book Stores / Culpeper.co.uk Herbals / Doc Martin Shop / Fairy Goth Mother – Camden Town / Forbidden Planet Store (maybe) / Foyles.co.uk Bookstore / Hamlin Toys / Harrods.com / James Smith & Co. Umbrellas / Lockhatters.co.uk Hats / Old Curiosity Shop / OrcsNest.com Gaming / stanfords.co.uk maps / Tea House Store near Neals Yard / Treadwells Book Store / Twining Tea Shop / Waterstones.com Book Store / whsmith.co.uk books

I'm interested in British History (Queens Elizabeth I & Victoria Era), Dr. Who, Red Dwarf, Potter & the like, Live Theatre (especially Musicals), theatre production, Steam Punk, historic Architecture, historic Recreation & Costuming; to mention a subset.

Please remember, just Greater London and probably less than that for traveling range. There is more than too much to see within 5 miles of Covent Garden.