Howdy All! Well it’s time for Round THREE of ‘City Rumble’, putting some of my and hopefully your favourite cities together to fight it out to see which is the better destination. A few weeks back I finished the round of second chances and others, and because of that I needed a little time to work out exactly how to proceed and how I would approach the third round.

I’ve decided to pit the first eight winners of round 2 up against the 8 winners of the second chance phase. I will take the winner of the first match up against the very final matchup and work back towards the centre. This gives us a draw looking something like this –

So today we begin with a huge one, it’s going to be London and Jerusalem going head to head!

Let’s start by taking a look at how these two fine cities got to the third round if this auspicious tournament. Firstly, London which has had to overcome stiff opposition from two cities through rounds one and two. Firstly it fought off New York City – a city which has received a second chance and also made it through to the third round. You can read all about the battle of ‘Across the Pond’ here at City Rumble – New York City Versus London. After that London kicked off the second round earlier this year along with Singapore in a close fought contest which saw the British capital and home to Lizzy II come out on top. That clash – City Rumble London Versus Singapore.

Jerusalem, on the other hand, came through the other side of the draw which included a mix of second chance opportunities and cities that missed out on selection previously. Jerusalem fought off a challenge from Istanbul in City Rumble – Jerusalem Versus Istanbul. But those were merely the formalities, now it’s time to get serious, and so …. LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

So. I’ve already compared these cities against others, so this next round it gets a bit trickier. Finding a new way to look at things can be a challenge, but I thought perhaps this round might see me get a bit more succinct. One can only hope, right? So let’s use categories and see how they match up against each other, shall we?

Weather

Aha. Yes well, you would say outright that this point would go to Jerusalem I guess. I mean, London is known for rain and fog, cold winters with little daylight in December, cloudy more often than not. However I have been there in early summer before and found it surprisingly hot. It doesn’t cope well with the heat though, air conditioning is not that common and the Tube seems to lack any decent way to get the heat out. Jerusalem on the other hand is in a very dry part of the world, and its summers are seriously hot. I went in November (2019) though and it was around 20 degrees and sunny every day. Maybe a little warmer. It was the perfect temperature I thought for serious touristing!

Food

Okay so this one I feel is a clear win to London. Although British food is nothing to write home about, at least in London you have so many options and of course if you don’t want English food, which some claim is an oxymoron, then you can get Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese and more different cuisines. In Jerusalem I was surprised by both the limited variety and the price. Not only that, I tried McDonald’s just the once in Jerusalem and not only was it exceedingly expensive, it was close to the worst McDonald’s I have ever had. I felt like I was eating cardboard. I did find some delicious shawarma in the Arab Quarter that wasn’t too expensive, so a little tip for you is to head there for your eating.

Cost

Okay so yeah. It is no secret that London is one of the world’s most expensive cities. But guess what – so is Jerusalem. I think food is a little more expensive in Jerusalem, but in London when you head out to places you want to see, they can be crazy expensive at times. This is somewhat balanced out by some places being free such as the British Museum, where you can see a lot Middle Eastern artefacts which were pilfered long ago. I think accommodation prices are similar, and they are expensive for what you get. Both have hostels too obviously and perhaps London is slightly better value for money. I can’t say I’ve ever been overly impressed by the places I’ve stayed in London, they have been pretty basic but my one hotel in Jerusalem was also pretty basic and was over $100AUD.  I know I’ve had a couple of rooms in London comparable in quality but also cheaper.

Public Transport

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Although the Tube is dreadful when it’s even vaguely hot, it’s still historic and pretty comprehensive and supplemented with a decent bus system. Jerusalem is not nearly as big as London and there is no underground network. There is a tram that’s new a modern, and a couple of bus systems that run off different ticketing systems which I found somewhat confusing. The taxis are iconic and special in London, and expensive to take in both cities. A more special experience in London. This point definitely goes to the British capital.

Things to see and Do

Let’s just list ‘em, folks.

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London – Shakespeare’s Globe (awesome) – London Eye (iconic Ferris wheel) – British Museum (one of the world’s best) – Big Ben – Tower of London – Ride a boat on the Thames – Tower Bridge –

Jerusalem – Old City including – Jewish Quarter – Church of the Holy Sepulchre (amazing church on the spot where Jesus was crucified) – The Western Wall (take a tour to see how it continues under the city) – The Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock – Jewish Museum (brilliant museum worth perhaps a couple of days) – Yad Vashem (Holocaust Memorial and Museum) – Mount of Olives (includes a few interesting sights and churches)

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And of course, there are many many more in both cities. I should point out that both cities see incredible numbers of tourists. Wandering Jerusalem’s Old City can be a nightmare as I found it, but you will never be far from a bunch of tourists in London either, that’s for sure!

And also…

Okay so if you were to choose a city to see a show, which one would it be? It would have to be London, with its West End, theatre and musicals. And you can see them for half price or less if you know where to go. Which I think is a big plus for London over a lot of cities. Not that Israel does not have entertainment, but I feel that’s more a Tel Aviv feature.

And London also has connections of a couple of hours or less to some wonderful places such as university town Cambridge (also Oxford, a little further afield), Stratford-upon-Avon, and even the south-coast including Brighton. Also, London is home to a number of world class sporting events including the Premiere League, international cricket and of course Wimbledon.

Making the Winner…

Do I have to spell it out? It’s London of course. But then, I LOVE London. And look, I did this whole thing without a single Doctor Who reference. Apart from that one! But London has made it through none-the-less to the quarter finals. Jerusalem is an amazing and unforgettable place to visit mind you, but for me London is just… just… well I won’t say unbeatable, will I?

Thanks for reading today, what are your thoughts? Next week we see Melbourne take on Shanghai and the winner will face London in the quarter finals. Take care – May the Journey Never End!