Simultaneously a fast-paced contemporary metropolis and a venerable center of history and culture, London seduces the traveler with infinite possibilities for an action-packed weekend. Now, with the help of The New York Times and its expert travel wr iters and photographers, you can refine choices and cut through tourist clichés to get the best of British in just 36 hours. Through treasure-house museums and cutting-edge galleries, classic pubs and top-notch theater, picture-perfect lunch spots an d legendary curry houses, discover the best of this buzzing world capital with a selection of lively itineraries, including thematic and neighborhood specials such as Literary London, London with Children, East London, and Hampstead. And if it''s time to venture further afield, choose from a selection of glorious weekend trips from the Highlands of Scotland to sleepy Welsh villages, the dreaming spires of Oxford to nonstop partying in Brighton.