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The walkways of the Tate Modern gallery and Millennium Bridge, both opened in 2000, look across the Thames River to the 17th century dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Q I am considering visiting relatives in London and Ireland in the summer with my two sons, ages 18 and 12, before the older one goes off to college. However, I want to avoid the Summer Olympics in London. Given my limited window of opportunity, would you advise going before the Olympics, perhaps in late June, or after, in late August?

A An odd thing happens to cities that host the Olympics. While throngs of folks pile into town for the actual event, leisure tourists stay away for months, or even years.

VisitBritain, the tourism bureau, predicts that nearly 900,000 fans could arrive for the London Olympics, which run from July 27 to Aug. 12, but the European Tour Operators Association reports that regular tourist bookings will be down at least 50 percent during July and August.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee is June 3-5, so that also will be a busy weekend.

There likely will be a hectic buildup to the Olympic Games in mid-July.

I'd aim for either late June or Aug. 18-24, which is after the Olympics but before the Paralympics, which run Aug. 29-Sept. 9. Or go during the Paralympics, which sound like fun.

Q I have a phobia that prevents me from traveling anyplace where there are pigeons. I really haven't gone many places. A friend asked me to go with her to San Antonio's Riverwalk. Are there pigeons there?

A The Riverwalk does have pigeons that like to snack on the tortilla chips tourists leave behind, the San Antonio convention and visitors bureau reports.


Where could you go instead? Northern Alaska, rural South America, central Africa and Antarctica aren't natural homes for the common rock pigeon, says ornithologist Pamela Rasmussen, assistant professor of zoology at Michigan State University.

However, pigeons can turn up in places you don't expect them, such as Palm Springs. They're at airports. They're near hotels. They're in the country, perched on overpasses.

You don't say if you have tried treatment for your pigeon fear, but "I would strongly urge her to deal with it so she can travel," Rasmussen says.

Contrary to their reputation as feathered rats, "pigeons won't harm you," she says. "They don't carry diseases that are transferable to humans. They don't bite."

Today's Q&A comes from Ellen Creager of the Detroit Free Press. Have a question of general interest? Send it to