Something arbitrary:

If there is one date that nearly everyone in England knows, it is 1066 when the Normas invaded England.   William the Conqueror became King when he invaded the country after Edward the Confessor died.

Edward was King of England but he wasn’t like most rulers of the time; he was a peace-loving man of God who put all of his energies into building churches.   His most famous church was Westminster Abbey.

It was built on marshy land by the River Thames in London, and it was Edward’s chief delight to watch the building grow.   When he died he was buried in his new church – as lots of kings and queens and famous people have been in the centuries which followed.

Lots of rulers have nick-names: Edward 1 was the Hammer of the Scots; Richard 1 was the Lion-Heart; all very warlike.   But Edward was called the Confessor because of the way he lived his life witnessing to his belief in Christ.

So each year on 13th October we remember the King who was a saint.

Nicknames or not?

All of these are nicknames of real rulers from the past:

Charles the Bald; Eric Bloodaxe; Ivailo the Cabbage; Boleslaw the Curly; Pippin the Short; Niall of the Nine Hostages; Ragnar Hairy Britches; Louis the Stammerer and there was a Viking king of Dublin called Glun the Iron Knee – but I don’t think he was into recycling!

sourced from Coleman’s Hatch cronicle for October.

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Zdjęcia stanowią ilustrację do wpisu  LONDON TOWN , który można przeczytać na Wizji Lokalnej .

Widok Parlamentu od strony Tamizy

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Londyńskie Oko

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Kontrasty, kontrasty...

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Zatroskany lew a za nim... wielkie Oko

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Londyn jesienią

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Big Ben

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Parlament w słońcu a przed nim król na koniu

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The Royal Courts of Justice (The Strand)

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Najsłynniejszy i najstarszy sklep z herbatą

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Pod ciężarem czap

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Kruki w Tower of London

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London Bridge

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Widok z londyńskiego mostu

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Wnętrze katedry Św. Pawła

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Westmintser Abbey

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Przed Pałacem Buckingham

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Popiersie dżentelmana w Muzeum Victorii i Alberta

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Beauty and the Beast

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Okno wystawowe w Harrods

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Znaki na londyńskim niebie

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Londyn w budowie

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Inwazja modernizmu: Tower of London i wielkie szklane jajo

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Panorama miasta z London Eye

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Zmierzch nad Tamizą

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Na ślizgawce

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Parlament nocą

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London by night: St. Paul's Cathedral

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the capital

westminster abbey

london eye

Your tax dollars at work………………….it just makes you sick

This was recently in the UK papers but not the papers here…

Michelle Obama Takes Girls to London for Fish and Chips

A Boeing 757 and a fleet of armored cars for Michelle’s sightseeing tour!

On Sunday, President Obama flew back to the United States on Air Force One. His wife, two daughters and her mother did a bit of shopping in Paris before taking their own Boeing 757 (C-32) over to London to do some sightseeing. We all remember Obama’s admonishment to corporate CEOs in February:

“You can’t get corporate jets, you can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime.”

Apparently that doesn’t apply to his wife.

The London Times opened its description of Michelle’s visit this way:

Motorcycle outriders, armoured Chevrolets and bullet-headed men in raincoats criss-crossed London yesterday as Michelle Obama and her daughters spent a second day on an unofficial visit to the capital.

The Times went on to describe that when Michelle and the girls arrived at Westminster Abbey, the building was closed to tourists with people already in told to “wait against the wall.” An American visiting the Abbey said “Right then I knew it was probably someone from our ‘royal family’.”

Michelle’s motorcade shut down the  London street above as the First Lady of the World and her children go for Fish and Chips at a pub in  Mayfair . The entourage inside the restaurant was 15 people while dozens more wait outside. Include the dozens of Air Force personnel to fly and service the plane, embassy personnel and other staff and we are talking about a serious expenditure of taxpayer dollars.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans have lost their jobs and won’t be able to take their family on a summer holiday. Despite their circumstances they’ll still be expected to fork over the tax dollars to pay for Michelle’s trip!

We arrived sometime in the after noon at London’s Heathrow airport on the second of October.  We picked up our car and headed across town to find our accommodations.  After settling in we set out on foot to explore the city.  London is a great town with so much to see and do, and the metro system (The Tube) is easy to use, so easy if fact we left our car parked the entire time (3 days) we were in London.  First stop was the Westminster area, which has the Parliament houses, Big Ben, the London Eye and tops on my list, Westminster Abbey.  We visited this area several times both during the day and at night where the feel is distinctly different.  The Abbey is spectacular, and we were able to catch a service there as well, in which the quire and organist played out an ominous tune reminiscent of a Halloween haunting.   We also rode the London Eye (a big Farris wheel, once claimed to be the biggest in the world, now second to the Singapore Flier) to gain perspective on this city of over seven million people.  We also visited other parts of the city like Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus, a bustling shopping district with a carnival like vibe.  We also paid a visit to the Tower of London and the famous Tower Bridge, to whet our appetite for many more castles to come.

Before we get to the castles part of England, we needed to drive south to see that funky pile of rocks called Stonehenge.  The tour books belittle the arrangement of rocks as hardly worth seeing, due to its close proximity to major freeways.  It is true that there are a juncture of roads converging on this sight, but major roads they are not.  The English Heritage (a government conservatory) is so worried about the bad press, that they have plans of relocating the roads and tunneling around the site where necessary to protect the solitude of the site.  Funny thing is that the roads are not that big (single lane each way) and not busy enough to warrant such drastic measures (If they do move them, hats off).  The place by far exceeds the expectations painted by Lonely Planet, and that of our own, and falls in the must see category for those who have not been.  While we were in the area we spent some time in Salisbury and took in the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral.

Much to my family’s dismay (and embarrassment), I am a huge Jane Austen fan, and that led us straight to Bath, England.  Bath is the setting of several of her novels, and so vividly described within, that I needed to see for myself.  We dedicated two days to the exploration of her town, including the famous bathhouses that date back to the Romans in 72ad (the Romans built these lavish bath houses as a gesture of kindness for taking over the country).  The baths are still fed by a natural hot spring, and make for a great photo op.  We also visited the Royal Crescent, Bath Abbey and walked the streets, alleys, and riverbanks to experience the fullness of this city.  The Jane Austen House was however closed as we passed by on that rainy evening, leaving happy smiles on my children’s dampened faces.  As a side note, I don’t like Shakespeare’s works, and so a trip to Stratford upon Avon would prove superfluous, but the castles of Wales were calling.

Ah the welsh and their Celtic charm.  Our first stop in Wales was Cardiff, a wonderful seaside town with tons of stuff to explore.  The hotel reception staff was a wonderful wealth of knowledge, and directed us to some fabulous sights.  One of the little surprises in Cardiff was a small village of period buildings and houses, all painstakingly disassembled moved and reassembled to their original glory in this mock village of the ages.  Each street represented a different time period in history.  On site were blacksmiths, shopkeepers, a leather tannery, Pottery spinners and other rural village displays for a unique look back in time.  Along side this village was a small Castle, a 17^th century remake of an earlier fortification that once stood there.  The gardens and ponds were spectacular but the castle structure was a little on the uninspiring side.  Later on we

Found our way to the Cardiff Castle, which was absolutely fantastic.  Walking the grounds, one gets the feeling of days gone past.  Climbing the steep stone steps to the upper most reaches of the keep provides an unrivaled view of the surrounding city and the port, which made Cardiff worth fighting for. 

We were still craving more castles and Wales has no shortage.  For good measures we wandered thru in Tintern Abbey, before heading north to see Beaumaris Castle and Conwy Castle.  Both of these were spectacular and in partial ruins, which made them all the more interesting to explore.  We visited several other castles along the way and found our way to the shops in each of these little towns.  It was only fair, if I got to see my castles and Abbeys, then the kids got to shop. Tristi and I always love walking the historic districts of these little (and some not so little) towns.  There are always interesting little shops with equally interesting shop owners and other locals that make the experience special.   

From the north of Wales we headed back into England proper.  It was hard to pass up Liverpool (home to the Beatles), yet with such a tight schedule we needed to head straight to York.  York is a picturesque medieval walled city that has a history spanning well over a thousand years.  Our draw to this walled city was York Minster, the 900 plus year old masterpiece of stone and stained glass.  It’s not just the Minster that makes this area so beautiful, but the setting in which it lies.  The manicured lawns and gardens, towering trees turning a multitude of autumn colors, and the narrow cobbled alley ways lined with wonderful old buildings give this place it’s uniquely English character.  During our time in York, we ventured outward to visit the Howard Castle with it’s outstanding gardens (the castle is set on over 13000 acres) and one of my favorites Fountains Abbey.  This Abbey, which is in a state of partial ruins, is also set on nice acreage, with a river flowing thru a forested setting, with several lakes and numerous walking paths in and around the grounds.  Within this ruinous structure, stands one of the tallest fortified towers ever built in an abbey type of setting.  The tower however is proportionate to the massive structure that once housed the religious center, an incredible building in it’s own rights. 

From the York area we headed north to Durham for a look at another great walled city.  The Durham area offers several great castles, Warkworth and Alnwick, both worth paying a slow and easy visit to.  The Alnwick castle, had a great area set up just for kids, where they could dress up in period costumes, do copper plate etchings, sword fight with evil Knights (really a kids interactive game with a wooden sword, that scored the number of kills) play chess on a life sized board, and even get beheaded by a guillotine (ah, the magic of mirrors).  Further into the castle, there was a really creepy haunted castle, where you could get vertigo in the spinning bridge walk (very cool) and the house of mirrors maze where you can actually get lost.  As you find your way out of the house of mirrors we were attacked by a fire-breathing dragon, which actually congratulates you for your bravery (of course the dragon has a wonderfully charming English voice) in making it out with your wits and your life.  The kids had a wonderful time (big kids included) and then the castle tour begun.  Unlike many of the castles we visited this castle was well preserved and lavishly appointed in proper English style.  The entire experience at this castle was top notch and worth the heavy toll collected at the drawbridge.

Still further north we found ourselves in Newcastle upon Tyne (Yes, the birthplace of my favorite beer).  Aside from the Beer, we came to see Hadrain’s wall.  This is a wall separating the north (just south of Scotland) from the south (England).  It spans from sea to sea and at one time had great fortifications built every 5 miles along the 73.5 miles wall.  We drove about half of the wall and visited several of the ruins along the way.  This fortification however was built long before the English Scottish battle.  Who else, besides the Romans, could have built such massive fortifications that would last over two thousand years?  Being a wall guy, I enjoyed the remains of once great work, as for the kids, rolling down grassy hills and chasing unsuspecting grazing sheep proved to be much more entertaining.  If you are short on time, skip the wall and Newcastle for that matter (the brewery is no longer in Newcastle) as there is little other than a modest cathedral and a hand full of historic buildings to take in.

It was time to head north into Scotland, and visit the granddaddy of all castles, Edinburgh.  This massive structure graces the rocky hilltop of the town by the same name.  The castle had its beginnings over a thousand years ago, and has had many additions throughout the centuries.  It is quite evident in some cases as the choice of stone and building styles reflect the period architecture and building techniques.  This is not however so bad, as the castle is so large that it feels like a city and architectural variance in this setting perhaps even adds to it’s charm.  No visit to the castle is complete without paying a visit to the crown jewels.  Aside from Mary, Queen of Scots’ crown and some really cool swords, lies the royal coronation stone.  This stone is used as a resting place for the bum of the to be crowned king or queen as they receive their honors.  This stone has been used for nearly every crowning event in England’s 900+ year history of Kings and Queens.  Edinburgh the city, and its lively Scottish heritage are not to be missed.  A night on the town walking the shops, and a quick visit to a pub or two will give you a taste of the people that make Scotland so special, and truly different from it’s mother, England.

England, Scotland and Wales may technically be under the same rule, yet each is so very unique onto itself.  The people, the culture and even the language tell you that these are three totally separate countries, but they are all subjects of the queen (well at least part of earlier conquests).  Even more odd is the occupation of Northern Ireland and the longstanding issues this has posed.  Sorry I digress, lets not review the Queens other real estate holdings around the world, instead lets get back to our journey.  Ah yes, Ireland.

We flew into Belfast, Northern Ireland on the morning of the 16^th (October).  We took a quick spin around Belfast and then headed south into the heart of Ireland, Dublin.  There are only 3 things Dublin is famous for, Guinness (my second favorite beer), Pubs serving Guinness, and Irish dancing.  We only had two days to fit in all of the pubs and tour the Guinness factory, but somehow we managed.  The tour was just OK but the fresh from the tap Guinness was the best I’ve ever had (it almost became number one).  I wanted to be sure that it was not just the excitement of being in Dublin or being in the factory, so we set out across town to sample some other pints just to be sure.  All of the pints sampled went down with ease, and the Irish music made them taste that much sweeter.  The following morning we headed south to Kilkenny to visit the Kilkenny castle.  It was hardly worth the time, so we headed to the pub for a pint.  Just kidding, we waited to go to the pub until we reached Cork, several hours later.   Tristi and I parked the kids at the hotel and headed out to see some Irish dancing at a great little pub just a short walk from where we were staying. 

It is hard to describe the Irish pub experience when the dancing breaks out, yet dare I try.  We are sitting at a small table in just about the center of the room, when the staff starts moving all of the tables and guests (mostly all locals) to either side of the room to make space for the dancing.  The room fills with excitement as the crowd waits for the dancing to commence.  Two gals and a guy come out and start a basic routine, with their tap shoes in perfect synchronization, the music keeping time and the patrons clapping to the beat.  The dancing progresses with people joining in and the pub becomes fully charged with energy.  There are cheers and laughter filling the last of the audible space in the room, and you find yourself somewhere swirling in the mix.  Time is of no consequence in this four dimensional experience.  It is something that only those who experience it, can fully relate.   The following evening we wanted to take the kids so they could share in the experience.  Nika and Noah still had ill memories of seeing the bar life in Santorini, Greece and opted to stay in again at the hotel and order up some more pay for view movies (yes the channels were on parental lock).   It was a Sunday evening and the three of us headed out to find an Irish pub.  It was not hard to find, as they are more common than gas stations, yet we must have looked in at least a dozen before finding just the right one.  Sunday is live band night, so Irish dancing is not to be found.  The band we saw was really good, and the crowd was not bad either, but it was missing the magic that Tristi and I enjoyed the night prior.  I guess Sara will have to return some day to have the full Irish experience. 

The following day we headed out to see Blarney castle.  Earlier I mentioned three things that Dublin is famous for; if you expand this list to cover all of Ireland, then there are four.  If you come to Ireland you must go to the top of the blarney castle, hang upside down and kiss the Blarney stone.  Aside from the stone, the castle is set along side converging creeks and lush grounds.  The intensely green moss covered rocks, stand sentinel around the castle, and disguise the entryway into the caves at the base.  The castle proper is in partial ruins (just the way our family likes best), which tells the story of time itself, and allows imaginations to run wild.  It is for this reason we relish the state of the castle.  Our Ireland trip was short, but we take with us many great memories, especially the people, who’s celebration of life is visited frequently at O’ Connell’s Pub somewhere around five.    

11 November 2009

Click on the thumbnails for larger images:

Service marks lost WWI generation

Westminster Abbey is to hold a special Armistice Day service following the deaths this year of the three remaining World War I veterans living in the UK.

The Queen will lead the country in observing a two-minute silence at 1100 GMT for the “passing of a generation”.

Bill Stone died at 108 in January followed by both Henry Allingham, 113, and Harry Patch, 111, in July.

The monarch will lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and Mr Stone’s daughter will give a reading.

Gordon Brown will also attend along with former prime ministers John Major and Margaret Thatcher, although Tony Blair will be in the Middle East in his capacity as a special envoy.

Actor Jeremy Irons will read Last Post by the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, during the service to recognise military and civilian contributions to the conflict.

The silence, to be observed around the UK at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, marks the moment four years of war ended with the signing of the Armistice Treaty by Germany and the Allies.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/8353405.stm

Published: 2009/11/11 01:06:04 GMT

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Last Post by Carol Ann Duffy

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If poetry could tell it backwards, true, begin

that moment shrapnel scythed you to the stinking mud …

but you get up, amazed, watch bled bad blood

run upwards from the slime into its wounds;

see lines and lines of British boys rewind

back to their trenches, kiss the photographs from home -

mothers, sweethearts, sisters, younger brothers

not entering the story now

to die and die and die.

Dulce – No – Decorum – No – Pro patria mori.

You walk away.

You walk away; drop your gun (fixed bayonet)

like all your mates do too -

Harry, Tommy, Wilfred, Edward, Bert -

and light a cigarette.

There’s coffee in the square,

warm French bread

and all those thousands dead

are shaking dried mud from their hair

and queuing up for home. Freshly alive,

a lad plays Tipperary to the crowd, released

from History; the glistening, healthy horses fit for heroes, kings.

You lean against a wall,

your several million lives still possible

and crammed with love, work, children, talent, English beer, good food.

You see the poet tuck away his pocket-book and smile.

If poetry could truly tell it backwards,

then it would.

Today – hot on the heels of the Modern Warfare 2 launch where caterers dressed as soldiers handed me brownies and mojitos and I was invited to shoot my enemy for fun -  I went back to Westminster to try to capture something of the emotion which the Field of Remembrance triggered in me on Saturday.

Always, Field of Remembrance, 2009

There was a chill wind blowing across my face and fingers and, when I looked up from the camera lens, making my eyes water. Every so often I would catch sight of a word or phrase which would bring my mind firmly back to the fact this visual spectacle is rooted in conflict and suffering rather than allowing the lens to distance me too far.

Dad, Field of Remembrance, 2009

There was the line from Laurence Binyon’s ‘For the Fallen’ – “Age shall not weary them”,  a “fellow submariners”, a “Dad”, an “Always”, all making each identical wooden cross a unique pinpoint of remembrance. There were also fellow visitors to watch. People of all ages were taking pictures (some with greater solemnity than others) and others chatting as if at a garden fete. Only a handful were silently reading but it was these few who caught my attention and it was a lone elderly man in a flat cap and beige coat awkwardly wiping his eyes which finally brought me to tears.

Fellow Submariners, Field of Remembrance, 2009

My mindset when contemplating conflict usually has more in common with Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce at Decorum Est’, but around armistice day Laurence Binyon holds sway:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

BENEATH THIS STONE RESTS THE BODY
OF A BRITISH WARRIOR
UNKNOWN BY NAME OR RANK
BROUGHT FROM FRANCE TO LIE AMONG
THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS OF THE LAND
AND BURIED HERE ON ARMISTICE DAY
11 NOV: 1920, IN THE PRESENCE OF
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V
HIS MINISTERS OF STATE
THE CHIEFS OF HIS FORCES
AND A VAST CONCOURSE OF THE NATION

THUS ARE COMMEMORATED THE MANY
MULTITUDES WHO DURING THE GREAT
WAR OF 1914 – 1918 GAVE THE MOST THAT
MAN CAN GIVE LIFE ITSELF
FOR GOD
FOR KING AND COUNTRY
FOR LOVED ONES HOME AND EMPIRE
FOR THE SACRED CAUSE OF JUSTICE AND
THE FREEDOM OF THE WORLD

THEY BURIED HIM AMONG THE KINGS BECAUSE HE
HAD DONE GOOD TOWARD GOD AND TOWARD
HIS HOUSE

Inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, Westminster Abbey

The Western Front, 1916:

The Reverend David Railton is doing his rounds as a frontline chaplain for the British army in France, providing spiritual and pastoral support for the young men in his care, many of whom have been fighting in the trenches for upwards of two years. His is not an easy job, but, as a Church of England clergyman, he feels he has both a calling and a responsibility to look after these soldiers, some of whom are no more than boys.

He is rapidly becoming more and more appalled by the death and destruction he sees around him, and is particularly moved by a simple, makeshift grave he comes across in a garden near Armentieres that day. The grave consists of a rough wooden cross, carefully inscribed in pencil: “An Unknown British Soldier of The Black Watch”. The simple inscription and the care taken in commemorating a fallen comrade sets Railton thinking, and eventually results in one of the most famous and moving war memorials of them all…

After the war:

Much later, long after he had returned to civilian life as vicar of the church of John the Baptist in Margate, Railton recalled his reaction upon coming across the last resting place of this probably young and certainly never identified soldier:

How that grave caused me to think!… But, who was he, and who were [his folk]?… Was he just a laddie… . There was no answer to those questions, nor has there ever been yet.

So I thought and thought and wrestled in thought. What can I do to ease the pain of father, mother, brother, sister, sweetheart, wife and friend? Quietly and gradually there came out of the mist of thought this answer clear and strong, “Let this body – this symbol of him – be carried reverently over the sea to his native land”. And I was happy for about five or ten minutes.

This played on his mind, and he continued thinking about it until after the end of the war, when he wrote to the Dean of Westminster, Herbert Ryle, suggesting that the body of one unknown soldier should be transported back to England and buried publicly with full honours to represent all the men who had been killed during this ‘war to end all wars’.

The tomb of this one, unidentified soldier would, it was argued, also act as a focal point for the grief of the many, many devastated families whose loved ones had died in the trenches of France and Belgium but who had no known graves, or, like the Black Watch soldier who had inspired the idea, who were unable to be identified before burial – one of the most tragic aspects of the First World War.

Dean Ryle agreed that this was a good idea, and set the wheels in motion for official government approval of the project, which was eventually given after some debate. On 7th November 1920, the bodies of four (some accounts say six) unidentified British servicemen were thus exhumed from the four main battlefields – the Aisne, the Somme, Ypres and Arras – and taken, with due respect and ceremony, to the chapel at St Pol.

The bodies were carefully laid out on stretchers and each was covered by a Union flag. The commanding officer, Brigadier-General Wyatt, who had not been told which body was which, then quietly pointed to one of the flag-draped stretchers. The soldier lying beneath the selected Union flag was placed in a plain coffin in preparation for the final journey across the Channel back to Britain. The other bodies were then reinterred.

On 8th November, the Unknown Warrior was escorted to Boulougne by the French military, where he was transferred into another coffin, this time made of English oak (the trees that provided the timber had originally stood at Hampton Court Palace), and a sword taken from the armoury at the Tower of London was placed on the coffin.

The Unknown Warrior made his final journey back to his homeland on the destroyer HMS Verdun. Arriving at Dover on 10th November, the coffin was given a Field Marshal’s nineteen gun salute from the ramparts of the castle before being transferred onto a train to Victoria station in London.

At every station along the route of the train large crowds gathered to pay their respects; many of those who watched the train pass by had lost friends and relatives in the carnage of the trenches. The following day, the Daily Mail reported that:

The train thundered through the dark, wet, moonless night. At the platforms by which it rushed could be seen groups of women watching and silent, many dressed in deep mourning. Many an upper window was open and against the golden square of light was silhouetted clear cut and black the head and shoulders of some faithful watcher
…. In the London suburbs there were scores of homes with back doors flung wide, light flooding out and in the garden figures of men women and children gazing at the great lighted train rushing past.

At twenty to ten on the morning of 11th November 1920, the coffin containing the Unknown Warrior was placed on a gun carriage. Drawn by six horses, and followed by King George V, various other members of the royal family and government ministers, the cortege slowly travelled through the silent, crowd-lined streets of London to Westminster Abbey.

Inside the Abbey, the coffin was given an honour guard of one hundred Victoria Cross holders, before being interred at the west end of the Nave. The grave itself was filled in with bags of earth taken from all the major First World War battlefields. After the funeral service was over, thousands of people quietly filed past to pay their respects, many of them no doubt wondering if the Unknown Warrior was in fact their lost relative or friend.

No-one will ever know the answer to that question.

The Unknown Warrior could be a serviceman from the army, navy or airforce – representatives of all three services fought on the Western Front. He could be English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, or from any of the Dominions or Colonies of the British empire. There are also other Unknown Warriors or Unknown Soldiers in other parts of the world, including Australia, Canada, the United States and various South American and other European countries.

Like them, the Unknown Warrior buried at Westminster Abbey represents and commemorates all the men who fought and died in war who have no other memorial.

We will remember them.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them

Lawrence Binyon, 1914

Oct 23 – Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa (Island Vibe): Hang over day. Ate at The Mexican in the arvo.

Oct 24 – Addo, South Africa (Orange Elephant Camp): Safari through Addo National Park.

Oct 25 – Aliwal North, Lesotho (Moorosi Chalets): Aussie Tim and New Zealand Sarah (The last couple) had someone try to get into their tent. Luckily they went to bed early and were in there. Crazy, crazy, CRAZY rain, thunder, lighting storm while entering Lesotho. So crazy that the water made the roads too muddy and dangerous to drive. We had to park on the side of the road to camp. No pitching tents. We all decided to slumber in Gunga (our truck).

Oct 26 – Malealea, Lesotho (Malealea Lodge): Rain go away!!! Drove through the Gates Of Paradise. Still in the storm. Hail the size of marbles hit us hard. Poor Gunga and her fiberglass roof…and our ears.

Oct 27 – Malealea, Lesotho (Malealea Lodge): Quazi sunny day. Rain teasing us for now. Skipped out on the pony trek through the landscapes of Lesotho. The next time I ride a horse’ish like animal is when RJ wants to experience it. Otherwise, not on my own terms.

Amazing local family village dinner with Meusi and his son Dohwa (misspelling the names). Thank you again!

4AM, thunder and lightning storms are back. Stayed up and watched the lightning from my tent door. Flashed bright every couple seconds.

Oct 28 – Drakensberg National Park, South Africa (Maahai Camp) – G’bye Lesotho. Last new country of the trip, however it didn’t want us to go right away. We got stuck in the mud. Shovels + pushing + mud + rocks + mud + locals + 2 hours = finally on our way. Drove through the Golden Gate National Park. Beautiful landscape.

Oct 29 – Drakensberg National Park, South Africa (Maahai Camp) – Raining again. Ugh! Will not be able to hike the Dragensberg National Park. Lame.

Oct 30 – Johannesberg, South Africa (The Backpacker Ritz of Johannesberg) – Final dinner with everyone at Moyo.

Oct 31 – Johannesberg, South Africa (The Backpacker Ritz of Johannesberg) – Official end of our tour. Sad.

Nov 1-3 – Johannesberg, South Africa (The Backpacker Ritz of Johannesberg) – Watched Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” and “District 9″. Visited Shopping Malls.

Skipped out on Kruger National Park due to multiple reasons.

Nov 4 & 5 – London, England (Sleeping at LHR): One day in London. Brilliant city. I want to move here.

(poof redding not avilable)

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

- For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon

Tomorrow marks the official opening of the annual Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in advance of the coming Remembrance Sunday.  That means that the workers from the Royal British Legion start working today to place the thousands of remembrance crosses in the grounds of the Abbey ahead of tomorrow’s Royal Opening with the Duke of Edinburgh.  I always try to make sure to visit the site every year, even though I have never lost anyone in a war, my grandfather spent most of his career in the Army so I think its important.

The Field of Remembrance is open at Westminster Abbey until the 14th November so if you do get a chance to visit and see it for yourself I would recommend it.  Alternatively you can go to the other site in Cardiff in Cathays Park.

I have been a little unsure about whether or not I should be blogging about some of the more touristy things I have been doing lately – is anyone really interested?  (Feel free to tell me if you’re not btw, I won’t mind as long as you tell me what you are interested in)  In the end I have decided that I will share because visiting the regular tourist haunts has been super interesting and really helped shaped my picture of London.  Plus I’m new enough to still get away with it.

The best of the bunch by far in my mind has to be Westminster Abbey.  This place was astounding, and to think my boyf and I weren’t even going to go inside when we first walked by.  It is one of the only big tourist spots in London to charge admission – about £12 from memory.  Boy am I glad we decided not to be stingy that day.

Aside from the fact that it’s a stunningly beautiful building (think your typical European Cathedral and you’ve got a good picture) this place is PACKED to the rafters with English history – all made readily available to you through audio guides which are included in the admission fee.  There are so many things going on I’ll just focus on highlights.

Queen Elizabeth I is buried here under a striking marble statue made in her likeness.  Mary I or Bloody Mary, her sister, is buried directly underneath her.  On their tomb is inscribed “Consorts in realm and in tomb, here we sleep, Elizabeth and Mary, sisters, in hope of resurrection” – consorts here referring both to siblings, and to sharing something in common.  Interestingly, her rival, Mary Queen of Scots is buried in reverence at the exactly the same location as Elizabeth on the opposite side of the chapel.  Both the positioning of the tombs and the inscription on the tomb of Elizabeth and Mary I were placed there by James I, Elizabeth’s successor who truly united the 2 kingdoms.  Other notable royal burials include Edward the Confessor (made a Roman Catholic saint in 1161) and the Plantagenet Kings of Crusader fame (Lionheart, Longshanks).

All English Royal coronations have taken place in Westminster Abbey since William the Conqueror in 1066, and since 1308, would you believe, all in the same chair.  You can see the rather plain looking chair on display in the abbey.

The infamous Poets Corner is also housed in Westminster Abbey, with tombs and memorials for England’s most predominant artistic types.  My fav’s included Jane Austen, Shakespeare, the Bronte Sisters, Charles Dickens, Lord Byron, Geoffrey Chaucer, Laurence Olivier and Rudyard Kipling (but the list goes on). 

And finally for the Da Vinci Code fans (and who’s not?) there is also the memorial to Sir Isaac Newton which features at the end of the book.  This is next to the Charles Darwin memorial in the Scientists corner (the less famous corner it would seem)

Basically, this place is a history buff’s wet dream – and for the rest of us, it proves to be one of those occurrences I mentioned in my last post, another amazing door that London has opened and dares you to want more. Yes, please.

Here few places that you should visit when you traveling to London. It is top Attractions list in London

Westminster Abbey
Steeped in history, the pillars of this great vaulted hall stand on the final resting place of the men and women who built Britain. Its great Gothic hall continues to play a part in the formation of the kingdom, having hosted nearly every coronation since 1308.

Buckingham Palace
Not the prettiest royal residence, but a must-see for the glimpse it affords of the modern life of the monarchy. The opulence of the state rooms open to the public provides plenty of wow factor, and don’t forget the collection of china and carriages at the Queen’s Gallery and Royal Mews next door.

St. Paul’s Cathedral
No matter how many times you have been before, the scale and elegance of Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece never fail to take the breath away. Climb the enormous dome, third largest in the world, to experience the freaky acoustics of the Whispering Gallery, and higher still for fantastic views across London.

Tower of London
The Tower is London at its majestic, idiosyncratic best. This is truly the heart of the kingdom—with foundations dating back nine centuries, every brick tells a story, and the ax-blows and fortunes that have risen and fallen within this turreted mini-city provide an inexhaustible supply of intrigue.

British Museum
If you want to journey through time and space without leaving the confines of Bloomsbury, a visit to the British Museum holds hours of eye-catching artifacts from the world’s greatest civilizations, including the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, and the Sutton Hoo treasure.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
You can catch a Shakespeare play almost every night of the year in London. But standing on a floor of leaves and sawdust in a painstakingly re-created version of the galleried Tudor theater for which he wrote is a special thrill.

Hampton Court Palace
This collection of buildings and gardens so captivated Henry VIII that it became his favorite royal residence. Its Tudor charm, augmented by Wren’s touch, and a picturesque upstream Thames location make it a great day out—not even dour Oliver Cromwell, who moved here in 1653, could resist its charms.

Tate Modern
More of an event than the average museum visit, Tate Modern, housed inside a striking 1930s power station, is a hip, immensely successful addition to the London gallery landscape. Passing judgment on the latest controversial temporary exhibit inside the giant turbine hall has become almost a civic duty among art-loving Londoners.

National Gallery
Whatever the collective noun is for a set of old masters—a palette? a canvas?—there are enough here to have the most casual art enthusiast cooing with admiration. When you’ve finished, enjoy pedestrianized Trafalgar Square on the doorstep of this collection.

London’s Central Parks
With London’s green spaces so broken up, it seems churlish to pick out only one. The four central parks are all within walking distance: pick St. James’s Park for fairy-tale views; Green Park for hillocks and wide boulevards; Regent’s Park for its open-air theater and the London Zoo; and Hyde Park for rowing on the Serpentine Lido. (Fodors)

Big Ben

Por fin tengo unos minutos para actualizar el blog y contaros, en dos o tres entradas, el largo fin de semana que acabamos de disfrutar en Londres Fernando y yo.

Volamos el jueves a primera hora de la mañana con Easyjet al aeropuerto de Gatwick. Os hago dos recomendaciones: comprad la Oyster Card (para el Metro) en el mismo avión y pillad un billete de tren de ida y vuelta con Southern (más barato que Gatwick Express y tarda más o menos lo mismo, con casi la misma frecuencia).

El hotel, Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum, está muy bien situado, bien de precio y con unas habitaciones más que aceptables (la cama muy cómoda y el baño pequeño, pero limpio y con pinta de nuevo). El único “pero” es que cobran la WiFi ¡¡a 10€ la hora!! (no la utilizamos, claro).

Abadía de Westminster (detalle)

Parlamento (detalle)

Como Fernando no había estado anteriormente en Londres, comenzamos la visita por lo más típico. Primero nos acercamos a Bridge Street, desde donde vimos la noria London Eye y el Big Ben. Después pasamos junto a la Abadía de Westminster (no entramos porque cuesta la friolera de 15₤) y dimos un paseo por los Victoria Tower Gardens y Millbank, aunque no llegamos a la Tate Britain.

Parlamento (detalle y torre vista desde Victoria Tower Gardens)

Volvimos sobre nuestros pasos para ir hasta el Palacio de Buckingham, y lo hicimos cruzando por St. James’s Park: ardillas, pelícanos, patos, cuervos, un césped cuidado con esmero, un pequeño lago cruzado por un puente y unas vistas estupendas. El Palacio lo vimos sólo por fuera (paseamos por la entrada de Green Park e hicimos un par de fotos en el Queen Victoria Memorial) y seguimos nuestro recorrido por The Mall, en dirección a Trafalgar Square.

St. James’s Park (vistas desde el lago y desde The Mall)

Green Park

Buckingham Place y Queen Victoria Memorial

The Illustration Cupboard

Hicimos un pequeño alto en el recorrido para ver la exposición de dibujos de Nick Park (el creador de Wallace y Gromit) en The Illustration Cupboard (en Bury Street) y cruzamos la coqueta St. James Square. Seguimos después por Picadilly y aprovechamos para ver la Burlington Arcade y la Royal Academy Of Arts, en la que había una exposición de Anish Kapoor.

Leyendo un libro en St. James Square

Burlington Arcade

Royal Academy Of Arts

Como llegamos muy pronto a Trafalgar Square, seguimos hasta el Covent Garden y comimos en el Wagamama que hay en Tavistock St. (una cadena de restaurantes asiáticos de comida estilo Wok). Después de comer volvimos a Trafalgar Square, visitamos St. Martin In The Fields (estaban ensayando para un concierto de música clásica) y terminamos en la National Portrait Gallery viendo las exposiciones Gay Icons (normalita) y The 60s Exposed: Beatles To Bowie (ésta sí que la disfrutamos).

Covent Garden y St. Martin In The Fields

La Royal Academy Of Arts reflejada en la escultura de Anish Kapoor

Como nos habíamos metido un buen tute, volvimos al hotel a descansar un rato. La tarde-noche la pasamos en el Prince Edward Theatre viendo el estupendo musical Jersey Boys (la historia de Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons) y terminamos con una cena muy rica (un menú post-teatro) en Arbutus, uno de los restaurantes de cocina inglesa de calidad que está de moda en la ciudad.

Continuará…

P.D.: Si tenéis un iPhone, hay dos aplicaciones que son una pasada para visitar Londres: London2Go (plano de Londres con información muy completa de museos, restaurantes, teatros, etc., y con posicionamiento por GPS, por lo que puedes guiarte por la ciudad sin pagar conexión a internet) y London Tube. También resulta interesante NFT Lodon, aunque los libros de NFT son mucho mejores que sus aplicaciones para el iPhone.

De vuelta al hotel (Gloucester Road)

This service is incorporated in the regular Abbey service of Evensong, which follows the custom of churches with a great choral tradition, where much of the service is sung by the choir alonge. In those parts where the congregation is invited to make its offering of praise this is done by responding to the beauty of the choir’s music.

Mayors and former Mayors following the civic service

The service includes a procession of the Mayors of the London Boroughs entering the Collegiate Church and the moving to the Quire. The Lord Mayor of Westminster in Civic State was then received and is conducted to his stall in the Quire.

Mayor of Lambeth with friends who attended the service

This is one of a few events in the year where a majority of Mayors from across London come together and it is most definately a sight to be seen of over 30 men and women in red robes and chains walking into Westminster Abbey.

Second day in London….
Date: July 2, 2009

9.10am – Left Y’s apartment after having cereal for breakfast. Got on the train from South Ealing station to Madame Tussauds on Baker Street.

Checklist Item Crossed #1: Madame Tussauds

With Shrek!!

9.45am – Queued up at Madame Tussaud’s entrance. Since I was alone, I decided to befriend the girl standing alone in front of me. Her name was Zabrina, a young German girl who was travelling around Europe on her own. We decided it would be more fun to go around checking out Madame Tussauds together and save ourselves from asking perfect strangers to help take our photos while we pose with the wax celebs;  10am – Went around Madame Tussauds, starting with the A-List Celebrities section. Zabrina and I had fun taking pics of each other with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Shrek, The Hulk, David Beckham, Princes William and Harry and the Royal Family, and other famous figures; 12pm – Took pics with Barack Obama that I eventually paid £8.00 for when I bought it as a souvenir photo. I also took a pic with Michael Jackson’s wax figure (although I didn’t really think it looked that much like him…) and signed the condolence book that was available for the public to leave their mark in. Later on, at the souvenir shop, I bought a £4.50 photo frame for my mum.

Checklist Item Crossed #2: London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament & Westminster Abbey

London Eye

1pm – Took the train to Westminster, walked to the London Eye….oh, frig…the camera battery just died (and it’s only midday)!!! 1.30pm – I had purchased the tickets for Madame Tussauds+London Eye package via online before I left KL. It had cost me about £35.30 to get the tickets online, but otherwise it would’ve cost me £42.50 to get it on-site. Anyway, back to the itinerary…I redeemed my ticket for the London Eye attraction, bought £9.00 disposable cameras at a 2for1 deal from one of the independent vendors located at the site, and proceeded to join the queue; 2pm – Rode the London Eye, took lots of pics of Westminster area (particularly the Big Ben and Houses of Parliament) from bird’s-eye view. Skipped lunch; 2.40pm – Got off the London Eye and purchased a couple of items from the souvenir shop, walked towards Westminster Abbey for a photo op, while snapping a few more pics of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament along the way.

Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament

Checklist Item Crossed #3: Marble Arch, window shopping along Oxford St.
3.45pm – Took pics at the Marble Arch. There were many people there, and more were starting to show up for an apparent outdoor concert or festival or something; 4pm - Walked down the famous Oxford Street, checked out some souvenir stores and Selfridges (my £230/5days budget did not permit me to make any purchase although some of the things there were rather nice…); 5pm – Met up with Y at Tenezis, located in a corner where Oxford St. and Regent St. crossed; 5.45pm – Had dinner at a Japanese restaurant – Y’s treat!

Checklist Item Crossed #4: West End Theatre

7.30pm – Watched “We Will Rock You” at the Dominion Theatre, my birthday treat for Y. Like most of the attractions tickets, I had paid for the show with my credit card online. I love how convenient travelling is these days!! 9pm – The show was okay so far, except for a few lame/boring bits. Felt too thirsty, so I bought a gigantic cup of pepsi for £3.00(!) during the midshow break; 10.30pm – The show ended with a nice and energetic full-cast rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Walked around the West End/near Chinatown area, shopped for a few souvenirs. 11.3opm – Arrived home with feet on the brink of death. Showered and Zzzz….

My Show Ticket and the Theatre Stage

Outside the Dominion Theatre

We set out this morning with the intention of making 10:30am mass at Westminster Cathedral.  However, a race of some sort interfered with our bus route, and we wound up making it to mass just in time for the Our Father. Yet, the hour and a half bus ride proved to be well worth the experience.

Westminster Cathedral is the mother-church of the Westminster Archdiocese and is the Catholic counterpart to Westminster Abbey.  The church is by far the most amazing church I have ever seen.  The outskirts of the church contain different chapels honoring saints who have had a large impact on British Catholicism.  I found St. Patrick’s chapel particularly beautiful, and was very much taken aback by the artwork in the cathedral as a whole.  Additionally, the designer of the church was a tent maker and thus the ceiling is constructed to give the feel of being under a large tent. Family, this is definitely the cathedral we will be attending for Christmas Mass.  Additionally, I will be heading back to the Cathedral later this week to see the Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux.  Mom, obviously this very much so reminds me of you, and I wish you were here to see the Relics of the “Little Flower” with me.

After mass ended and we walked about the Church, Emilie and I went to the basement to have coffee in the cafe.   We then set off down Oxford Street (Dad, you may not want to read this…) to do some shopping.  There are stores in London called Primark, and they are my new favorite place.  Everything is super cheap and you can find almost anything you could imagine clothing or accessory wise.  Tina and Marj, I am taking you here immediately.  The only down fall is that I have never seen so many shoppers in one place before and the store is enormous.  It is extremely overwhelming, but absolutely worth it.

One of my purchases included a pearl necklace because, as I have failed to mention before, we have assigned the theme  “The Great Gatsby” to the Halloween river cruise we have planned. I have always wanted to have a Gatsby party before, and I am sure the cruise will be a huge success.

After we were in Primark, we continued walking down Oxford Street and popping in and out of different shops and just browsing. When we returned for dinner, we learned that our friend Scott has the flu and our friend Nick, his roommate, was forced to evacuate their bedroom.  Thus, Nick’s new room is in direct view of my bedroom window only about 50ft away.  We have decided to construct tin can phones tomorrow which will hopefully be a success.

Also on Sunday Morning, my friend Phoebe’s family arrived in London.  At night, they invited us girls out to a pub with them.  They will also be joining us for Family Dinner on Thursday which will be a lot of fun.  Seeing Phoebe’s family really made me miss my own and grow even more anxious for their arrival in December.  I cannot wait!

This upcoming week is my last before Fall Break. While I would most likely have many midterms on campus, I will have a very easy week and hopefully have a great deal to report on different events going on in London.

Photo by: follystone http://www.flickr.com/photos/follystone/2258643444/

This unusual window was found on a building across the street from Westminster Abbey in London and shows a reflection of the Abbey.

This morning, the new Justices of the Supreme Court were sworn in at the Supreme Court building (formerly Middlesex Guildhall) in Parliament Square.  Shortly afterwards, they were back in the Palace of Westminster. 

To mark the start of the legal year, judges attend a service in Westminster Abbey and then process across to the Palace of Westminster for a reception hosted by the Lord Chancellor.  The practice dates from the Middle Ages when the High Court met in Westminster Hall and judges went to the Abbey to pray for guidance at the start of the legal term. 

The service was held today and, as I was in Westminster, I had a bird’s eye view of the procession from my office.  Abingdon Street was closed off.   It was a long procession, headed by the Lord Chancellor, Jack Straw,  and the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge.  Jack Straw has taken to wearing the Lord Chancellor’s robes like a duck to water.   They were followed by the newly-sworn Justices in their new black-and-gold robes, headed by the President, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, and the Deputy President, Lord Hope of Craighead. 

It was a long procession as it included judges from England and Wales as well as QCs, senior judicial officers, and judges and lawyers from overseas.   One could do with the equivalent of The Book of English Birds for judges.  Each category of judge has a distinctive dress, so it was a colourful display, one procession of judges with their distinctive plumage (such as black and gold) being followed by another (black and purple, for example). 

In the old days, it was a straightforward task of walking straight across the road from the Abbey into St Stephen’s Entrance to the Palace.  Nowadays, it is a little more like a motor-racing circuit, as the judges have to navigate the corus barriers to get to the entrance.  For the  State Opening of Parliament, and Her Majesty’s arrival, the barriers are removed.   For Her Majesty’s Judges walking across the road, they are left in place. 

Only eleven Justices were sworn in at the Supreme Court this morning.  There is a vacancy because Lord Neuberger declined to transfer to the new court.  Some of those who did take the oath were not supporters of the move.  It will be interesting to see how the court develops.  The case for the change was essentially on cosmetic grounds – a re-branding of the court – though, as I have argued before, it may have unintended consequences.  We shall see. 

Details of the Lord Chancellor’s reception – traditionally styled the Lord Chancellor’s breakfast – can be found here.   Information on the Supreme Court building, including a look at the new meeting room, can be found here.

After seeing countless lists of places to visit before you die/before you reach 30/if you can log off the net and actually get out there, I thought I’d add my tuppence-worth with some slightly different places I want to visit.

If anyone reads this then feel free to comment and offer up other places. If I don’t know enough about your favourite place and I haven’t included it then give me reasons for it to be added, though I may already have been there or just not want to…

AFRICA:

1. Church of St. George – Lalibela – Ethiopia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._George,_Lalibela

A normal-sized church hewn from solid rock, rock from the ground. This is a statement of devotion I just have to see. Built in the early thirteenth century it’s still a major pilgrimage destination. Amazing.

2. Namib desert – Namibia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namib_desert

A tustle rages on between this and the Atacama for the title of world’s oldest desert but this one seems to pip it. It’s achingly beautiful with petrified sand dunes and red dust – this one is well worth a visit to the Wiki page just to see the image below full size.

3. Great Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe

This site lent it’s name to the country of Zimbabwe so it’s been somewhat hijacked politically but that ’s because it puts to rest the insulting and downright racist view that a lot of people have about African architecture. The conical tower is the pinnacle of construction here and a marvel in masonry. Constructed from round 1100AD the site is one of the oldest in Southern Africa and evidence has been uncovered of a trade netweork stretching as far as Arabia and China.

4. Nile Cruise from Cairo to Aswan – Egypt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Nile

One that really should be on everyone’s list. The Pyramids, Karnak (which I’ve wanted to see ever since The Spy Who Loved Me), Abu Simbel, some of the most important historical sites in the world, all linked by the one famous river. A cruise down stream would be a great way to see them all and I will try to get here in the next year or so.

5. The Dogon People – Mali

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_of_Bandiagara

I’d never even heard of Dogon villages until I was forced to mortar and machine gun them in Farcry 2. The digital version was so striking I looked into it and discovered what they were based on. This culture has a lot of specific, sexual and gender-based architecture. Fertility cults and the division between men and women is encapsulated in these strange structures, the granaries in particular. It seems more than a travesty to blow these up doesn’t it:

6. The East African Rift Valley – Kenya

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_African_Rift

Apparently the birthplace of Homo Sapiens, anyone want to find out where you came from? Yes please! Really this is something of a journey of imagination because the region must look almost nothing like it did all those millennia ago when we moved onto two legs and started turning tools to our advantage, beginning the rapid road to where we are now. To see the area is an ambition of mine that shouldn’t be too difficult with so much of the Valley accessible from Kenya.

EUROPE:

1. Portofino – Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portofino

Part of the rugged Cinque Terre (‘five lands’ referring to five picturesque villages) section of the Italian Riveria, Portofino is a destination very well frequented by cruise ships for good reason – it’s a small and extremely beautiful cove filled with houses painted in every pastel shade. Probably not great for much more than a day trip but well worth seeing from the sea, from where you can take it all in in one go. I first heard about this place from someone I used to work with, he holidayed along that part of the Italian coast and showed me his snaps. From then on I’ve longed to visit.

2. Delphi – Greece

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi

Referring particularly to the archaeological site rather than the modern city I wanted to visit here when I was in Athens but there just wasn’t time. With an ancient amphitheatre perched on the side of a mountain what’s not to love? I’ll get here on a future trip to the country.

3. Florence – Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence

The home of some of Michelangelo’s greatest works and the world’s first art gallery, the Uffizi, Firenze absolutely has to be on any art lover’s list of places to visit!

4. Venice – Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice

Goes without saying really doesn’t it? Legendary.

5. The State Hermitage – St. Petersburg – Russia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermitage_Museum

Another of the world’s greatest art repositories and palaces, and another building which is a work of art in itself! The Hermitage was founded by Catherine The Great and has grown from its inception to include several buildings used by the Tsars until the Revolution of 1917 when it was requisitioned into a state property and national treasure.

6. The Alhambra – Granada – Spain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra

Ok, this one’s an annoyance. It’s obviously so amazing that when I tried to go there in 2003 I couldn’t get a ticket because it was sold out, even in the local banks which is apparently where it’s best to get on-the-day tickets. I was on a small trip around Andalusia and tried to visit, to no avail. Book in advance!

Even from the outside this fourteenth century palace and fortress of the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada is an astonishing place. Famous for its gardens and elaborate architectural details this has drawn masses of visitors since it fell to the Reconquista in 1492. From the hillside opposite it’s just beautiful and in part can claim to be one of the reasons I love islamic and moorish buildings, the majority of the sites I want to visit it seems.

7. Cordoba – Spain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%B3rdoba,_Spain

Ta-da! Told you so, here’s another Moor-inspired choice and it’s a goodun. The Catholic cathedral was originally a mosque:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Mosque_of_C%C3%B3rdoba

The whole of the old centre of the city seems astonishingly pretty too though so I reckon there are at least a few days visit in this choice.

8. Segovia – Spain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segovia

Another stunning Spanish choice with Roman and Castillian architecture. The aqueduct is justly renowned because it’s bloody massive and the topography of the area makes the cathedral seem even more massive than it already is.

9. Carcassonne – France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcassonne

The fortified town of Carcassonne is, to me, the epitome of what a medieval walled city should look like. Dominating the area like a French Camelot it’s enormous pointy-turreted walls tick every box in picture-perfect fairy tale world.

10. Auschwitz-Birkenau – Poland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp

Yes, like Hiroshima but far more harrowing. This really is something to make you think about what you are and what you’re capable of because I’m sure that every person on this planet is capable of deeds like this, given the right conditions. If we get to know what can happen then perhaps there is a way to avert crimes like this. Events like the Holocaust have not ended with the fall of the Nazi regime so there’s every chance or, realistically, near certainty that scenes like this will come again.

11. Westminster Abbey – London – UK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_abbey

Right, I’ve lived in London my whole life and still haven’t been inside this historic site. It’s where all our monarchs are coronated and the stone is saturated with history. Founded 400 years before the Normans invaded the British Isles it finally got its stone form during the 1040s in the reign of the last Saxon king – Edward The Confessor. I’m sure it’s brilliant, must have a look!

12. La Tomatina – Bunol – Spain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Tomatina

http://www.reasonpad.com/2009/05/la-tomatina-festival-of-spain/

This is one of those things you read about all over the internet. In honour of St. Louis Bertrand but with unknown origins this food fight looks like great fun so I must go along one year and join in chucking tomatoes absolutely everywhere. Bunol, where it’s held, looks quite nice too but is almost an afterthought on this one I’m afraid.

13. Oktoberfest – Munich – Germany

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest

Mmmmmmmm, beer. This beerfest started in 1810 to honour a royal marriage and since then has grown to the epic proportions seen today. Oktoberfest is ‘the biggest party in the world’ though rather commercialised and rising in cost, but what the heck, it’s only for a day or two. Unless I don’t like my liver any more and fancy killing it off by going for the whole sixteen days? No, no thanks, even all the pretty German girls in traditional dirndl dress couldn’t convince me on that one…

14. Extremadura – Spain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremadura

Yes, yet more Spain! On the aforementioned trip to Andalusia we took a bus from Granada to Lisbon. We crested a hill and the scene that opened up before me was breathtaking. Ever since then I’ve wanted to re-visit the plains of Extremadura. We only skirted the southern rim but at that time of year it was an endless, glorious patchwork of purples, reds, browns, greens, oranges and yellows. I’ll need to learn how to drive for this one methinks. Minus the myriad colours this is very much how I remember my first view of the birth region of the conquistadores:

15. Ostia Antica – Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostia_Antica

Ostia is 30km southwest of Rome and operated as the Imperial capital’s port from around 300BC. The ruins are vast and severely under-visited so if you want respite from the throngs of Rome itself then come here to wander in peace (apparently). It’s the quality of the remains that gets Ostia onto this list. You can visit the public latrines, shop fronts, warehouses, and baths – all of which are remarkably well preserved. You get a real taste of what living in a Roman city was like. I reckon this would be a better visit than Pompei because of its crowds and the relative difficulty of getting there. Coming from Rome Ostia is a short rail journey, but an epoch away from somtimes overwhelming Roma. Or so I’ve read…

MIDDLE EAST:

1. Palmyra – Syria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmyra

This is a massive and extremely important archaeological site partly dating from well before the Greek Empire. I’m not sure when this first came to my attention but I know I’ve wanted to visit for a long time.

2. Istanbul – Turkey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul

Istanbul is rapidly becoming a must-see city for people avoiding the cost of the Euro in tough economic times. Now the largest city in Turkey, but not its capital (that task belongs to Ankara), Istanbul developed from a Greek colony called Byzantium to become Constantinople and the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire under Constantine. Later Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 and became the Imperial capital for 450 years. The influence of this place cannot be underestimated yet to many people it’s an unknown and mysterious place mythologised in films like Midnight Express which certainly coloured my youthful impression of it! This is a city I reckon I’d better get to quite quickly or risk seeing it fully Europeanised when it does inevitably enter the EU in the near future. Trust me, this will happen, and we’ll all be richer and happier for it once the inevitable racial backlash calms.

3. Krak des Chevaliers – Syria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak_des_Chevaliers

With many ingenious design solutions to the question of how to repel invaders except for I believe, providing a well, this is a case-study in how to build a castle properly. It may not be the prettiest but it was damned effective during the Crusades!

4. Cappadocia – Turkey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia

I first saw this mysterious word being used as a restaurant name in Norbury, South London. For ages I meant to look up what it meant, when I did I was blown away. What an alien landscape, and fascinating culture this region possesses. One that apparently is best seen in winter and by hot air balloon… Churches and undergound cities carved into the rocks and phallic stone ‘fairy chimneys’ dominate the sights to see here.

5. Petra – Jordan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. That’s what I always think of when I see Petra. It was used as the resting place of the Holy Grail in that film and I can see why as an otherworldly city carved from rock. Just look at it! It’s not just this one building either, this is the most iconic of them though. The Nabataeans were a ‘lost’ civilisation until a Swiss explorer reported it widely to Europeans. Of course it had been known of since Pliny the Elder wrote about it but us Europeans like to forget things every now and then.

6. The Great Mosque of Samarra – Iraq

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Minaret

I built this. Many times. In Civilisation 4. That game and Dan Cruikshank’s ‘Around The World In 80 Treasures’ inspired me to visit a lot of places on this list. The Spiral Minaret, AKA the Great Mosque of Samarra was once the largest mosque in the world. Sadly, it being in Iraq I imagine this will be a site I don’t see for many years. If at all. Sadly indeed.

7. Naqsh-e Jahan Square – Isfahan – Iran

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naghsh-i_Jahan_Square

Constructed in Shah Abbas’ reign the Sheikh Lotf Allah mosque on this square is a stunning example of Islamic art. Something I’ve already established that I love. The Square is immense and a good setting for this building. Thank you Dan Cruikshank for this one too.

AMERICAS:

1. Great Blue Hole – Belize

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blue_Hole

This is one for that long-held desire to learn to SCUBA. The Great Blue Hole is the opening on the roof of a huge underwater cave. Just imagine the wonders in there…

2.  Kilauea – Hawaii

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilauea

Volcanoes have always amazed me so to visit the one that has been spewing lava and extending Hawaii since the year I was born would be perfect.

3. Alaska – USA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)

Wolves, bears, eagles, glaciers, whales, aurora borealis. Some of the best things nature has to offer. Hopefully I’ll get to see it before it all either a) melts or b) turns into an oil refinery. Luckily with Bush gone from the White House and Palin resigning from the governorship there may be some sanity on that front.

4. Teotihuacan – Mexico

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuacan

One of the big sites of Pre-Columbian America but majorly and unfairly overlooked. It was the centre of an empire pre-dating the Aztec’s and its influence stretched all the way to Guatemala. These ‘ruins’ are some of the most spectacular in Mexico, as the picture below demonstrates.

5. Machu Picchu – Peru

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu

Probably on every list I’ve seen so it’s no surprise it’s on mine too… A four day trek culminating in a dawn view over the ruins sounds like a little earthly slice of heaven. Apart from the fact it’s often shared with a thronging crowd of tourists. I first got word of this incredible place when I was about 4 years old. The Mysterious Cities Of Gold cartoon was an inspiration that I’ve never lost. Who says cartoons, films and computer games do nothing for the youth of today eh? (do I still count as youth at 26? Bloody hope so but I doubt it…)

6. The Grand Canyon – USA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_canyon

Another well-regarded and often mentioned attraction makes it onto mine too. I need not say any more.

7. Nazca Lines – Peru

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_Lines

How on earth were these surveyed? Nobody has a satisfactory answer but however it was done these are a work of artistic genius dating from anywhere from 200BC to 700AD. Beautiful geometric and animal shapes scraped into the desert floor. Gotta get up in an aeroplane or, perhaps absurdly as the makers did, in a balloon to see these.

8. Yellowstone National Park – USA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone

This jewel of a national park consists of a supervolcano caldera and could explode at any moment, I should get over there as soon as possible before that happens because when it does it’ll destroy the whole park and cripple most of North America. It’s swelling already and some think it’s only a matter of time before an explosion occurs powerful enough to change the way we all live our lives forever.

9. Antigua – Guatemala

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_Guatemala

I’d never heard of this place until I saw images like this. That’s all that was needed.

10. Monte Alban – Mexico

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Alban

Another Pre-Columbian and Pre-Aztec site. Situated in a dramatic and dominant position on a hill overlooking a valley, it used to be a fortress town. I read a bit about it whilst doing an Archaeology course, worth a visit by all accounts.

11. Iguazu Falls – Argentina

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguazu_Falls

The longest set of waterfalls in the world, Iguazu falls must be a breathtaking sight.

12. Altiplano – Bolivia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altiplano

This region includes the famous Lake Titicaca and is one of the highest and most barren places in South America. High altitude living should make this a fascinating destination.

13. Las Vegas – USA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_vegas

Yet another regular appearance on this kind of list but just to see the legend would be worth it. The kingdom of tat and sleaze, sounds like fun! I especially fancy visiting the Double Down Saloon ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’ as it sounds quite far removed from the Strip and from their website, my kind of place. http://www.doubledownsaloon.com/

ASIA AND PACIFIC (except for Hawaii):

1. Samarkand – Uzbekistan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samarkand

Another Cruikshank classic, this time from the Silk Road. It looks like another winner to me judging from this picture.

2. Angkor Wat – Cambodia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_wat

Angkor is one of those places most people have heard of but aren’t quite sure where it is. They know it from films like Tomb Raider but everything I’ve heard is that it’s better than anyone’s imagination. When you can find a corner to yourself it’s supposed to be magical. Construction at Angkor started in the early twelth century and partially abandoned in the sixteenth it retains its place as one of the most impressive Hindu/Buddhist temple complexes I know of.

3. Himeji Castle – Japan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himeji-jo

An ingeniously designed castle with so many ways to harrass and kill invading soldiers that it was never attacked! This was a prototype for many of the other castles in Japan.

4. Bukhara – Uzbekistan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukhara

More Silk Road action which makes me think I really should just do the whole route. A nice trip from London to Xi’an wouldn’t be too much hassle really. Pop to Baku and start from there I reckon. This looks like an absolute must see on that kind of journey.

5. Bora Bora – French Polynesia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bora_bora

Not. Enough. Superlatives. Expensive but stunning. If I ever have the money, I’ll visit here.

6. Mount Kinabalu – Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kinabalu

A real biodiversity melting pot, Mount Kinabalu doesn’t require mountaineering knowledge to climb it. A good guide would be a must to get the most out of the wonders you’re looking at. Everything from orchids to rodent-eating plants abound here.

7. Varanasi – India

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanasi

The Western take on death is wholly different to the Hindu one, as epitomised at Varanasi’s pyres on the Ganges. To see this kind of thing for real would make a lot of people re-think their outlook on life and recognise its transience. The full on nature of this city makes it somewhere I really have to visit on my own pilgrimage of sorts.

8. Guilin – China

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilin

Beautiful karst formations surround the city of Guilin in China’s Guangxi province and it’s one of the sites I didn’t get to visit when I was in China. This is something I want to rectify.

9. Hiroshima – Japan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima

A continuation on the theme set by Auschwitz, in order to see the worst things that people can do to each other you have to visit places like this. And then you have to see the recovery you can make. I suspect that visiting this city’s museums and monuments would be extremely moving.

10. Durga Puja – Kolkata – India

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga_Puja

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolkata

One of the most extravagant Hindu festivals which celebrates all deities at the same time, including characters from other faiths like Mary and the Christian saints. The city bursts into colour as the oversized models of these gods and idols are paraded to the Ganges and then dunked in. The effort and excitement surrounding this festival make it something I want to be part of, if only as a voyeur.

11. Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival – Harbin – China

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin_International_Ice_and_Snow_Sculpture_Festival

Every year incredible scenes from around the world are recreated in ice. The structures and sculptures are lit from within and externally to create a magical city of ice. It seems that every year it gets bigger and more ambitious too.

Antarctica

A vast continent, rapidly losing it’s icy cover. As a unique habitat this is something we should be trying far harder to save but I fear it’s already too late.

The Arctic Circle

Because, like Antarctic ice, it won’t be around much longer.

None of the pictures in this blog are my own, they have all been sourced from the Wikipedia pages noted.

Woke up this day to find out that Dan had about 15 minutes of sleep- so he decided to stay in and remedy that situation, so I took off on a solo adventure.
I found out that I could easily try and kill myself with exploration when left to my own devices.

I went to the British Museum then took the tube to King’s Cross and checked out the British Library and St. Pancras International. Took the tube down to the Natural History Museum, the V&A and the Science Museum. Then went up to check out the Wellington Arch, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, St. James’ Park- then I walked down Whitehall past all of the Parliament buildings until it turned to Millbank for the Tate Britain.

Here be the photos:

British Museum

Hey look guys The Rosetta Stone!

St. Pancras

I am this nerdy and I do love Harry Potter this much

The King’s Library in the Birtish Library… I really wish you didn’t need special permission to go in. I was drooling. Profusely.

The T-Rex inside the Natural History Museum

Inside the Natural History Museum

Having a bit of a break in the yard of the V&A Museum

om nom nom

I kinda dug Princess Diana so seeing one of her gowns was of interest to me…

The Science Museum

Wellington Arch

Australia Memorial- I really liked this one

Queen’s protection

Buckingham Palace

Green Park- easily one of my favorite places in London. Serene would be a good word for this fella.

Canadian War Memorial- Had a bit of a moment here too.

Womens War Memorial

I wish Toronto streets looked like this…

Big Ben

Parliament Buildings

Westminster Abbey

Lambeth Bridge

London Eye

Tate Britain

I really lucked out getting into the Tate Britain- they were closing in 30ish min once I got there. I was really happy that one of my guide books had directions to some of the more interesting paintings.

So after my adventure I got to enjoy an hour long trip back to the hotel via the tube due to there being about 5 lines down for “engineering something something”.

When I got back Dan was still in relax mode so I got ready to meet Tom, Julia and her roomate Sarah for dinner, drinks and potential dancing in New Cross.

I finally got to consume delicious, delicious sausage and mash.

Tom let me try his pie too so I feel justified in posting a photo haha

The Royal Albert- I’m a fan of the lampshades. They’re going to make a comback you watch…

Sarah, Julia and Tom my gallavanting companions (slightly blurry photos but I think they are still snazzy)

There was no loss for conversation and silly chit chat with these three lovely people. We ended up going to dance but it was pretty empty and the tunes weren’t all my kind of dancing tunes (ohhh Red Square I MISS YOU). But we still cut a bit of a rug. While we were there this crew of people came in to promote their cabaret show or something of that nature which involved the following character:

Most people know that I do not fair well with masks. This … donkey… thing and I were not getting along. As long as he? she? stayed away I was good though. Luckily Tom is tall and thus easy to hide behind.

I could have taken the night bus back to the hotel but I decided instead to take Tom up on the offer of breakfast in the morning and a spot on his couch in order to avoid the worry of getting home.

We ended the night with more drinks and once we were all equally exhausted we steered the good times homebound. Enjoyed some tea and conversation til the wee hours of the morning with some tasty tunes playing- this of course is another one of my favorite evenings spent in London. Really good company.

Day 6 to come!

K

Here are a few more pics from our time in London.  Will share Ireland pics soon!

1. Big Ben
2. View from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral – I think St. Paul’s is my favorite historical building in London
3. Me standing in Center Court stadium at Wimbledon – this part of our trip was a dream come true for me (just wish I could have been there during the actual event)
4. The Wimbledon trophies
5. Our desert at Morelli’s Gelato in Harrod’s - sheer decadence!
6. Can’t remember what this building was but it was cool
7. Westminster Abbey – this is where the tomb & effigy of Queen Elizabeth I resides, one of my favorite historical woman leaders
8. Houses of Parliament
9. The London Eye