Schmap!!

I was notified today that two of my photographs have been chosen for the Schmap Guide to London. They are pictures I took this summer while on study abroad. These weren't my best pictures, but here's a sneak peek.



This is the South Kensington Tube Station that was home for the three weeks I spent there.



Here are the beautiful gardens of Hampton Court. The day we were there was hot and the ongoing drought left everything yellow and wilting, but it was still stunning.

These pictures join the two pictures from my trip to South Carolina that were inculded in Schmap Myrtle Beach.



This is a mall parking lot during Bike Week.



And this is Ripley's Aquarium on the same day.

Does this mean I'm a published photographer? I need to keep traveling so they can use more of my pictures! I have trips to Denver and Chicago planned already . . .

Moving Day

I’ve been dreading this day for months. I knew the move from London to Paris would be traumatic and I was right. One word describes what we just went through: nightmare.

The morning started out with the fire alarm going off, for the second time during our visit. Fortunately I was dressed so I grabbed my laptop and my camera and made my way downstairs. It was several minutes before it was determined which flat was the culprit (none of us) so I snapped some pictures of our last morning at Manson Place.






First Row: Una, Marty, Deann, Tim, Susan
Back Row: Kelly, Audrey, Megan R., Darrin

Knowing that I would have to haul everything I own to Paris has given me the incentive to be careful with my purchases. I haven’t spent much money because every time I look at something I think, “Is this worth carrying?” The answer is usually no. Getting through the Tube isn’t bad if you only have one suitcase so I limited myself to that. Every stop has escalators and a durable suitcase with wheels can take it. The only difficulty I had at this stage of the move was my 17 inch laptop. It’s large, heavy, and very awkward to carry long distances. Getting on to EuroStar to make the trip through the Chunnel wasn’t too bad either and security is surprisingly light. I wasn’t asked a single question when my passport was stamped.

I’ve heard so much about the amazing engineering feat that it took to create the Chunnel, but it’s anticlimactic to actually ride through. It wasn’t much different than any other train ride and we weren’t under the channel for very long. You never see the ocean either. The countrysides of both England and France are beautiful, however. It’s amazing that you can be in two of the largest cities in the world and an hour later be in farm land.

We arrived in Paris and things went down hill fast. The station was filled with guards armed with machine guns. Not very welcoming, but a bit reasuring.





Our hotel was on the opposite side of the city and would take some time to get there even without luggage. It took awhile to get our Metro tickets and when we finally started our trip I realized very quickly that the Paris Metro is not the London Underground. The Metro has adopted the easy to understand graphics the Tube is known for, but the lines are laid out awkwardly and require more transfers than was usually necessary in London. We faced two transfers and three trains to make it to our destination. The Tube has so many dramatic escalators that it never occurred to us the Metro would have almost none. The trip required us to lift our luggage up and down hundreds of steps through the course of the next hour and a half. Oh, and did I mention it was rush hour? The cars were packed even before we jumped on. It was miserable, and I was better off with my one suitcase than most. Stress like this brings out the best or worse in people, and I have to thank everyone for pulling together. It was a group effort and a special thanks goes to Adam and Gabe for carrying many bags up many steps for almost everyone. I don’t know how you guys did it. It was not worth the trouble to do this and I don’t recommend it to anyone. Take a taxi, it’s worth the money. I would have gladly paid not to have had such a miserable first day in Paris.

I don’t think any of us thought it would ever end, but at last we reached Dupliex and the Hotel Arley Tour Eiffel. I am in room 115 with Kelly. It’s a small hotel on a side street, but it is much nicer than the accommodations in London. If you lean out of the far window of our room you can see this.





After a rest we broke into groups for dinner. I went with Deann, Una, Kelly, Tim, Susan, Marty, Darrin, Kelsea and Corrine and we found a nice restaurant around the corner from the Eiffel Tower. I decided to be adventurous and tried frog legs for the first time. I was surprised but they really do taste like chicken, with a slightly tougher texture. And yes, it did look like Kermit. I also had grilled salmon. When we went to NeoCon West in March I ate at The Paris in Las Vegas and had the salmon there too. I decided then to have salmon in the real Paris to compare. The two dishes are both very good, but the best salmon I’ve ever had it still the grilled salmon caesar salad at Le Nonne in Logan.

We walked over to the Eiffel Tower after dinner. I’ve never been that impressed by the tower, but it is much more delicate than I expected it to be. The open steel framework is almost lacey and it is lit beautifully at night. It almost made the rest of the day worth the trouble to get here.

Buckingham and Clarence

Today is our last day in London. It’s a little sad to move on. Our flat at 13 Manson Place is a bit of a dump, but for the past three weeks it has been home. I never thought I could live in a city this large, but I’ve fallen into a routine and I feel safe here. London has become comfortable. The city is crowded and noisy, but you learn to define your own world, creating an individual intimacy that makes the surroundings a bit less overwhelming. The South Kensington Tube Station, Tesco Express, the “teeter-totter tile” on the corner, and the flower shop I pass every day all provide a sense of normalcy and belonging. I would prefer to live in a smaller city, but if I needed to I could make London, New York or any other metropolis home.









Our stay in London ends with Buckingham Palace. As you can imagine words like grand or lavish can’t describe Buckingham. It is truly a palace. The rooms are large, ornate, and full of priceless pieces. The furniture is exquisite, the art work is stunning, and the scale is nothing less than palatial. The tour is different than anything we’ve experienced. The audio headsets guide you through the rooms at a careful pace. You are prompted to stay in a room for just enough, but not too much time. Music plays in the background and the ushers standing at predetermined intervals make sure you walk through at the appropriate pace. This creates an imposing atmosphere of reverence that adds to the awe of the experience, but also made me want to kick off my shoes and run down the hallways like I did when I was little at church. For as magnificent and ostentatious as Buckingham is, words like immoral also come to mind. I’ve felt this way in all the palaces we’ve been through, but there is something different about a palace that is lived in, and that charges admission. I believe in preserving historic places, and I also believe that you can’t judge the past by current standards of morality. But I can’t see any justification for Buckingham Palace. If I were British I’m not sure I would put up with this. As I walked through I just kept thinking about all the children in Africa you send to school for the cost of that console table, or the workers in India that you could train in place of a chandelier. I have no problem with spending money, even large amounts of money, on your surroundings. What I have a problem with is excess, especially in the face of want. Buckingham Palace is beautiful, but it is also upsetting. I feel this same way when I’m in Las Vegas. Things like this should not exist. Put this place to good use and make it a museum. Is this why the VAT is so high?!





After lunch we toured Clarence House, the home of Prince Charles and Camilla. To my relief it is much smaller and easier to relate to. I wouldn’t call it humble, but it isn’t overwhelming either. You just can’t live in a palace and remain sane. But once again there is a feeling of forced reverence and awe imposed on you, this time by the tour guide. You can walk through the ground floor rooms, but feel very privileged just to be allowed to gaze on this bookcase and don’t you dare breath. Sorry, I’m just not falling for it.



On the way back to the flat we walked through St James Park. This is stunning. It makes London look like something out of a fairy tale. I wish I had know about this park earlier; I would have come here often. It is much more beautiful than Hyde Park and has only been two tube stops away.

A bunch of us celebrated our last night in town by jumping on the Number 11 bus for a wild ride. It is the unofficial tour bus of London because it makes a large circle around the major sites. We sat on the top deck sharing scones and other goodies as we rode through the streets we’ve explored for the past few weeks. Our Oyster cards expire at midnight and it was one last chance to enjoy England’s public transportation. We didn’t hop on early enough however because we were ushered off the bus when service ended at 10:00 p.m. Fortunately we were let off in front of a Tube station and we made our way home to finish packing.

Everybody Wants To Rule the World

For centuries Bath has been a resort town, a place to get away from crowded cities and relax. I can see why. There is something in the air here. It’s impossible to be in Bath and not feel relaxed. The green hills, the charming town, the Avon river meandering through the center of town all create a tranquil atmosphere. It also helps that the heat wave has finally broken and it rained this morning. One of the things I’ve been looking forward to most in England is the rain and this is the first day I’ve experienced a real rain. And the rain was a beautiful, convenient rain. It fell only when I wanted it to and kept the temperature perfectly mild. Bath is a place I want to come back to. It’s the perfect spot to stay in a bed and breakfast and explore the countryside from.

Bath, now a World Heritage City, received it’s name from the Roman baths that have been preserved in the center of town. As far as Roman ruins go Bath in unremarkable. What is remarkable is that they exist at all after two thousand years of use. The most exciting thing about the ruins is that the ancient temple here, which included the rare tholos, was dedicated to Sulis Minerva. This is a fascinating blend of the worship of a the local goddess of thermal water - the source of prophecy from the Otherworld,and the Roman goddess of wisdom, known to the Greeks as Athena. Minerva was one of the most beloved of the ancient deity and it is significant that the Romans allowed her worship to blend with that of a Celtic goddess. This adaptability was part of the reason the Romans were so successful in expanding their empire. They allowed the peoples they conquered to retain their religion and traditions, and in the case of Sulis, assimilated them into their own culture.









The site of the baths remained in use long after the Romans lost their empire. The town of Bath grew around it, and Bath Abbey was built nearby. Dating from the 16th century, the abbey features exquisite fan vaulting. The vaulting was designed by Robert and William Vertue who are responsible for King’s College Chapel.





As an interesting design feature the altars in the abbey are covered by stunning contemporary fabric art.





Unfortunately the abbey suffered vandalism recently and some of the stained glass windows have been broken.





The Costume Museum has a comprehensive collection of historical fashion. It’s interesting to see the way the fashionable English men and women dressed as a counter to the way they decorated their interiors. Contemporary fashion is also featured and visitors are invited to leave their own designs.









Bath underwent a cultural renaissance in the 18th century when it became a favorite destination of artists and writers. Jane Austin is one of the most notable, and despite the fact that she only lived here for five years and was glad to leave, the Jane Austin Center is open to celebrate her life. Don’t bother visiting though. The gift shop and simple presentation on her life aren’t worth the price of admission.

Much of the architecture in Bath is Georgian and can be seen as you walk through the streets. The townhouses that make up the Circus and the Royal Crescent are particularly charming.




The Circus


Royal Crescent

Several of us had dinner at Sally Lunn’s House, a restaurant famous for their buns. The building dates from 1482 and Sally’s has been open since 1680. For me it was more exciting to know that Doctor Who had been here!





One more bit of Bath trivia: this is where the band Tears for Fears hails from.

Roaaar

I spent my last free day in London at the Natural History Museum. It's very different from the other museums I've spent the past few weeks in because it designed for short attention spans. It's bright and flashy and perfect for kids. All the other parents in the country must agree because it was mayhem, especially in the dinosaur exhibit. Kids were running everywhere. It was crazy, but refreshing to see children excited by learning.

This is the Ecology exhibit.







It feels more like the entrance to a ride at Disneyland than a science exhibit. It makes an exciting contrast with the historic architecture.





This feature is created with one tv screen surrounded by mirrors set at angles to reflect the image. In the bottom picture you can see my reflection while taking the picture. (Click for a larger view.)



The museum shop is full of educational toys. Once again it was fun to see kids excited by learning.





The Natural History Museum was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and opened in 1881. It's been a landmark in London ever since. Children have been coming here for over 100 years to discover a world bigger than themselves. There has been so much traffic that the mosaic floors have been worn away by 80%. The museum is trying to restore them.

The dinosaur exhibit seems to be the most popular spot in the museum.





You enter on a cat walk that looks down on suspended and dramatically lit dinosaur skeletons. The walkway itself looks like the backbone of a dinosuar.



At the far end you find an animatronic T Rex, and then wind back at ground level under the walk way. It's fun and fast and the kids loved it.





I felt like a kid again too, exploring something new.