Saturday 28 July 2007

I wonder if this is what Geoffrey Chaucer had in mind?

I don’t think so.

With Doug and Blake’s stay growing to a close on their last full day we all hopped on a train and travelled out to Canterbury… here is our tale.

We entered the town like most pilgrims of which Chaucer wrote would have… through its West Gate which still stands today. The medieval city still holds most of its charm with some very scenic views especially along the River Stour.

The Canterbury Cathedral is the centerpiece of the city’s sights, and it didn’t disappoint. Home to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Cathedral is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England.

We were treated to the sounds of the choir practising as we toured the interior which included the highlights of the Tomb of The Black Prince and with out a doubt, the area where the shrine to Thomas Becket once stood. Due to Henry VIII’s decision to destroy the shrine in 1538, all that remains is a lit candle.

Saturday 28 July 2007

Yeah… it’s one of those cheap silly things tourists do when they're in London. Sue me.

Tune in next week to see our version of The White Album.

Friday 27 July 2007

What have Doug and Blake done in London this past week?

Well… in no uncertain order:

-Watched the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
-Visited Madame Toussoud’s Wax Museum.
-Went to Trafalgar Square for the “mandatory” Lion photo.
-Did the Harry Potter thing by going to Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station.
-Stopped by the Tower Bridge.
-Hit an unsuspecting tourist with a baseball in Hyde Park.
-Saw a West End musical by forcing Amy to see Wicked again.
-Walked through Covent Garden, Chinatown and Soho.
-Took a Yeoman’s (Beefeater) tour at the Tower of London.

I’d say they had a busy week.

Friday through Sunday 20-22 July 2007

If there is any other place on Earth where culture, history and decadence (or as they like to refer to it, “tolerance”) can co-exist as seamless as it does in Amsterdam, I’m not sure where it is.

I'm really not sure if it was an omen or not, but our flight made it out of London’s Heathrow airport just before the rains began causing cancellations and flooding. This, of course, was after we had to deal with the suspension of tube service from Victoria Station and right before our plane was struck by lightning on take-off.

Amsterdam has it all.

We saw renown works of art from the likes of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Monet and Picasso as we visited the Rijksmusem and The Van Gogh Museum.

We sampled the local culinary specialty, pannenkoeken (pancakes, not what you think…) at what is considered the area’s best place to do so at The Pancake Bakery, and we meandered our way through what seemed every street, alleyway, public square and canal path.

We accidentally stumbled through the Red Light District and were absolutely STUNNED (what ARE those coiled fire hoses for anyway?) at what we saw there. So much so we had to go back a second time just to make sure we didn’t imagine it, but not before we visited the campy Torture Museum.

With so much to do and see, we were running short of time and had to make a tough decision. One of our options was to visit the somber surroundings of The Anne Frank House and recognize the plight of those persecuted during the atrocious holocaust of World War II.

Either that or…
The Heineken Experience. Oh, come on!! Can't we have some fun, too?

Oh... and we did have fun, and didn't even get run over by a bicycle... or a bus... or a car... or a tram...

Thursday 19 July 2007

Today was a full day.

Doug, Blake and I ventured into the Salisbury plains and visited the two of the more prominent Neolithic monuments in England (maybe the world?) in Stonehenge and Avebury.

Doug was a little bolder than the rest of us as he chose to refute the legend of sitting in “The Devil’s Chair”.

Sandwiched between those we made stops at several King Arthur/Holy Grail sights.

Dominating the Somerset countryside is the Glastonbury Tor which according to Arthurian legend might very well be the Isle of Avalon. Atop is the remnant of the monastic church of St. Michael, as well as, some excellent scenic views.


We then toured what remains of the Glastonbury Abbey, which thanks to Henry VIII isn’t much. However, the reported original burial place of King Arthur and Guinevere is on these grounds.

Yet another legendary site was the Chalice Well. This is where Joseph of Arimathea brought with him the Chalice of the Last Supper (The Holy Grail?) and two cruets containing the blood and sweat that came from Christ’s wounds. He, legend has it, hid them in the hillside or the well itself and since that time the water has flowed red.

The waters are said to obtain certain healing powers should one drink it or wade in the Healing Pool below the spring. Some legends say it can make one feel youthful upon drinking it, but Blake says it tastes exactly like the water from the fountains of his baseball field.

We had some spare time in the town of Glastonbury itself having a VERY nice lunch at the George and Pilgrims, a coach inn built 1452, and also noticing that the town/area itself has a very… um… “spiritual” feel to it, in a new age, crystal type way.

Which might explain…

Yes, ladies and gentlemen... that lady IS hugging that tree , and due to potential lightning strikes we will not make any references to the likeness of the other chap.

Wednesday 18 July 2007

Doug and our nephew Blake have arrived for a two week visit bearing gifts of cherry sours (Thanks Sharon). So far it has been a quick overview for them, with introductions to the local sights and also to steak pies, Cypriotic kebabs and Cornish pasties, because… it’s all about the food, right?

Look for updates later as we venture into King Arthur territory near Glastonbury and a weekend trip into the cultural centre that is Amsterdam.

You may officially feel sorry for Amy because since she has been sunning off the coast of Africa and in Spain for the last two weeks she is not attending.

Thursday through Sunday, 12-15 July 2007

The Festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain with its famous Running of the Bulls can best be described as…

well…

Mardi Gras with hooves and horns.

I’m sure everyone has seen the video footage and read the articles, but this is one of those visits that can only be “experienced”. It’s a non-stop, 24-hour a day street party that is awash in a sea of white and red as almost EVERYone dresses in the festive colours which include the traditional red bandanas and sashes. Brass bands roam the narrow cobblestone streets, the Comparsa de Gigantes parade about and oh yeah… there’s the adult beverages.

I’m not sure if it was the white wine or the beer or the red wine or the champagne or maybe even that homemade Basque libation I sampled, but I’m still moving a bit slow. (Old age has NOTHING to do with it!!)

I won’t attempt to chronologically list our activities as it is all still a blur.

We actually booked through an Austin based company, Ludus Tours (Shameless plug HERE) who made sure our group experienced the event the way it should be.

The Running of the Bulls

We had the opportunity to view “El Encierro” from the vantage point of a balcony overlooking the last long stretch before the bulls entered the arena. Prior to the run, the street is cleared and swept completely clean, and believe me… it needed it. The runners are then allowed out, some of them seemingly not aware the bulls were still in their corral as they sprinted off towards the arena, a full ten minutes before the bulls were released.

Once the bulls are released, the whole run only lasts all of about three minutes, and covers about ½ mile. I’m sure for those on the street it seems longer, especially if you are trying to stay ahead of 1100 pounds of charging beef.

The Bullfight Arena Experience

There are two distinct halves to the bullfighting arena. The Shady Side, which are the best seats and reserved for the more pure bullfighting aficionado, and The Sol (Sunny) side, saved for the more… how shall we say… raucous spectators.

The atmosphere is difficult to describe. Start with the “Food Fight” scene in Animal House; add endless supplies of homemade sangria, beer, and no telling what other forms of libations, throw in complete brass bands, and then bake in a 35°C (conveniently converted to 95° for those that need it) afternoon sun, and that pretty much sums it all up.

Guess which side we were on? To give you an idea, by the end of the bullfights, our white wardrobe was officially pink.

The Bullfight

I won’t get into the whole animal rights/cruelty issue here, but when I wasn’t dodging torrents of sangria; I was definitely on the bull’s side. The one thing I was unaware of was that the matador has a “team” that basically tires the bull out before he EVER engages it.

I’m fully aware that it is all about the show he puts on, but I would have far more respect for his incessant strutting about and cocky exhibits of bravado if he did it all while the bull was fresh and didn’t have six barbed sticks shoved into his shoulders.

But then again… just HOW cocky can you really be when you’re wearing pink socks?

We were actually afforded a rarity during the last fight of the evening as the bull exacted a certain amount of revenge by launching the matador into the air. Funny thing... he didn't seem nearly as "macho" once El Toro exposed his "commando" choice of under garments.

The Closing Ceremonies

As midnight on the last day of the festival nears, thousands upon thousands of revelers fill the square in front of the Town Hall for “Pobre de Mei”, the a candlelight closing ceremony. Upon the mayor’s declaration at midnight of the festival’s conclusion everyone removes their bandana, holds them aloft, and sings traditional songs (that is IF you knew the words). If anyone wants to know exactly how crowded it was need only ask Amy.

What a weekend!! Hopefully, I can soon rid myself of this new found reliance on that whole siesta philosophy.

Tuesday 10 July 2007

I have just returned from a wonderful and relaxing week in Gran Canaria. It is the third largest of the Canary Islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa and belonging to Spain. It’s a 3.5 hour flight from London.

My friend Christine and I stayed at a really nice hotel overlooking the coastline. We were at the far southeast end of the island in Meloneras (where it is warm and quiet) and away from the party hotels and night life. We were looking for some serious R&R – and this was the perfect place! 7 days of sunning, swimming, siestas and sangria were just what we needed to recharge ourselves mid year. We had no tours, no agenda, and it was fabulous. We enjoyed a spa day, read (9 books between us!) and we relaxed poolside listening to the waves - and yes, mom will be proud as I always wore my hat during the heat of the day. I practiced my breathing exercises for Wanda (but I didn’t have to worry about stress and blood pressure this week!)

We only ventured away from the hotel 2-3 times during the trip. A few trips across the road to the beachside restaurants and shops – and a quick trip into Maspalonas further up the coast. The weather was gorgeous and the water was a beautiful blue green during our entire week.

I’m a few shades blonder and browner… But, I felt the tan fading as we arrived in London early this morning and big surprise – it’s raining.

Ah well, I have the photos!

Sunday 8 July 2007

Today was the First Stage of The Tour de France. While yesterday’s Prologue determined who initially wears the Yellow Jersey, today is the first real race day. The First Stage is a 203 kilometer (~126 miles) that eventually winds up in Cantebury.

While the time trial format allows you to see the riders go by one at a time, today they depart as a group, which means, for the spectator, it’s all over in about 30 seconds. I ended up setting up my vantage spot close to the start next to Trafalgar Square just in front of the Admiralty Arch. The actual “start” was in Greenwich so this was more of ceremonial procession.

The Tour is big money and it starts each day with the Publicity Caravan which is just a big sponsor parade.

Well… since it does start in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, of course, there HAS to be a band. I think it's law.
“Le Grand Départ” with the Yellow Jersey wearer Fabian Cancellara leading the way. The Swiss rider completed the five mile course on Saturday in just under nine minutes. If you’re doing the math that averages out to about 33 mph.

So now, I can officially add The Tour de France to my "Major Sporting Events" list right next to Wimbledon and The Open Championship (that's the British Open, remember?). Who knew?

Saturday 7 July 2007 (part 2)

Tonight I had a ticket to see Elvis Costello who was performing with Allen Toussaint at The Tower Music Festival. The cool part of this was the stage was actually set up in what used to be the moat of The Tower of London.

He wasn’t in particularly good voice and I wasn’t familiar at all with his new stuff, but it turned out to be a decent set. His new music has a real R&B feel to it and the four piece horn section added to that. Even his old standards had a new arrangement that mimicked this new style making it quite interesting.

The highlight of the evening was when I turned around during Pump It Up and saw one of the off duty Yeoman (Beefeater) with a beer in each hand dancing in the aisle. Classic!

Saturday 7 July 2007

07-07-07 The luckiest day ever?

Well… Today was the start of the Tour de France, and luckily for me the First Stage, as well as, the Prologue was held right here in London. Not only in London, but within walking distance of the flat, and was something I’ve looking forward to for quite some time.

The Prologue is a 7.9 kilometer (almost 5 miles) time trial that has the individual riders competing against the clock in one minute intervals. It was quite the carnival atmosphere in Hyde Park, and I walked most of the route trying to find a good vantage point. Even three hours early I completely under estimated the crowds and never made it to my intended spot towards the finish.

Yeah... I'd say that's fairly crowded, wouldn't you?

Turns out that one of the best viewing spots left was one that was the closest to the flat.

They make it seem so effortless in attaining the speeds they do. I think it's the technology and if anyone needs Christmas ideas for me this coming year, I could use one of these $9000 bikes.

Just a thought...

Wednesday 04 July 2007

As Amy suns off the coast of Morocco with no telling how many jugs of sangria, I am left with exactly “how” to spend my 4th of July. Honestly… I hadn’t given it much thought until today, because here, in London, it’s just another Wednesday.

How did I celebrate?


By venturing into Grosvenor Square and sitting in the shadows of “our” American Embassy.

I also stopped by No. 3 St. James St. which was the site of the original Republic of Texas Embassy back in the day and marked by this plaque.

And honestly… if an American Expat were to have a pint in a pub on the day that commemorates his country’s independence… where do you think he might end up?

Thought so... because considering the UK’s present level of terrorist awareness, I didn’t think it was prudent to set off firecrackers or bottle rockets off of our balcony.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!!

Sunday 1 July 2007

Officially, Great Britain’s security level has been raised to “critical” after a flaming vehicle drove into Glasgow’s airport terminal on Saturday, which follows the discovery of two potential car bombs early Friday morning in Central London about one mile from our flat.

While the crowds in the train/tube stations seem a bit less crowded and there is more of a police presence throughout the city, life goes on. What also makes this a little more "real" is that we have, on several occasions, walked past the very locations that those two cars were discovered.

Saturday night had a “Retro” theme as we braved the rain and went into Mayfair to have a nice dinner at The Guinea whose past customers have included Frank Sinatra and Liz Taylor amongst others. It turned out to be one of the better meals we’ve had out here in London.

Afterwards we came home to watch the Bogart-Bergman classic Casablanca, which oddly enough Amy has never seen. While it might not seem to be an interesting evening, it went a long way towards making sure our way of life stays on track in light of all the new international tensions.