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.

Saturday through Tuesday 23-26 June 2007

Who says size doesn’t matter?

This past weekend I ventured to the Normandy coast of Northern France and toured the D-Day Invasion sites. It was a whirlwind of activity that had the weather go from absolutely gorgeous to persistent wind blown rain. It’s somewhat eerie that so much of the French coastline is still dotted with the concrete remains of the German occupation.

I visited the initial points of attack on both the eastern and western flanks of the 50 mile stretch of invasion zone. Starting with Ste. Mere Eglise to the west where the American paratroopers dropped continuing all the way to the east where British glider troops took the all important Pegasus Bridge .

In Ste. Mere Eglise they found it fitting (I found it in bad taste) to adorn the village church with an effigy of paratrooper John Steele. If you’ve seen the DDay movie, The Longest Day this is the role played by Red Buttons. It also has a kilometer post that signifies the start of “The Road to Freedom”.

At Pegasus Bridge you can see just how close the British glider pilots landed (47 ft. as there are markers behind the bridge) in order to capture the bridge within ten minutes time. We actually had lunch at Café Gondree which existed at the time of the invasion and is considered to be the first building liberated. Arlette Gondree who was a young girl at the time still tends to family run café. She has become somewhat notorious in that if you don’t follow her “rules” you won’t get served. I’d reference Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” here, but that would be in bad taste…

Oh well…

In between lay the five invasion beaches, Utah , Omaha , Gold, Juno and Sword each with their own distinct features that proved the obstacles for the invading troops. Whether it was the 500 ft. long stretch of beach during low tide at Utah (turned out it was close to low tide when we were there), the elevations at Omaha, or the seaside villages at the Eastern sites, actually “seeing” these give one a new found respect for the determination and resolve of the Allied soldiers.

Perhaps the greatest “visual” was that of the one at Pointe du Hoc, the site of the U.S. Rangers’ assault on the 330 ft high sheer cliff to take out the German’s 155mm gun battery that potentially could have fired down upon either Utah or Omaha beach. The guns are no longer there, but… BUT… they have chosen to leave the grounds “as is”, which allows you to view the aftermath of the Allied bombings and offshore shelling.

It wasn’t all Operation Overlord, monuments and war museums as we also visited Mont St. Michel (which honestly turned out to be one of my favourite stops of the tour) and the Bayeux Tapestry.

Mont St. Michel is a Benedictine Monastery (complete with Scriptorium in its lower recesses) dedicated to the archangel Michael that sits atop a tidal island that rises over 240 ft. above the coast line and is one of those “wow” moments when you first see it appear on the horizon as it dominates the French countryside. Built in the 11th century it has been the site for pilgrimages for centuries, and has become the second most visited tourist destination in France behind Paris.

Like the Book of Kells that we viewed whilst in Dublin , The Bayeux Tapestry is considered to be one of the world’s true relics. An embroidered depiction of the events leading up to and including the William the Conqueror led Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Tapestry was commissioned in the 1070’s and measures 20 inches high by 230 FEET long. Unfortunately, no photos allowed.

After viewing the Tapestry I made a quick run (mainly because it was raining so hard) to visit the Gothic 11th century Bayeux Cathedral.

Without a doubt the most moving visits of the trip were to the British War Cemetery in Bayeux and the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach . Let the photos tell the tale.

“It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.” – Sir Winston Churchill

Sunday 17 June 2007

An elevator is a lift, our garbage is rubbish, and instead of getting in line - we queue. All of these things we accept, and actually, without thinking implement into our day to day conversations. Every once in a while, I learn either a new word or a new meaning to a word I thought I knew. Today's word was "hill". More on that later...

Today was the London to Brighton bike ride. A 54 mile trek with 27,000 of my closet friends. You read that right… 27 THOUSAND riders! Most of you know I’ve ridden in several of the MS150 rides from Houston to Austin, and to give you a benchmark, they capped that ride for safety reasons at 14,000. To alleviate some of the congestion they had staggered start times from 6:00 to 9:00. You guessed it… I chose the 6:00 AM start predicating a 4:00 wake-up. Remember… as Amy needs to be reminded as well, I do this for fun.

My riding partner, David and I made it through unscathed in a decent time even after dealing with a few crowded climbs on some narrow country lanes, and a 41mph descent on a rain dampened asphalt road with just a little bit of a cross wind.

Oh yeah… about that “hill”? For several weeks leading up to this ride, I had several people mention to me about the “hill” at the end.

“Oh… are you ready for that hill at the end?”

“Think you’ll make it all the way up that hill at the end?”

At lunch on Friday I inquired about said “hill” to a co-worker. “Oh?? You mean Ditchling Beacon?” came his reply.

So now….

This “hill”… Has a name.

Not only does it have a name, but upon further research it also has a 12% grade on its northern face of just over a mile in duration. While David stayed on his bike the entire way up I made it to within 400m of the top where I encountered an increase in grade that didn’t seems to agree with my quadriceps, as they immediately let me know. I did finish up the climb once the grade eased a bit.

Photos don't do it justice so I've included a route profile that the organizers chose to hand out on the morning OF the ride.

Wednesday 13 June 2007

Pub Update!!

As everyone should know by now, ONE of my "hobbies" is visiting the more "traditional" or historic pubs available here.

I have been in London just over a little over a year now so for those of you doing the math, that's 54 weeks and 77 pubs.

As always click on the link to your right (just above that lonely bench link -shameless plug-) to get the comprehensive list. Coming soon... Ray's top five pubs.

54. Penny Black: Non-traditional pub, but still good for a lunch boozer in Leatherhead. Nice large outside beer garden though.
55. Prince of Wales (Highgate): Traditional village pub with cool little benched booths and small rooms. Cozy atmosphere, but as with some others no pub grub, just a Thai menu.
56. The Flask: A Highgate classic, although extremely popular with the young and beautiful crowd on a nice weekend afternoon. Said to be over 300 years old, it is one of those low-ceiling, interconnecting rooms type pubs. We actually sat behind the original bar. Old pub with a fancy beer garden attached.
57. Prince of Wales (Victoria): Tiny traditional below our flat, but has been way too smoky until now. Great friendly place to sit outside on the sidewalk picnic tables to people watch.
58. The Phoenix: Newer gastro-pub with a cozy back garden area that we stumbled across by accident coming out the back of Cardinal Place.
59. The Dog and Duck: Small Victorian pub in Soho with some quirky stairs down to the Gent’s toilet and some excellent original tilework on the walls. Have actually been back two more times as it makes for a good spot to people watch.
60. The Queen’s Head: Just off Piccadilly Circus. Part of my Werewolves of London crawl. Just an “ok” place, as refurbishment seems to have cost it the original feel.
61. The Running Horse: In Leatherhead near the River Mole. One of those cool “village” type pubs with low beamed ceilings that I kept hitting my head against.
62. The Clarence: Touristy place near Parliament. Not a bad place, per se, just not the traditional type I prefer.
63. Angel and Crown: One of those “Hey… there’s a pub we haven’t been into, let’s try it” type visits. Another in a long line of rebuilt clean interiors. Only had a ½ pint as to not stay too long.
64. Cross Keys: On the edge of Covent Garden, off the beaten path. VERY dark and almost a dingy feel, but that was part of the charm of this traditional. Actually… not a bad place. The walls are absolutely covered in old pictures and nick-knacks.
65. Blue Posts: In an alley off of Piccadilly. Tiny place that was PACKED on a Sunday afternoon as a 6 piece swing band was playing and actually taking up ¼ of the pub. Nice fun, “local” place.
66. The Plough: Another local “village” type pub in Leatherhead. Eh…no big deal.
67: Ivy House: Local neighborhood pub near Nunhead/Peckham Rye. Quite cozy actually, but the back dining room area with its curtained stage was pretty cool.
68. Clockhouse: Peckham Rye area gastro-pub. While a decent enough place to have a pint it is by NO means a traditional pub.
69. Page 2: Another Nunhead/Peckham area pub. Jumped in to get out of the rain (my other choice was a church). Skankiest beer EVER! The ale was actually warm… WARM!! Like it was sitting next to the boiler. Shame, because the place itself had a certain local charm to it.
70. The Wellington: HUGE pub on the edge of Covent Garden. Spruced up interior, but still some of that old time feel. Decent enough place to visit before or after the theatre.
71. The Cider Press: (Torquay pub) “Perhaps” an old school pub as it had interior stone walls and fireplaces, but the beams (for whatever reason) seemed fake. Still seemed to be a fun place though.
72. The Seven Stars: (Dartmouth pub) The oldest pub in Dartmouth built in 1780. Pew-like bench seating and a low beamed (hit my head twice) ceiling. Lots of character and characters. If this was in London it would be one of those I would take visitors to see.
73. The Royal Dart: (Kingsware pub) The building has been there since the late 1700’s but the pub located there now reflects NONE of that tradition.
74. The Black Friar: Holy Crap!! Built originally in 1875 the interior of this pub was magnificent. Marbled walls, arched entrances to a back room, and cool little nooks with benches. Very different. In a good way.
75. The Punch Tavern: OK… take an older pub with carved jester styled heads detailing the original skylight and bar, throw in etched mirrored walls, but then throw in a bright, cheery, let me wait on you at your table atmosphere (which says anything BUT “pub”) and there you have this confused place. Nice enough, but still.
76. The Star Tavern:A very quaint traditional pub tucked away in the residential mews of Belgravia. Interesting stained glass “star” windows. Very low key place for a Saturday afternoon pint.
77. The Antelope:Another authentic Belgravia pub that seems to reflect the neighborhood it is located in. Genteel or quaint describes these well. I’d frequent these more if I weren’t afraid of getting lost in the maze of mews. Both places also served ESB ale which for me… is a bonus.

Saturday 9 June 2007

Upon Sheila and Stephen’s return from two days in Paris I thought it would appropriate to take them on a proper London Pub Crawl. Starting with one of my all time favourites, The Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in the Square Mile and finishing at The Cardinal in Westminster we took in a total of ten pubs throughout the day.

If that wasn’t enough fun we also timed it right to be in Hyde Park for the start of the 2007 Naked Bike Ride. Ray chose wisely not to participate in the effort to bring awareness to cyclist’s rights, as well as, an appeal to attempt an end to petroleum dependency.

Good luck with that…

signed two American Expats working for the oil industry.

S&S leave on Monday seeing FAR more of the people of London than they bargained for.

Thursday 7 June 2007

Since Amy and I both have to work this week, S&S were on their own during the day seeing in no particular order: The Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The National Gallery, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. You could probably also mix in a few pubs in there, as well as, a new found respect for the art of walking.

Monday night I met up with them near Tower Hill to take Donald Rumbelow’s “Jack the Ripper” tour through London Walks. I’ve taken his tour before and he is internationally renowned as the leading authority on the Jack the Ripper murders penning what is to be considered the definitive book on the subject.

Buy Stephen or myself a pint and maybe we’ll share with you the weird tale about the smallish, oddly dressed, Queen Mary traveling, Donald Rumbelow stalking fellow walk participant with a (I kid you not) neck scar from ear to ear.

Sunday 3 June 2007

Yesterday Sheila and Stephen hopped on an open top bus and took a quick tour of the city whilst I did a walkabout taking photos for The Way We See It – London.

Click here to see my submissions

Later we took them by Parliament, into Trafalgar Square (complete with mandatory “Lion Photo”), through Chinatown, and stopping in SoHo for a pint and some people watching, before walking to Piccadilly Circus and giving them their introduction to The Underground.

Today we all traveled via coach out to the Kent countryside to visit Leeds Castle. On a spectacular clear day we toured the castle grounds and staterooms, watched a jousting exhibit, strolled through the formal gardens, and witnessed a bit of falconry. S&S also braved the hedge maze.

Home to several monarchs through the years it had a real castle “look” to it, mainly because of it’s location on an island. Unfortunately, it looses a bit of authenticity as the complex has been upgraded via private ownership. Don’t get me wrong… I enjoyed the day, but there was something about taking my picture standing on the 8th tee box of the castle’s golf course that tends to remove the medieval edge.

Friday 01 June 2007

Tonight, along with Sheila and Stephen, we FINALLY went to see Wicked.

It’s been showing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre which is literally across the street from our flat, and with Amy’s penchant for The Wizard of OZ -it’s a wonder we waited this long to see it. I can honestly say that this was... without a doubt... the best live musical that I’ve seen.

The combination of a great set, bold costumes, outstanding singing and a story line that surprised even me made for a great theatrical experience. Amy (as usual) scored great seats eight rows from the stage.

I won’t spoil anything, but if you see this you will never, EVER watch the Wizard of OZ in the same way again.

Yes, for all my friends who've been recommending it - Wicked was truly wonderful. The costumes were great and the lead singer had the most amazing voice. Happy to return for another viewing of this one if any of my future visitors are interested.

p.s. Can someone in Houston please blow a little good luck over toward Minute Maid park? Lance really needs me back in town!

Friday 1 June 2007

Office Pools

I remember them… vaguely.

March Madness Brackets, Super Bowl Squares, etc., etc.

Imagine my surprise when today in the office I was approached about joining in on the latest pool.

For a mere £2 entry I now own one of eighteen selections in this weekend’s Vodofone Derby (pronounced DAR-bee by the way) at Epsom Downs. Yep… a horserace.

Go Anton Chekhov!! At 40-1 I’m not liking my chances.

Thursday 31 May 2007

Food for thought…

Realizing that I’ve been in the UK a year (Amy a skosh longer), I find it interesting how we’ve slowly adapted.

We’ve grown accustomed to living in Central London, with its noise and utilization of mass transit. Not to mention the walking.

Although I only cycle (commuting 1-2 times a week to work) traveling on the left side of the road is becoming second nature. Did I mention the walking?

Certain phrases have crept into our daily vernacular. (Another post, another time)

And then there’s the walking.


My sister and her husband arrive for a 10 day visit this Friday, and knowing that there will be several more visitors in the coming months perhaps it might be of use to supply a series of a Public Service Announcements.

Today let us discuss culinary quirks. Not the preparation, but rather what is what.

I won’t bore everyone with the obvious chips are fries, crisps are chips, biscuits are cookies rhetoric. Although located in Victoria Station one can visit Millie’s Cookies and partake in their gooey baked offerings especially Toffee/Chocolate or White Chocolate or…

Note to self: Pick up cookies on way home tonight.

Apologies, I digress.

Carrots are called carrots, corn is called corn (although in the UK it tends to show up in sandwiches more than I would care for it), and tomatoes are called… nevermind. However, cross the Atlantic and eggplant become aubergine and zucchini becomes courgette. I was always indifferent on the zucchini-squash debate, but request squash and you will receive a beverage consisting of fruit juice and fizzy water.

Prawns are obviously shrimp, but if you order scampi and were expecting grilled/sautéed crustacean drenched in garlic butter you’ll be disappointed when you receive what is best described as Shrimp McNuggets.

At breakfast, bacon is more like a ham steak, and don’t ask for jelly, because you’ll receive Jell-O. Stick with jam as it is… well… it’s jam. Quite nice combined with clotted cream on scones, but that’s tea, not breakfast. Again… I digress.

Lastly a word about Marmite. Make that two words: No thanks. However, if you feel the urge to sample the processed yeast extract left over from the beer making process (think brown goo at the bottom of the barrel), then by all means, go for it. Just remember to spread it thinly over previously applied butter.

This by no means was meant as derogatory, as I truly enjoy traditional British cuisine. Shame I couldn't touch on more, but if you choose to try some Bubble and Squeak or a Toad in the Hole may I highly recommend finishing it off with a Spotted Dick.

Bon Appetit.

Friday through Monday 25-28 May 2007

This being a Bank Holiday Weekend (we get Monday off) we hopped on a train and headed to the English Riviera, a portion of southwest England in South Devon. The quiet harbour town of Torquay was our destination which is not only known for being the birthplace of Agatha Christie, but also the site of Gleneagles Hotel which was John Cleese’s inspiration for the sitcom Fawlty Towers.

Our “home” for the weekend was a turn of the century hotel with a great view of the Torbay harbour making it the perfect base for a much needed period of rest and relaxation.

Saturday we took a harbour cruise to Dartmouth passing the villages of Paignton and Brixham, as well as, the scenic South Devon coastline.

While in Dartmouth, we had an excellent lunch in the Royal Castle Hotel, est. 1630, and also found time to sample the wares at Dartmouth’s oldest pub, the Seven Stars. We decided that we really need to come back and re-visit as the short time we spent there wasn’t nearly enough (the town that is… not the pub).

Filling in the rest of the trip were Devon Cream Teas (complete with scones and clotted cream of course), an adult beverage or two, and the occasional nap.

A much needed recharging.

Thursday 24 May 2007

We saw on the news that for the next two days Trafalgar Square was to be covered in grass as part of a publicity plan to bring attention to the “Green” areas within Central London. We decided to check it out.

Honestly… I was a tad disappointed as I was expecting the WHOLE Square to be covered, but it turned out to be only the area between the fountains. Still, as you can see, it drew bunches and bunches of people.

Click here for the whole story

Wednesday 23 May 2007

Role Reversals…

Fear not… this isn’t a post about how we are trying to put some oomph back into our marriage, but rather how I ended up spending almost a week away from London on a business trip while Amy stayed home.

Last Thursday I flew out to Kalunborg, Denmark (an industrial/port town about 75 miles west of Copenhagen) for what was intended to be a 2-3 day assessment in a supplier’s fabrication plant. Mix in some product anomalies and a procedural snafu causing severe delays, throw in 12-13 hour days through the weekend, some stressful high profile decision making (still haven’t figured how I got involved with THAT), and then simmer for seven days, and there you have my week.

However… I did discover Leffe Dark, a VERY nice Belgian beer that if I can find it in London will be in my top two beers of choice, joining Fuller’s ESB ale.

Oh… and I did have a pastry.

My turn: It was quite a turn this week - and a bit lonely, I must say. I took advantage of the beautiful London weather this week and did a bit of walking about the city. Read a few books and watched a movie or two. Found myself wandering into the National Portrait Gallery this weekend and even had a few meals out on my own. Skipped the cemetaries and the smoky pubs. Can't wait for 1st of July when London becomes smoke free in all public establishments. That means "sneeze free" for me...

Tuesday 15 May 2007

Can youuuu feel the love tonight?

Well? Can you??

Tonight we made it back out to Covent Garden to take in a show, this time seeing the Broadway production of The Lion King. It was playing at the Lyceum Theatre which was built in 1834, although a theatre has been on this site since 1765. OK… your trivia for the day: In 1802 the Lyceum was the site of Madame Tussaud’s initial display of waxworks. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog. The Lion King itself has been playing this theatre since 1999!!

Anyway… it occurred to me during the pre-show conversation with Amy and her friend Elizabeth, that I hadn’t even seen the movie, so it would all be new to me. Amy had seen the musical before so she knew to choose seats on the aisle (not to mention 6 rows from the front, thankyouverymuch).

The grand entrance at the beginning was by far (to me anyway) the most impressive scene of the evening with the procession of all the “animals” coming through the aisles toward the stage. The costumes, which were a combination of wardrobe and puppeteering, stole the show. Not that the singing and the music weren’t entertaining, mind you, it just seems I was drawn more to trying to figure out how they made their costumes “work” than listening to the performance. Visually stimulating? Yeah, you could say so.

Still, all in all, a very enjoyable evening.

Saturday 12 May 2007

Three down and four to go, as I wandered into South London, actually the Borough of Southwark to see another of seven original Victorian garden cemeteries, Nunhead.

Opened in 1840, Nunhead was not as “glamorous” as the other two I’ve visited as there weren’t any of the large family vaults and far fewer large monuments. Yet, I found exploring this one far more enjoyable. Access to some of the more remote spots were via “paths” through the bramble, overgrowth and fallen trees.


It also seemed that more monuments here were in far worse shape and fallen over than in Highgate and Kensel Green, but to me, strange as it sounds, this added to its character.

Saturday through Monday, 5-7 May 2007

Amy is still in the States, and because it is a three day Bank Holiday weekend, my Houston KBR work mate, Marty (who has been working in Paris) came to see London…

One

Pub

At

A

Time

Three days, the basic sights, a bit of culture at the Tate Britain and sixTEEN different pubs later I think Marty probably saw more of London than he bargained for, especially the guest of honour of a travelling stagger (bachelor party) of RAF lads that we ran into at two different pubs on Saturday. Just another boring day at the pub...

Saturday 28 April 2007

Never… EVER… Would I have thought that I would have some of these opportunities. Here I was on a Friday night sitting at a sidewalk table, having a beer, sampling some antipasto and watching people stroll by the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

While Amy was preparing for her two week business trip to Houston , I decided to make a quick day trip to Pisa , Italy (boy… does that sound pretentious or what?). I won’t lie to you, other than the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), there’s not much else to see in Pisa (trust me I tried), but STILL!!

A little background… The Field of Miracles (actually the Piazza del Duomo) is a large area of Pisa that contains the Duomo (cathedral), its Baptistery, the Bell Tower (the one that leans) and the Camposanto (monumental cemetery).

Getting there first thing on Saturday morning, I was part of the initial group of the day to climb the Tower. The 185 ft. climb wasn’t so tough, but you really can feel the tilt, especially as you near the top. The one thing I found interesting was just how worn the marble steps have become after “only” 700+ years of use.

The Baptistery, dedicated to St. John the Baptist is basically a large building that houses the baptismal font. The immenseness of the interior really isn’t captured in the pictures. It is difficult to fathom that the font and the pulpit were both constructed in the 13th century.

I was actually quite disappointed with the Camposanto (seeing that I’m on a cemetery kick lately). It seems that most of the original Roman monuments and frescos have been removed and relocated to other museums.

Last but not least was the Duomo itself. While the Leaning Tower gets all the attention, it is the Duomo that is the centerpiece of the piazza. While maybe not as ornate as the cathedrals in Rome , you have to realize it was built almost 500 years beforehand. As in the Baptistery, there was a very intricately sculpted pulpit. As always it seems, photos just don’t do these justice.