More on the London Weekend

My weekend in London also included a visit to Tower Hill to see what was left of the poppies in the moat of the Tower to honour those who sacrificed their lives in World War I which began 100 years ago. The 180,000+ ceramic poppies were planted here - one for each life lost. Of course that would not include people like my grandfather who was invalided back after being gassed in the trenches and lived only a few years more unable to leave his bed.

The display was rather disappointing as I thought there would be more of them left, only one week after Remembrance Sunday, but the dismantling was going along apace. They were still drawing the crowds though, as you can probably make out from the viewers at the far end of the picture.

From our vantage point, we also got this rather ethereal view of The Shard with its top shrouded in cloud, and a flock of birds doing a fly past.

The Royal Parks - South London

Today I had to write about the property market in an area of South West London.  I did some research but since I used to live there I didn't need to do much.  Considering why people would choose to locate there, got me round to thinking  about the Royal Parks that are nearby. The two that are close are Richmond Park, and Bushy Park. I always think of the Hampton Court Home Park as one of them as well, but it's not included on the Royal Parks website.

Over the years I've spent a lot of time in them and taken a good few photos. Here's one I particularly like of the lake in Bushy Park.

According to the parks' website, one of the reasons they are important is that "As some of London’s biggest green spaces, they cool urban temperatures, reduce wind speeds and absorb pollution and flood water". You can see lots more facts and figures about them here.

Lipizzaners of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna

Now I have something else to look forward to. The beautiful Lipzzaners are coming to Wembley Stadium in London in November and I'll be in the audience with some family and friends.

This pic by Lucie Provencher was taken in Quebec, Canada in November 2008. They certainly get around.

Wordless Wednesday: Sculpture Below the London Eye

Wordless Wednesday: Guarding London's Cleopatra's Needle

Visiting London

When I go to London I am lucky because I can stay at my daughter's house and take a 20 minute train journey to the centre.  Sometimes though, I wish I could actually stay where the action is and just have to step outside to be in the thick of it. Although I lived there for over 25 years, there are still bits of the metropolis I'm not familiar with, and I often discover places to see there on the blogs I visit. Much has  changed in the years since I moved out too. Here's a pic I took last spring of the avenue of blossom trees leading to the London Eye on the South Bank of the River Thames.

Have you enjoyed a visit to London in the past? Would you come agan? Do you want to visit London for the 2012 Olympics? Thousands of people want to be there soaking up the atmosphere even if they don't have tickets for the events, so if you are among them, you need to be sorting out your accommodation now.

People who can help are Robert and Polly Arnold, a couple who have been bringing up their children there, and making it their business to help visitors have the best possible experience of their city. They'll book London Apartments and offer lots of advice about what to see and where to eat, and so on. It's good to have a home from home you can relax in with your family and soak your aching feet after walking around the sights of London all day.

The Arnolds help businesses too, because London is a vibrant business centre where important meetings are held and crucial deals are negotiated. Business's often find it's cheaper and more convenient to put their people up in decent London Apartments, rather than fork out London hotel prices.

I can't keep away from London for long. I'll be there again this November. When will you be there?

London Viewpoint

I took this picture looking west from Waterloo Bridge the last time I was in London, which was about three months ago. I've added plenty of light to the photo be able to pick out some of the detail.

On the left is the cafe at the back of the BFI (British Film Institute) on the South Bank. (It used to be known as The National Film Theatre.) Beyond that is the Festival Hall, and then, of course, the famous London Eye. It's been there for over 11 years now, and I still haven't managed to ride it.

At the right front is the Festival Pier stretching put over the River Thames. There you can pick up a boat to the Tower of London or Greenwich.  In the opposite direction, I've known some boats from here to go as far as Richmond, where the river still ebbs and flows with the tide, which comes to a halt a little further on at Teddington Lock and weir.

Between the river and the buildings is the South Bank promenade, with people ambling along beneath the branches of the trees in the foreground. They walk under Hungerford Footbridge which crosses the river alongside the railway and trains from Waterloo East station, that turn east and stop at London Bridge Station where the tracks divide to serve the Essex lines.

From my vantage point, it looks as though the river bends to the left as you go further back in the picture, and Hungerford Bridge hides the next one along.  This is Westminster Bridge, the one you must cross to reach Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, which I hope you can make out behind the London Eye.

If you walk further north over Waterloo Bridge, you get a much longer view to the east, past St Pauls Cathedral and the City's financial institution buildings. I didn't do that but you can find a good pic of it in William Wallace's London is Cool blog. I'm heading over there now to catch up with what he's been up to lately in London.

Catching Up Again

I'm just back from a great long weekend with my daughter and granddaughter. Have caught up with some friends over lunch, taken in the show Blood Brothers in the Phoenix Theatre in London's Charing Cross Road, and done quite a bit of Xmas shopping. Took the train home and now I have so much catching up to do.

In the meantime, here are some more Nile pics as I promised to Anna who commented on my last post.

Getting It Right

I just had to edit my last post as I realised I had one of my facts wrong. The Pharaoh who followed Hatshepsut was not Tutankamon, but Thutmose III, who was both her half brother and her stepson. That was how Egyptian royals maintained their line in those days.

Anyway, that atrocious error - a result of being in such a hurry to finish and get to bed so that I relied on my memory rather than double checking before I posted - made me think of my own and other writers' credibility.

It reminded me of the time I read a book in which the heroine took a train to the west country from London, starting at Victoria Station. As I often used to take a train in that direction when I lived in London, I am well aware that the options would be to go from Paddington or Waterloo Stations. She would never have gone from Victoria, unless she intended to change at Clapham Junction, which would have been a really futile exercise from her starting point. So that author lost credibility in my eyes, and my interest in her book waned.

I actually wrote an article about this, so I should know how important it is to check all facts, and then check again. I can only hang my head in shame, and apologise.

Vivat Bacchus

One of the articles I have sold at the Constant Content site, was about a restaurant in the City of London that had a special £1000 menu that included some very pricey wine. It used to be a popular treat at Vivat Bacchus for many of those well-heeled, bonus-heavy City workers. Since the credit crunch was recognised, of course, it’s no longer available.

I heard about this on the Richard and Judy show one evening when they invited the Head Chef to come in and talk about it. The next day I looked them up and wrote my 400 words that eventually netted me $20 (less the site commission) for a one-off non-exclusive use. It’s still for sale there but, since it’s no longer up to date, I need to revise it as a restaurant review, which is on my to do list.

When I wrote that article, Vivat Bacchus was just in Farringdon. Now it’s also to be found near London Bridge as well. Ordinary mortals can eat very well at Vivat Bacchus for around £30 plus wine, snack on tapas or cheese in the wine bar, or try one of its special international platters.

The owners are South African but passionate about food and wine from around the world. They claim to have 18,000 bottles of wine in five cellars at the Farringdon address. Their menus include South African delicacies such as springbok. The restaurants also have whole rooms full of cheese where punters can look, sample and make their choices. You can buy them from the Deli to take home. Great for food hampers too – a super Christmas gift.

This post was inspired by CK’s new London Chow. Thanks CK. I promise I won’t steal any more of your thunder (or any more London eateries).