London: best way to beat the East Coast heat

I got a call on a Wednesday that I would be needed in London the following Monday for a few weeks – was I available? Heck yes! It was for a bit of a role transition, which I anticipated and looked forward to in about October time, but it got pushed up a bit (hooray!) Plus, I was just about ready to start planning some sort of summer vacation, so this was an excellent jumping off point to Europe (more on that later...)

I was put up in a apartment/hotel this time around, complete with a stove, fridge, washing machine (!!) I already love the city, but this was a huge help in making me feel at home in London. Admittedly, I didn't do much cooking, but it was nice to have the option.

Digs for most of my trip

I've done a lot of the touristy things in London, so I took the weekends pretty easy. Wandering around the neighborhood, South Bank, sitting in parks and squares reading. I did get funky in Camden Market. Well, the funk was all around, at least.

Camden Lock

I had gorgeous weekends, and really nice weather all around. I've said this many times to many people, but it was nice to be in a place where the high temperature (mid-70s to 80) was NY's low temperature. Can't say I really missed not being in NY for one of, if not the, hottest Julys on record.

Probably the most asked question: isn't London so rainy?!

My time in London was really nice. I had a lot of pubtime with my workmates, caught dinner with friends in London, and I got to meet some family for the first time. Stuart and his family were gracious enough to have me over for dinner. We worked out that we're second cousins on my mother's side (my great Aunt Jane's grandson). It was really nice to meet them – they're lovely, and I'm excited to meet child #3 after she arrives in September.

Thanks for having me, cousin Stuart!

Stopover in London

I stopped for a few days in the office in London to prepare materials for my work in Delhi. Not a terribly exciting stopover, but I did some wandering and met up with my friend Richard. Got to eat in my favorite restaurant in London, Leon (yes, yes, a chain, but I think I'm in love with their meatballs. Seriously.)

Pssst, Queen Victoria had a nose job. I've done a fair bit of Googling and all I've come up with is other travellers' photos of her nose, but no story

Flowers after some spotty showers

Happy 150th anniversary of your first chime, Big Ben!

Tower Bridge highlights

I was in London again for work; just a week this time around. I didn't do too much outside of work, but I did get some nice shots of Tower Bridge.

I was walking back to my hotel across Tower Bridge the first night I was there and just got across when they started raising the drawbridge to let a sailboat through.

Going up

Sorry car traffic, you're just going to have to wait for the Thames traffic

And, my last evening in town, the skies provided a nice backdrop for Tower Bridge.

Cambridge and Persistence

Yesterday I ditched London and headed an hour's train ride north to Cambridge. I very specifically left from Kings Cross station---no I didn't take a train out of Platform 9 and 3/4, but I did find it!

A bit of trivia for the Harry Potter fans: the platforms 4 and 5 substituted for 9 and 10 in Kings Cross, as 9 and 10 are actually in a separate building.

I spent the day wandering around Cambridge. It's a lovely city...it pretty much fits the idea I had of an English city (beside London). The weather wasn't too bad while I was there, either. Lower 40s, I'd say, and the sun kept trying to come out. Beats the 10F back in NJ right now!

The colleges of Cambridge were fantastic to see. Cambridge is celebrating its 800th anniversary this year. That's almost impossible for me to comprehend; most things in the US are so new compared to Europe. I heard a choir practice in the chapel in Trinity College while I passed through. It was neat to see the students wandering around these old, beautiful buildings and courtyards...I wouldn't mind living and studying here. Cambridge, here I come!!! ;)

Courtyard, I can't remember which college this is

Clocktower of Trinity College

The other cool thing about Cambridge was the bicycles. They're everywhere! It's the preferred mode of transport for the locals. There are parts of Cambridge that are touristy and commercialized, but the best parts of my day were spent wandering down narrow residential streets and alleys to get a real feel for the town.

Street in Cambridge

Today I moved my hotel room for the second time. I like having my curtains open, but don't particularly enjoy being looked at from the office buildings my previous two rooms looked upon. Persistence has paid off and here's the new view by day...

Tower of London and Tower Bridge during a typical dreary London day

...and by night

It's not as Vegas bright as the picture suggests; I used a 15s exposure and the windowsill

I can also see a piece of the old wall that surrounded London during Roman times...it's tucked behind the hotel and I didn't even know it was there till today. Amazing what you can find in London, if you look around.

Across the pond...again!

Just a quick update: I'm in London for work!! And, I'll be here till the first week in February, so that makes it a 5-week stay this time around.

A week in, and so far outside of work (and the pubs, of course) I've toured the Tower of London...

One of several towers at the Tower of London. This one is the White Tower.

Done a bit of shopping...

And a bit of sightseeing and museum going...

Gorgeous Chihuly installation in Victoria and Albert museum

Fish and Chips and the Sky

I finally sat down and had fish and chips at The Anchor, a pub on the bank of the river Thames. I was people watching and writing a letter when I looked up at the sky and WABAM there was a sundog. I ran (yes, ran) to the nearest bridge to take a halfway decent picture. I love the sky.



Just a quick update. New pictures from my adventures of the weekend are linked on the right.

London and the Countryside

Saturday was spent wandering around London. First stop was Borough Market, where I picked up a roast beef sandwich, fudge, and ice cream. The sandwich was good, the fudge was crap, and the ice cream was ok. Glad I tried the fudge before buying a box to bring home to Maaaa. Then I went to Tower of London. I didn't go in (what can I say, I'm still a cheapskate sometimes), but I got some up close pictures of Tower Bridge. The reason I went over there was to get onto Tower Beach, but I now realize that it is scheduled for next week. Whoops. There was also a "spaceship landing site" and "secret police" on the other side of Tower Bridge. I can't figure out what was going on after a quick Google search. Oh well.

Tower Bridge. There's a drawbridge in the middle that raised after I crossed over

Off went to Portobello Market. Think NYC street fair, with antiques thrown in with the crappy clothing and trinkets. I poked around the shops though and found some neat stuff. After that I took the Tube to Kensington, where all the museums had closed at 5:30. LAME. Looks like I'll be going there next Saturday before my plane takes off. I laid in the sun in Hyde Park for a bit, grabbed dinner, and headed back to the hotel. Lots of walking, but the weather was decent; mostly sunny, temps in the upper 60s with a light breeze.

Sunday was I'll-suck-it-up-and-be-a-tourist day. I was going to take a train out to Bath, but decided to take a tour bus instead. That way, I was able to stop at Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath.

Windsor Castle is where the Queen spends most of her time. It's outside London near Heathrow Airport. It's a big sprawling castle that's been around a long time. Only one part of it is open for touring, but it is still in use: that's where the Queen hosts her dinners and entertains her guests. No pictures allowed inside, but I would love to be royalty for, let's say a month, to just be able to enjoy living in a CASTLE.

Round Tower at Windsor Castle. The Queen wasn't there; you can tell because the flag with three lions is not raised. She's on holiday in Scotland.

After that we were on our way to Stonehenge. First we stopped off at the local Stonehenge Inn, which is a pub in a military town next to Stonehenge. It's in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere farm fields. But, they're pretty middle of nowhere farm fields. I've always wanted to see Stonehenge, and I'm so glad I got to do it. It's a bit anticlimactic because it's so touristy, but well worth a visit.

Stonehenge (henge = circle)

Bath is named that way because it is home to the only hot springs in Britain. The Romans used to use it. When they left, the British filled it in and forgot about it until the 1700s, when they decided it would be a good idea to preserve and restore what remained. Wise choice. It was really neat to see, touch, and walk on the old Roman architecture. Looks like I need to head to Rome next, then!

Can you see any of the bubbles from the hot springs?

Bath is a pretty little city. Two architects, a father and son team, designed the city long ago, and the buildings look just about all the same; the only exceptions are how fancy the moulding is on the outside of the building.

Street in Bath

All in all, I think the tour bus was money well spent. The tour guide was great; he knew a lot about the areas, made it personalized, was cheery, and answered everyone's questions. I will admit to feeling like a herded sheep at some points, and I didn't spend nearly enough time in Bath, but I expect that I'll be back to England at some point in the future, playing tour guide to some friend or family member.

London, Round 2

I've been lucky enough to have been sent back to London for work again. I'm here for another 2 weeks. I got in midday Monday, so I haven't had time for anything but work yet, but here's what I think so far.

The Same
The hotel, the smell of the hotel (not bad, just distinct), the 5 minute walking commute down either Fish Street Hill or Pudding Lane, the many different and delicious offerings of fruit juices, the office, the weather (still hasn't rained on me!)

Different
More daylight, dozens of people outside the pubs at lunchtime (!!)

Yeah, London doesn't change much :) I feel completely comfortable here. Just wish I had friends and family here to enjoy it with me! I'm still planning my weekend, but I'm thinking about heading out to Bath. It's supposed to be the quintessential English town.

Edit:
I thought these were in the vending machine downstairs, but it must have been somewhere else that I saw them. If I find them in a store, I will be sure to purchase them.

End of London, Paris, Sweet 16 and SNOW!

I'm back in the US. I've been back since Sunday, but I've been catching up on everything since I've been back, and haven't had a chance to update.

The rest of London was great. Didn't do anymore sightseeing, but went to the pub a couple nights after work. It's fun talking UK vs US differences.

And then......



Paris was good. Montmatre, Sacre Couer, Tour Eiffel, Louvre (from the outside, it closed at 5:30 on Saturday), Notre Dame, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe. I hit most of the toursity things. Friday was cold and dark, Saturday was sunny and beautiful. I was worried about rude Parisians, but I did not encounter any. I learned that I'd really like a travel buddy when I visit another country where English is not the primary language. But, it was a good trip.

Sunday I got back and immediately headed up to PJ for Sierra's Sweet 16 party. It was a fun party...lots of food, dancing, and high schoolers :)

The fam, and the birthday girl looking beautiful

Back to work all week, but today was a work from home day because WE GOT 6" OF SNOW!!!!

Cade likes the snow

AND, THON is going on RIGHT NOW in the BJC!! I just watched the line dance on the live video stream, and I'm super pumped to be there tomorrow!! FTK!

London, Days 7-10

Friday, I went to the local pub (meaning the closest one to the office), The Walrus and Carpenter. I drank 2 beers (gasp, because I usually don't drink beer!), and had a fun time discussing cultural differences with co-workers from around the world. After that I went to a Spanish tapas restaurant with some more co-workers, and wandered around for dessert with another co-worker. It was a pretty entertaining evening.

Saturday I went to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard (pretty lame), and then headed off to Greenwich, which was the highlight of my trip. I was in Greenwich Park, which is this huge expanse of green space. And I mean green, in February! The best part? I crossed the Prime Meridian!!! I am so nerdy, but I thought that was incredibly neat.

Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

Look, I'm .00000000000000001 degrees east AND west of the Prime Meridian!

On Sunday I met up with a NJ co-worker and went to Trafalgar Square to see some of the Chinese New Year festivities. It was incredibly crowded, and they set off fireworks in the middle of the day in Leicester Square. Fireworks in bright sunny daylight are exactly what you think they might look like. Not very impressive. Following the fireworks, I wandered through St. James's Park, where everything was nice and green. It felt like spring this weekend. After that I went to Westminster Abbey for Evensong, which is the afternoon prayer service done mostly by the choir. Hey, it was a free way into the Abbey, which was beautiful. I am so amazed by the architecture of centuries-old churches.

Hi, I'm a crocus blooming in FEBRUARY in St. James's Park

Blue skies, Big Ben and a part of the London Eye

Following that I went to Harrod's, which is a HUGE department store. I can't even describe it. Think Macy's in NYC, but with only designer labels. In incredibly gorgeous, separated rooms (halls). They had A ROOM DEDICATED TO CHANDELIERS. Come on!!

Tonight a co-worker I met at Boot Camp invited me to go bowling in the Elephant and Castle district of London (which is apparently a shady section). The alley was pretty cruddy, and I bowled probably my worst games since I was 10, but the company was nice, and I had fun.

My time is running out in London; it's flown by, but I feel like I haven't been home in months! My hotel is booked for Paris, and I'm finishing up what I can at work.

Oh, and today is my sister Sierra's 16th birthday. Man, do I feel old!!

London, Days 5 and 6

Happy Chinese New Year! I went to Chinatown to see what was happening tonight, but there wasn't much going on. More tourists in Chinatown than Chinese. I think it's a family holiday. There's a parade and market this weekend that I'll probably be checking out, amongst other things.


Some more observations:

-I can see why they call bathrooms water closets. There is a full length door on a stall (or toilet cubicle, as they're called in the office). The ones in the office also have 2 different buttons to flush; one is bigger than the other. I'm still trying to figure out the difference between the two.

-The printed press is very...uh...liberal. I opened up thelondonpaper, a free evening (tabloid) newspaper. On page 5 was a picture of a topless dancer from Carnivale in Rio. Was NOT expecting that. Maybe from France, but not the Brits. TV is pretty liberal too; VH1 is one of the 10 channels I get in the hotel room, and I heard quite a few f-bombs being dropped while flipping through.

-The British really do love their tea. I think it's only little old ladies that take tea time nowadays, but it's still the hot beverage of choice.

-Had my first proper British meal for lunch yesterday: sausage and mash. And it was delicious!


The office is warming up a bit more...they don't ignore me or stare at me when I'm walking around, they actually say hi. Very happy about that!

London, Days 3 and 4

No pictures this time, but some observations:

-Londoners run on a 9-6 schedule, vs the 8-5 I'm used to
-The people walking around central London walk faster than I do, and I walk pretty darn fast
-Asking for a box for leftovers is frowned upon here (whoops)
-My favorite Warheads candy of my 8th grade year, Black Cherry (the ones in the black wrapper), tastes JUST LIKE Pomegranate juice
-Subway sandwich shops smell exactly the same here as they do in the States (only know that because I walked by 2 of them, which will force me to take a different street to work)
-It's really weird to have a friend in Alaska (wonder who that is) go to bed as I'm leaving for work and say hi again once she's up and I'm still at work
-Since London is a big city, I hear a whole mess of accents, not just the fun British ones

And, something I learned last week before I left. England, Scotland, and Wales make up Great Britain. Great Britain + Northern Ireland = United Kingdom.

London, Day 2

Went on the Tube today to Camden Town. There's a big market there, some of it open air, some of it in neat old buildings. Lots of clothes, jewelry, trinkets, and such. Too bad I'm not a goth, or know anyone who is, because that's what A LOT of the stalls had. Fun to walk through, because it's so huge and has some weird stuff.

After that I took the Tube again and got off at Covent Garden. Grabbed a burger and chips (!!) and wandered toward Leicester Square. I find out now that I didn't actually make it to Leicester Square, but I saw Chinatown on the way down to Trafalgar Square.



I went into the National Gallery and saw Sunflowers by Van Gogh, as well as Van Gogh's Chair. My grandma has my great-grandfather's painted replica in her house, and I didn't know until today that it was from Van Gogh. I always thought it was a just chair and a pipe. I'm so cultured. There was also a stained glass exhibit, but it was disappointing. I went into the National Portrait Gallery as well (thank you London for your free museums!) This was portrait photography, which I am much more interested in. I paid £1 to see the winners of the Photographic Portrait Prize of 2007. Really neat, and pretty inspiring. Just wait, you might be the victim of my attempts to become a portrait photographer!

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery

After that I walked to Piccadilly Circus. It was dark by the time I got there, but that made the big flashing lights more impressive (or depressing, hooray commercialism??) It's a big shopping area, but a lot of the stores were closed because it is Sunday night.

I'm excited to see how the business district picks up tomorrow. Right now, there's NOTHING going on around the hotel. I'm also excited for my 5 min walking commute to the office!

Probably won't be updating much during the week, as I'll be working (that IS the reason I'm here). Again, take a look at my pictures to the right.

For the Superbowl tonight (which some pubs are showing), GO COMMERCIALS!

London, Day 1

I have officially left US soil for the first time in my life!

My flight got into Gatwick at ~8:30AM this morning. There were no more than 30 people on my flight (which was on a 757), so I was able to sleep 5 of the 6 hours in the air.

Work paid for a taxi to take me to my hotel in the City of London, in the business district. Gatwick is out in the country, and I got to see everyone driving on the left on the motorway on the way into the city. After I got in, I grabbed a quick shower and went off sightseeing.

Not London Bridge. That's Tower Bridge.




This is London Bridge. Or at least the most recent version.

I wandered across London Bridge to head to the South Bank area. I accidentally ended up going through the Borough Market. I had read about it, but didn't make any plans to specifically go see it. I just happened to run into it. It's basically a farmer's market on steroids. On Saturdays it's more food oriented rather than just fruit and vegetables.

I walked on the path following the Thames until I hit Westminster Bridge, where I crossed back over.



I wandered some more and crossed back over to look at the exhibits in the Tate Modern. It's Britain's free modern art museum. Some of it was pretty neat. Some of it wasn't. But that's art.

Now I'm back at the hotel. You can find more pictures in the links on the side. I'll make a map of my travels soon, but I need to be an old lady and start heading to bed before I fall asleep on the keyboard. Don't want to be a zombie tomorrow!

London Calling

It's official: Work is sending me to London for 2 weeks!

The team of the project I'm working on as part of my final rotation is based in London, so I will be going to get a more in-depth understanding. I really like the project; it's fairly sensitive, so I won't into detail here. I'm leaving Friday night, and coming home on the 17th. After I'm done with work, I'm taking the final Friday off and heading for Paris for the weekend. Right now, it looks like I'm traveling solo, but I might be able to wrangle up some British co-workers to join me as tour guide or travel buddy.

Needless to say, I'm super excited about this. This is my first time leaving the U.S., and I love traveling to new places. The office is right near the Thames in the central business district, and I'll be a 5-min walk from the hotel. If you want a postcard, you better send me your address!

I plan on updating here periodically during the trip. So stay tuned!