It's official, the blog is updated. It's taken me several hours today to do that, and it'll need updating again after next Sunday - the Oxford and Cambridge boat race is on, and we're going to see it! I've got a couple of trips planned after that, but at least I'm caught up for now. Now I just need to remember to not let it go so long before I write the updates. Anywho, for those few who read it, enjoy!
Saturday 21 March 2009
Cambridge
Last weekend we decided not to go to London, but to go for a bit of a road trip to Cambridge. We had two plans actually - if it was bad weather we were going to Freeport, Braintree to do some shopping at the outlet shops; good weather would be Cambridge. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day.
I picked Tamara up and we headed up the motorway. There was no way I could have gotten a photo of them, but there was a big group of deer in one of the fields that we went past. That was exciting on its own! We found our way to Cambridge, and did a quick drive around before parking. The main thing that we wanted to do there was to go punting, but we wanted to look around as well.
We set off towards the main streets, and found some markets to look through along the way. Then, after a quick stop at Paperchase for Tamara, we decided to head towards the river. In the end, we were approached by someone offering punting tours on the River Cam (legit tours, not just some random guy), and we decided to give that a go. It was so much fun! Granted, it would have been better without being jammed in with so many other people, but it was gorgeous. The trip took us past many of the colleges, including Trinity College and Queens' College, and our guide provided a little history for us. He also told us a lot about the bridges, including the Mathematical Bridge (the wooden one), the Bridge of Sighs and the Clare College Bridge, with a section missing from one of the globes on the top of it.
Cambridge had plenty of daffodils and crocuses to keep us occupied with taking photos of flowers. This is just a couple of them!
After we got off the punt, we wandered around the town, before having lunch at our old standard, a Wetherspoons pub. We were at the wrong end of town from where it was, decided we wanted a burger and beer combo (or J20 for me), and walked all the way back from where we'd come from, only to then decide to have a roast - after walking past pub after pub offering a Sunday roast. Well played!
After lunch we headed back to the car, to head back home. Along the way though, we decided to go to Colchester. Tamara had been to the zoo there, and that's still on my list of places to go, but neither of us had actually been to the town itself. It was late on the Sunday afternoon, but we thought we'd have a quick look and see if there was anything we wanted to go back for. Turned out to be a good plan - it was just like every other town, and there was nothing remarkable to go back for. I think I probably will go back at some point, to have a better look around, as it's supposed to be the oldest town in England. I need to do a bit more research on that one - surely there's something different to see there!
I picked Tamara up and we headed up the motorway. There was no way I could have gotten a photo of them, but there was a big group of deer in one of the fields that we went past. That was exciting on its own! We found our way to Cambridge, and did a quick drive around before parking. The main thing that we wanted to do there was to go punting, but we wanted to look around as well.
We set off towards the main streets, and found some markets to look through along the way. Then, after a quick stop at Paperchase for Tamara, we decided to head towards the river. In the end, we were approached by someone offering punting tours on the River Cam (legit tours, not just some random guy), and we decided to give that a go. It was so much fun! Granted, it would have been better without being jammed in with so many other people, but it was gorgeous. The trip took us past many of the colleges, including Trinity College and Queens' College, and our guide provided a little history for us. He also told us a lot about the bridges, including the Mathematical Bridge (the wooden one), the Bridge of Sighs and the Clare College Bridge, with a section missing from one of the globes on the top of it.
Cambridge had plenty of daffodils and crocuses to keep us occupied with taking photos of flowers. This is just a couple of them!
After we got off the punt, we wandered around the town, before having lunch at our old standard, a Wetherspoons pub. We were at the wrong end of town from where it was, decided we wanted a burger and beer combo (or J20 for me), and walked all the way back from where we'd come from, only to then decide to have a roast - after walking past pub after pub offering a Sunday roast. Well played!
After lunch we headed back to the car, to head back home. Along the way though, we decided to go to Colchester. Tamara had been to the zoo there, and that's still on my list of places to go, but neither of us had actually been to the town itself. It was late on the Sunday afternoon, but we thought we'd have a quick look and see if there was anything we wanted to go back for. Turned out to be a good plan - it was just like every other town, and there was nothing remarkable to go back for. I think I probably will go back at some point, to have a better look around, as it's supposed to be the oldest town in England. I need to do a bit more research on that one - surely there's something different to see there!
And again
The next weekend it was a Sunday trip to London. I had free movie tickets to see "Marley & Me", so met up with a couple of friends for that. It was another chance for the train gods to defy me - my normal 40 minute journey to Liverpool St took nearly and hour and a half, and then there were other issues with the tubes. Honestly, for the money they charge you think you'd be able to get a decent service. Instead you get delayed or non-existant trains, trains that stop at the station but that won't let people on, trains that stop in between stations, and a constant run of tube lines suspended week after week. Oh, the joys of public transport!
But I digress. I made it to Picadilly Circus at the time when the movie was supposed to start, only to find that my friends weren't there. My first thought was that they had gone on without me, but then they came flying up the stairs a minute or two after I had. We rushed to find the actual cinema, only to discover it was the wrong one - we should have been at the other Cineworld, a whole block away! I mean, geez, who builds two cinemas of the same chain within a block of each other? Ridiculous. Luckily, despite our tickets saying no late entries, we were let in, and just missed the first few minutes of the film.
When we had gone in to the cinema, it was a nice enough day, a little overcast and on the cool side, but nothing to worry about. When we came out it was grey and windy, and quite cold. We went to lunch, and came out to pouring rain. Ahhh, bless this country! We bolted across to the National Portrait Gallery for a bit of a squiz at what they had to offer, and came out an hour or so later to bright blue skies again. Well played, weather gods! In the end, after the gallery, we went home, as one of my friends had to get back to Bristol and it was a long drive from the south east.
But I digress. I made it to Picadilly Circus at the time when the movie was supposed to start, only to find that my friends weren't there. My first thought was that they had gone on without me, but then they came flying up the stairs a minute or two after I had. We rushed to find the actual cinema, only to discover it was the wrong one - we should have been at the other Cineworld, a whole block away! I mean, geez, who builds two cinemas of the same chain within a block of each other? Ridiculous. Luckily, despite our tickets saying no late entries, we were let in, and just missed the first few minutes of the film.
When we had gone in to the cinema, it was a nice enough day, a little overcast and on the cool side, but nothing to worry about. When we came out it was grey and windy, and quite cold. We went to lunch, and came out to pouring rain. Ahhh, bless this country! We bolted across to the National Portrait Gallery for a bit of a squiz at what they had to offer, and came out an hour or so later to bright blue skies again. Well played, weather gods! In the end, after the gallery, we went home, as one of my friends had to get back to Bristol and it was a long drive from the south east.
More tripping around
That weekend kickstarted what was to be a run of days out in London and elsewhere. The Saturday after I went to Portobello Road, I went to Greenwich. I had been meaning to go there for quite some time, and figured that I might as well do it then.
I went in early, as I had plans to catch up with Tamara later in the day to go to the Tate Britain. In the end though, the train gods were against me, and it took forever to get there. Eventually however I did arrive, and started the journey up the hill to the Royal Observatory. This proved a little more difficult than anticipated - I was still feeling pretty crappy from my cold, and got a coughing fit halfway up the hill and had to stop for fear of falling over and rolling all the way back down!
I got up there in the end, and took the obligatory photos of the prime meridian. I had a look around at all the telescopes and things, but to be honest, I'd seen what I came for and that was enough for me. I picked up a shot glass for my collection and a post card for my nan and pop, and started the journey back.
I had been planning on meeting Tamara at Leicester Square tube station, and even that proved more difficult than planned. Thankfully I knew my way around this area, as I had to walk from a tube station I hadn't planned on. Also thankfully, Tamara didn't mind that I was so late - she understood about the train gods!
We had lunch, once we found a GBK - Tamara had been told that they did great burgers. They were a bit disappointing really, but as with many other things we've seen and done, we've done it once as know we don't need to go back now. We then headed to the Tate Britain. I've made my feelings about art clear on this blog before, but we had decided that we should try to at least take in as much as we could. Honestly, I put up with it as long as I could before just taking the mick. We chose the Tate Britain over the Tate Modern on the basis that it should be more appealing and should simply make more sense. To some extent it did, but there was so much of it that looked like it was done by children. I mean, you can draw a rough square on a bit of paper and it's art. You can write three words on a bit of paper and it's art. There was someone's personal timeline hanging on the wall - my year 7 students did these!!!
Then there were the guides. There was one woman who I swear was the living embodiment of the English art snob. She was wandering around with a group, with that kind of high pitched snobby voice, saying things like, "This is from his Surrey period," and "This is simply vulgar!" I'm not ashamed to admit that most of my comments after this where uttered in her affected voice and with the same pronunciation of words. We got the giggles several times as well - I was a little surprised that we weren't asked to leave!
I went in early, as I had plans to catch up with Tamara later in the day to go to the Tate Britain. In the end though, the train gods were against me, and it took forever to get there. Eventually however I did arrive, and started the journey up the hill to the Royal Observatory. This proved a little more difficult than anticipated - I was still feeling pretty crappy from my cold, and got a coughing fit halfway up the hill and had to stop for fear of falling over and rolling all the way back down!
I got up there in the end, and took the obligatory photos of the prime meridian. I had a look around at all the telescopes and things, but to be honest, I'd seen what I came for and that was enough for me. I picked up a shot glass for my collection and a post card for my nan and pop, and started the journey back.
I had been planning on meeting Tamara at Leicester Square tube station, and even that proved more difficult than planned. Thankfully I knew my way around this area, as I had to walk from a tube station I hadn't planned on. Also thankfully, Tamara didn't mind that I was so late - she understood about the train gods!
We had lunch, once we found a GBK - Tamara had been told that they did great burgers. They were a bit disappointing really, but as with many other things we've seen and done, we've done it once as know we don't need to go back now. We then headed to the Tate Britain. I've made my feelings about art clear on this blog before, but we had decided that we should try to at least take in as much as we could. Honestly, I put up with it as long as I could before just taking the mick. We chose the Tate Britain over the Tate Modern on the basis that it should be more appealing and should simply make more sense. To some extent it did, but there was so much of it that looked like it was done by children. I mean, you can draw a rough square on a bit of paper and it's art. You can write three words on a bit of paper and it's art. There was someone's personal timeline hanging on the wall - my year 7 students did these!!!
Then there were the guides. There was one woman who I swear was the living embodiment of the English art snob. She was wandering around with a group, with that kind of high pitched snobby voice, saying things like, "This is from his Surrey period," and "This is simply vulgar!" I'm not ashamed to admit that most of my comments after this where uttered in her affected voice and with the same pronunciation of words. We got the giggles several times as well - I was a little surprised that we weren't asked to leave!
Portobello Road
By the time the half term holidays rolled around, I was seriously ready for a break. I'd been through my assessment and was waiting on the results, but didn't have any choice in how fast they would come. I'd worked myself to the point where I'd made myself sick several times, and was in desperate need of something to do besides more work. In the end though, the matter was settled for me - I came down with a hideous cold and ended up spending almost all of the week off in bed.
I was determined to spend at least one day sightseeing, and dragged my sorry butt into London on the second Saturday. It was a gorgeous day, one that hinted that Spring was, indeed, on its way. I started my day at Portobello Road markets. For the life of me I couldn't get the song from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" out of my head! The markets are famous for their antiques, but I was more interested in just having a look around. I did pick up a couple of things there, but I can't give the details because it will give away what someone who reads this is getting for their birthday this year!
Once I'd finished with the markets (from antiques to jewellery to fruit and veg, right up to the flea market), I headed back into the West End as I was going to see "The Lion King". I'd seen it on stage before, in Sydney, but that was some years ago and I do love the film. By the time that finished, I was sick of the crowds, and headed home. I was tired and cranky, but glad that I got out of the house at least once that week!
I was determined to spend at least one day sightseeing, and dragged my sorry butt into London on the second Saturday. It was a gorgeous day, one that hinted that Spring was, indeed, on its way. I started my day at Portobello Road markets. For the life of me I couldn't get the song from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" out of my head! The markets are famous for their antiques, but I was more interested in just having a look around. I did pick up a couple of things there, but I can't give the details because it will give away what someone who reads this is getting for their birthday this year!
Once I'd finished with the markets (from antiques to jewellery to fruit and veg, right up to the flea market), I headed back into the West End as I was going to see "The Lion King". I'd seen it on stage before, in Sydney, but that was some years ago and I do love the film. By the time that finished, I was sick of the crowds, and headed home. I was tired and cranky, but glad that I got out of the house at least once that week!
The rest of the half term
There was no more travel for the rest of that half term, because I was consumed by the process of getting fully qualified over here. But there was something more exciting than travel - SNOW DAYS!
When I first came over here, my mission was to live in a place where it snowed. Once that happened, last Easter, my next mission was to have a barbecue in the snow. I did that too, when it snowed before Christmas. After that was to have a snow day, and then to build a snowman. I did both - in fact, I got two days off work! Granted, it's not the kind of snow that blankets other places, because all told it was less than a foot of it. But it did shut the country down, and I did get two days off work, so I feel blessed! My next mission is to build an igloo. Many have said that it's impossible here in old Blighty, but they built them in Trafalgar Square that day, so there's hope for me yet!
And yes, I know my snowman is small and pathetic, but I didn't really know the best technique for building one then, and I was also outside in my pyjamas!
When I first came over here, my mission was to live in a place where it snowed. Once that happened, last Easter, my next mission was to have a barbecue in the snow. I did that too, when it snowed before Christmas. After that was to have a snow day, and then to build a snowman. I did both - in fact, I got two days off work! Granted, it's not the kind of snow that blankets other places, because all told it was less than a foot of it. But it did shut the country down, and I did get two days off work, so I feel blessed! My next mission is to build an igloo. Many have said that it's impossible here in old Blighty, but they built them in Trafalgar Square that day, so there's hope for me yet!
And yes, I know my snowman is small and pathetic, but I didn't really know the best technique for building one then, and I was also outside in my pyjamas!
Back to work... In the snow!
I still hate the fact that here I only get two weeks off for Christmas. I've been raised to have 6 weeks off because it's Summer, so not only do I have less time off, it's also cold and dark! I have to say though, that this was probably the best back to school day EVER - because I woke up to snow! Not enough to get the day off, but snow all the same. Hurrah!
My last night in Rome
Once I'd had lunch, I had to decide what to do for my last afternoon / evening in Rome. In the end I explored the area around the Vatican, becasue there were markets there and plenty of shops. I spent a few hours doing this, and then headed over to the Spanish Steps for a look at night. It was just on dark when I got there, so I saw the Christmas tree lit up and all the rest of it.
I then figured that I should brace myself and take a walk down Via Condotti - something I'd put off the other day. The one shop I told myself I was completely barred from was Louis Vuitton. I couldn't trust myself to not buy anything, so I figured it was best to just stay away! I still had to take a photo though - particularly as there was a queue around the block to get in! I did take a look in Burberry, but it just reminded me of the chavs back home, so I didn't stay long. Other shops along that street include Valentino, Armani, Hermes, Gucci, Prada and Chanel. There's also a Fendi store, which had a fun light display.
I kept wandering through this area, and found my way into one last church - San Carlo al Corso, on the Via del Corso. It had beautiful celings and cuppolas, and of course the artwork. Apparently construction of this church began in 1610.
That was the end of my tour. After the church I headed back to Termini for my shuttle. I had room service back at the hotel, and an early night, because I had a really, REALLY early flight the next morning. I didn't mind that my trip was just a few days, because after throwing my coin into the Trevi Fountain, I know I'll be back.
I then figured that I should brace myself and take a walk down Via Condotti - something I'd put off the other day. The one shop I told myself I was completely barred from was Louis Vuitton. I couldn't trust myself to not buy anything, so I figured it was best to just stay away! I still had to take a photo though - particularly as there was a queue around the block to get in! I did take a look in Burberry, but it just reminded me of the chavs back home, so I didn't stay long. Other shops along that street include Valentino, Armani, Hermes, Gucci, Prada and Chanel. There's also a Fendi store, which had a fun light display.
I kept wandering through this area, and found my way into one last church - San Carlo al Corso, on the Via del Corso. It had beautiful celings and cuppolas, and of course the artwork. Apparently construction of this church began in 1610.
That was the end of my tour. After the church I headed back to Termini for my shuttle. I had room service back at the hotel, and an early night, because I had a really, REALLY early flight the next morning. I didn't mind that my trip was just a few days, because after throwing my coin into the Trevi Fountain, I know I'll be back.
Back to the Vatican
On day 4, my last day in Rome, I was headed back to the Vatican. This time it was to go to the museums, and of course to see the Sistine Chapel. Even though I'd gotten there well before they opened at 10am, there was still quite a queue. I prepared myself for a long and arduous wait, but was surprise to actually be through the doors a few minutes after 10. There was a little judicious moving around big tour groups, but I managed it nonetheless.
One thing I have to say about the tour is that once you get started, the guide is easy to follow, but it's finding that starting point that's difficult. I ended up having to double back from where I'd started from, as the natural progression was to go out to the courtyard and then into the busts gallery. There is no possible way I could have remembered all of the works that I saw, even if I'd had the time to take notes on all of them as I went through. I spent a little time in the busts gallery, seeing statues of Artemis and Ocean, amongst many others. I then realised that I wasn't in the right spot and was going to cut off vast areas of the tour, so went back through the courtyard to start again
.
This time I headed up the stairs, and found myself in an Egyptian gallery. Honestly, I feel like I've seen so much of Egyptian history and culture without ever stepping foot in Egypt itself! The thought did occur to me whilst I was standing in front of a mummy laid out with the funerary objects that it would require in the afterlife, that there was a certain kind of hypocrisy about one religion who is so adamant and rigid about its own beliefs allowing relics of a different religion to be displayed in what is supposedly the most holy of places.
From the Egyptian rooms I went into some kind of garden - I have a vague memory of the name of it being something to do with an octagon, but I may well be making that up. There were statues and what looked like bathtubs in every corner, and ponds in the middle. I sat down at a bench to take a moment to absorb it all, and literally got shoved off the seat by some fat American woman as she sat down to rest her th-cankles. I took it as a sign and moved on.
What followed for the next few hours were endless rooms filled with statues, scultures, paintings and beautiful ceilings. If my neck wasn't already sore from the previous few days of staring up at various works of art, it would have been stuck permanently at an odd angle after this. I'm not sure if the ceilings are designed the way they are for effect, or if they simply ran out of room on the walls and wanted to fill up more space. Either way, the mix of art and architecture is sublime.
This is actually a tapestry. There was a room filled with massive scenes, depicting various battles and religious wars. Amazing.
This one looks curved because it wasn't on a wall, it was on the roof.
I can't even remember most of the history that goes along with the museums there. I was doing the audio tour, so I got lots of information, but it reached the point of overload well before I was even halfway through. I'm sure I could look it all up again and do the research, but to be honest, I'm not interested enough in it. I liked a lot of what I saw, but it meant nothing to me for it to have been created by Raphael or one of his students. I do remember the tapestry room and the Gallery of Maps, but a lot of what else I saw is a blur. Goes to show once more that art really isn't my thing!
This statue freaked me out. It was the only one I saw all day that had proper eyes, and it was just strange!
Eventually I got through the hundreds of rooms, apartments, and everything else, and was close to the Sistine Chapel. Before that though, much to my amusement, was a modern art gallery. I took a couple of photos which help to demonstrate my point - the statue indicates how I feel about modern art, and the "painting" beneath it shows... I'm not sure what, exactly, it shows. But it's art, apparently.
The only reason I could come up with for including the modern art where they did was that it juxtaposes nicely with the awe-inspiring creations in the Sistine Chapel. Thank God (no pun intended) that I can play stupid in several languages - they don't allow any photography in the chapel, but I did manage to get away with a few happy snaps. I didn't know the history of the art in the chapel (I knew of its fame, but that was about the extent of it), so I finagled myself a seat and sat back, listening to the audio guide give me the brief version of the history of it all.
Eventually the seething mass of humanity that was filling the small space got to me, and I headed out. Once again I went through long corridors of statues, paintings and wondrous celings, before finding myself at the exit. There was one job to do before that - send a couple of postcards so that my nan could have a new stamp from the Vatican for her collection. I'd have been in some serious trouble if I'd have come home without getting that! I also admired the design of the staircase - it's massive! Turns out my dodgy camera struck again, and the photos turned out blurry, so I stole someone else's to post on here.
When I finally got outside, it was time for a very late lunch. I found a little restaurant in a quiet street and had yet another pasta dish - lucky I was walking so much, as I was eating my body weight in carbs!
One thing I have to say about the tour is that once you get started, the guide is easy to follow, but it's finding that starting point that's difficult. I ended up having to double back from where I'd started from, as the natural progression was to go out to the courtyard and then into the busts gallery. There is no possible way I could have remembered all of the works that I saw, even if I'd had the time to take notes on all of them as I went through. I spent a little time in the busts gallery, seeing statues of Artemis and Ocean, amongst many others. I then realised that I wasn't in the right spot and was going to cut off vast areas of the tour, so went back through the courtyard to start again
.
This time I headed up the stairs, and found myself in an Egyptian gallery. Honestly, I feel like I've seen so much of Egyptian history and culture without ever stepping foot in Egypt itself! The thought did occur to me whilst I was standing in front of a mummy laid out with the funerary objects that it would require in the afterlife, that there was a certain kind of hypocrisy about one religion who is so adamant and rigid about its own beliefs allowing relics of a different religion to be displayed in what is supposedly the most holy of places.
From the Egyptian rooms I went into some kind of garden - I have a vague memory of the name of it being something to do with an octagon, but I may well be making that up. There were statues and what looked like bathtubs in every corner, and ponds in the middle. I sat down at a bench to take a moment to absorb it all, and literally got shoved off the seat by some fat American woman as she sat down to rest her th-cankles. I took it as a sign and moved on.
What followed for the next few hours were endless rooms filled with statues, scultures, paintings and beautiful ceilings. If my neck wasn't already sore from the previous few days of staring up at various works of art, it would have been stuck permanently at an odd angle after this. I'm not sure if the ceilings are designed the way they are for effect, or if they simply ran out of room on the walls and wanted to fill up more space. Either way, the mix of art and architecture is sublime.
This is actually a tapestry. There was a room filled with massive scenes, depicting various battles and religious wars. Amazing.
This one looks curved because it wasn't on a wall, it was on the roof.
I can't even remember most of the history that goes along with the museums there. I was doing the audio tour, so I got lots of information, but it reached the point of overload well before I was even halfway through. I'm sure I could look it all up again and do the research, but to be honest, I'm not interested enough in it. I liked a lot of what I saw, but it meant nothing to me for it to have been created by Raphael or one of his students. I do remember the tapestry room and the Gallery of Maps, but a lot of what else I saw is a blur. Goes to show once more that art really isn't my thing!
This statue freaked me out. It was the only one I saw all day that had proper eyes, and it was just strange!Eventually I got through the hundreds of rooms, apartments, and everything else, and was close to the Sistine Chapel. Before that though, much to my amusement, was a modern art gallery. I took a couple of photos which help to demonstrate my point - the statue indicates how I feel about modern art, and the "painting" beneath it shows... I'm not sure what, exactly, it shows. But it's art, apparently.
The only reason I could come up with for including the modern art where they did was that it juxtaposes nicely with the awe-inspiring creations in the Sistine Chapel. Thank God (no pun intended) that I can play stupid in several languages - they don't allow any photography in the chapel, but I did manage to get away with a few happy snaps. I didn't know the history of the art in the chapel (I knew of its fame, but that was about the extent of it), so I finagled myself a seat and sat back, listening to the audio guide give me the brief version of the history of it all.
Eventually the seething mass of humanity that was filling the small space got to me, and I headed out. Once again I went through long corridors of statues, paintings and wondrous celings, before finding myself at the exit. There was one job to do before that - send a couple of postcards so that my nan could have a new stamp from the Vatican for her collection. I'd have been in some serious trouble if I'd have come home without getting that! I also admired the design of the staircase - it's massive! Turns out my dodgy camera struck again, and the photos turned out blurry, so I stole someone else's to post on here.
When I finally got outside, it was time for a very late lunch. I found a little restaurant in a quiet street and had yet another pasta dish - lucky I was walking so much, as I was eating my body weight in carbs!
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