Another Long Walk

 

I read about the All Saints Church somewhere and learned that it is a beautiful church squeezed in between other buildings that people visiting London never take the time to see.  So I decided I had better take a look.  I took the picture above with the wide angle so I could get the whole thing in the frame but it makes it look a bit tipsy.

Indeed it is a beautiful church.  It was colorful with mosaic scenes on one side and elaborate details even on the ceiling.  It really was worth the effort to find it.  I'm glad I saw this gorgeous place.

I had visions of visiting the gift shop inside the BBC headquarters once again but I learned from the gentleman pacing in the center of this shot that it is no longer open to the public.  He told me there have been too many rowdy demonstrations and protests so they no longer let the public in unless you are invited.  What a shame.

I was inside the Liberty Department store around 25 years ago so when I saw it again I decided I should make another visit.  

Not only did I visit the store but I decided to have lunch there.  You don't see many department stores that look like this inside.

After resting my very tired legs for an hour or so, I went out again for an evening walk and discovered this nice little pub tucked away on a very quiet street.  

There is always something to see when walking in London.

A Very Long Walk

 

It was a long day of walking for my second day.  I visited Waterhouse Square, a beautiful brick building that serves as offices these days.  It was a very warm day by London standards and you'd think I'd be used to the heat but it's a different kind of heat.  I tried to stay in the shade as much as I could.

I visited the Temple of Mithras, Roman ruins that are located under the Bloomberg Building.  That was a unique experience.  They have a bit of a light show with recordings of chanting to set the tone.  It was fascinating to see.

And I stopped in at St. Stephen church designed by Christopher Wren.  It was beautiful inside.  Look at the huge cover over the pulpit on the right.  

Here's a closer view.  It looks like it might swallow someone up.  

Day 1 in London

 

I didn't get to my hotel until 3:00 PM in London so my plans for my first day were cut a bit short.  I rested up at the hotel for an hour and then walked from my hotel to St. Pancras station for my traditional glass of champagne.  There is just something very charming about enjoying a glass of champagne with Eurostar trains rolling past.

I also visited two of my favorite statues at the station.  

This one is by Paul Day called "The Meeting Place" 

This one by Martin Jennings is a statue of poet laureate John Betjeman who was instrumental in saving St. Pancras from the wrecking ball.

I also caught site of this hotel across the street from the station with it's red elevator.  Hopefully I'll have more to post tomorrow.  I'm going to bed early to see if I can adjust the jet lag.  
 

Hello London

 

If all has gone as planned, I'll be checked in at this hotel by the time you read this.  This is the same hotel I stayed at in 2023 when I was here.  I enjoyed my stay the last time and I love this neighborhood so why change.  It is a historic hotel that has been completely refurbished but all the "grand" features still remain.  It's a little slice of history but with modern conveniences.  More tomorrow.

Heading Into the Clouds

 

Late this afternoon, I'll be heading to the airport to leave for another adventure.  I'm going once again to my favorite city to visit, London.  I'm looking forward to exploring the city one more time.  I'm traveling by myself but my friends Julie and Dave will join me for a few days in the middle before they head off on another one of their many adventures.  

I'm taking my laptop and will post from London while I'm there.  I have posted something for tomorrow since the time change will delay my regular posting time.

The Phoenix Bird

 

When I was shopping last Saturday, I saw this vehicle with a Phoenix Bird painted on the front of it.  I just had to snap a photo and add it to my Phoenix Bird collection.

Unfortunately, it was painted on the front of one of these monstrosities.  I really can't fathom why anyone would want one of these ugly cars.  

Surprise or Embarrassment?

 

I'm not sure if this person has been surprised by something or if a bit of embarrassment has just happened.  

I do know that this was painted by Hugo Medina, a well known mural artist around here.  This is painted on the side of a building on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Radiant Mask

 

My Art Challenge group met on Friday evening and our subject for this meeting was "Radiance".  This was my entry.  I was inspired by many of the Native American artworks that I see at the Heard Museum.  Instead of a Native American image I used a photograph I took of the replica of the Anglo-Saxon mask discovered at Sutton Hoo in England.  The display of the Sutton Hoo artifacts is one of my favorite things to see at the British Museum.  I painted a sort of radiant background and attached my photo of the replica helmet to the center.

Here is a photo of the actual mask in the display case.

The one in my photo is a replica of what it looked like when new sometime between 450 and 1100 AD.  

For anyone who is curious about this archaeological discovery, you can read more about it here.

It was another fun meeting with my fellow art lovers.  Our next meeting isn't until October and the next subject is "Monsoon".  I haven't a clue what I will come up with for that one.

Big Houses

 

Every now and then, I drive down this street in east Phoenix just to look at the houses along here.  It's always been an upscale street but these days, you see lots of older houses that are being torn down and replaced by much bigger houses.  I never know what I'll find.  I liked this nice brick house with the blue trim.  This might be an older one that has been updated.

This one is most likely a new build.  I like it.  It has a definite Spanish look to it.  And, I always am curious about a house with a 'tower'.  I see some staggered windows there so I'm guessing there might be a staircase inside the round part.

Something Pretty....

 

.....to balance out a bit of a grumble.

I pulled today's pictures from the archives to go with another grumble about an electrical outage.  On Wednesday around 5:00 PM when the temperature was hovering around 114 degrees, the electricity went out once again.  At the beginning of July, I did a post about the electricity going out at my apartment complex and how it was happening what looked like every two years.  This was a first to have it go out again the very next month.  I waited until the electric company showed up to ask how long this was going to take, and when I was told 3 to 4 hours, I called my friend Glenda and asked if I could retreat to her house.  I packed up a few things to take with me knowing that 3 to 4 hours was certainly going to be much longer.  And, I was right, according to their text messages it didn't come back on until 1:00 AM.  

I've been told that they are aware of what is causing this problem and they are working on getting it fixed as soon as possible.  I know they are working on it because they were here  two weeks ago making marks all over the parking area to identify where all the underground equipment is located.  Hallelujah!!

Here is one more pretty waterlily to balance this bit of a rant.  Thank goodness for great friends who live nearby.  

Gifts

 

My sister Judy likes to sew and recently she sent me these hand made placemats that she made.  She told me that she thought I'd enjoy them because Paris is a place I've traveled to.  She didn't realize that I still had this set up Paris-themed dishes that I bought several years ago.  It's one of the sets I've held on to.  These placemats go perfectly with these dishes.

Two years ago she made me this small lap blanket that I keep handy.  

My sister is really good at putting different patterned materials together to make little textile works of art.   

Sky Blue

 

The valet always parks the expensive cars up front so they can be seen by everyone else who is arriving.  This one was parked in front of the Ambassador Hotel recently.  It's a nice, sky blue McLaren in case you didn't know.  

Five Faces and More

 

After lunch in the Heard Museum's cafe on Saturday, my friend and I stopped into the gift shop for a little look around.  That's where I saw this new painting by Dan Namingha, the well known Hopi painter and sculptor.  It's called "Five Faces" and is for sale for $18,500.  I instantly fell in love with it and since I can't buy it, this photograph will have to console me.  

There were a couple of other pieces in the shop that caught my eye.  I really like this "story-teller" sculpture.  It was way up on the top shelf so my photo isn't the best but, I think you tell how cute it is.

And this little clown kachina brought a smile to my face.  In addition to balancing on that log and board, he's attempting to keep a decorated pot balanced on his head.  Tricky!

There are always fun things to see in the gift shop.  I asked one of the clerks to show me a necklace I was admiring and while he was presenting it he said "We are a non-profit so there isn't any sales tax and with your membership, there is a discount.  And, there is no tariff because it's 100% made in America."  I enjoyed his tongue-in-cheek entrepreneurial spirit.  

Musical Dreaming

 

This mural is on a narrow wall right next to the sunflowers I posted last Monday.  This one was painted by Shela Yu who also goes by the name Shellshaker.  Shela was born and raised in Mesa Arizona and she has beautiful murals all over the valley.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

Fred Harvey & the American West

 

I was at the Heard Museum again yesterday for another Artful Mornings lecture.  This time it was about Fred Harvey and his influence in the American West.  Fred Harvey (1835-1901), formed a partnership with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad to build restaurants and hotels all along the railway line from Kansas to California.  The lecture reminded me that I had a few photos that I had taken back in 2017 when the museum did an exhibit about Fred Harvey and the Grand Canyon.  Above is a Zuni made inlay figure of a famous "Harvey Girl".  It was presented to Byron Harvey III by trader C.G. Wallace, another entrepreneur who worked with members of the Zuni tribe to create jewelry and artworks to be sold in places like the Harvey Houses.

Above is an old photograph of some Harvey Girls from one of the restaurants he owned.  

To the left are some of the artworks that were inspired by the Santa Fe Railroad and created by Native American craftsmen.  

Fred Harvey along with C.G. Wallace are both credited with introducing the public to the American west and all forms of Native American arts and crafts. You can clearly see the railroad's influence in these pieces.  

Skywatching

 

Keeping an eye on the sky at sunset is entertaining when there are a few clouds overhead.  On Thursday evening I saw some clouds gathering and wondered if there might be some good light.  This one was about as intense as it got that evening.  Not a brilliant sunset but a nice one nonetheless. 

I liked this little wispy cloud with just a touch of pink in it so I snapped a photo.  I didn't know I captured a plane passing overhead at the same time.  

Then after capturing the pretty sun-tinged clouds, it rained!  Not a rain that would register with any of you who see rain more often.  Frankly, it was just a few drops here and there.  Still, it was a totally unexpected event.  

Theme Day: Sweets

 

When there is a buffet of tempting treats in front of you, it is hard to decide what to choose.  Best take a plateful back to the table.  

Today's first of the month bloggers theme is "Sweets", a subject I'm quite fond of.  This photo was taken at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel when a friend and I were enjoying a Sunday brunch.  It was a delicious end to a fun Sunday outing. 

The City Daily Photo Bloggers theme for August is Sweets.  If you would like to see some other sweet treats from around the world, click here.

Abstract Sculpture

 

I have wanted to get a photo of this sculpture for many years and finally had a chance when I was stopped at a traffic light on the corner of 7th Street and Washington.  That happens to be a very busy intersection with no parking on either street.  In order to get close on foot, I'd have to park a very long distance away.  

On this occasion, I happened to be first in a line of cars at the intersection with a perfect view of the sculpture.  So I rolled down the window, grabbed the camera and took the shot.

This sculpture is called "Parabolic Spiral" and was created by Sam Sutton.  He has another sculpture further up 7th street but it is also in a location difficult to get to.  One of these days I'll get an opportunity to photograph it too.  

Man-Made Waterfall

 

This new water feature opened up last October at the Desert Botanical Garden and I hadn't taken a close look at it until just recently.  It's a man-made waterfall of sort with water running down the wall and creating a very pleasant babbling sound that is quite enjoyable.

It isn't a lot of water and it's being recycled from the pool at the bottom back over the waterfall.  The sound is reminiscent of a little babbling stream of water.  It makes a very pleasant spot to sit and relax a bit and enjoy the sounds. 

The Trials of Modern Living

 

We started the month of July with an electrical outage and we are ending the month with a water line break.  I was leaving the house around 4:00 in the afternoon on Saturday to meet some friends for drinks and dinner.  I saw this river of water gushing up from the ground and flowing down the street outside the gate.  In fact, those two cars you see were driving very slowly so as not to splash the water.  

When I came home around 10:30, this was the scene.  A City of Phoenix construction crew was hard at work digging a hole to get to the water pipes.  By that time, the water had been shut off.  That was something I quickly discovered when I turned on a faucet.  Luckily I had a full water bottle to get me through.  Sometime around 3:00 AM, the water was back on and the construction team was filling in the hole.  

Water and electricity....we take these things for granted until they fail us.  In spite of these two recent inconveniences, I consider myself very fortunate to live where I do.  There are far too many people around the world who have neither of these or other basic benefits.  

I Recognize Those Birds

 

Another mural from the Rosevelt Row area in downtown Phoenix.  I recognized those birds immediately.  They are the work of Lauren Lee and this new mural is  called "Three Birds in Bloom".  Over 10 years ago, I posted a photo of a mural of birds that look just like these.  You can see it here.  That building from years ago was torn down so that mural is now gone.  This new project is on the wall of a new electrical sub-station.  The sub-station is behind that wall and in front is a bus stop.  That's what those shade structures are for.

Next to the three birds is another mural.  This one is called "Art is Life" and it was painted by Brian Boner.  

Here is a view of the two murals together.  They are going to make a nice addition to all the art and art related businesses that flourish on this street.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

My Mountain Views

 

I've featured photos of the mountains to the north of where I live many times before.  I feel lucky to have some very nice views surrounding my home.  Yesterday, the air was so clear it made the mountains looks so crisp.  I couldn't resist a photo.

Sometimes I'll snap a photo because the play of light contrasts so well with the clouds that are rolling by.

On another occasion, I snapped a photo because the sunset was turning the sky and mountains a shade of dusky pink.

And on this occasion, I took the shot to capture those puffy clouds that were hovering over the top of the rugged peaks.  There seems to be and endless supply of appealing views no matter the weather or time of year. I'm lucky I get to see it all.