Explorations!

 

Thursday was a day filled with explorations.  I started by heading out to see this building formerly known as the Carreras Cigarette Factory.  It is now called the Greater London House.  It was built between 1926 and 1928 in a 20th century Egyptian revival design.  It's another place I had read about and wanted to see so that was my first destination.  

After viewing the Egyptian building,  I hopped on a bus heading back toward central London.  The nice thing about taking a bus is that when I see something that looks interesting I can just get off and take a look.  That is exactly what happened when we drove past this beautiful crescent.  What a pretty street.

As I wandered, I came across the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral and the outside was so interesting I took a peek inside.

It was beautiful!  That chandelier alone was pretty spectacular.  I'm glad it inspired me to see the inside.

Then I made my way to the Royal Academy of Arts. I had never visited this art museum before so it was about time I check it out.  

The entrance inside turned out to be quite beautiful by itself.  They had a special exhibit going on with an artist named Anselm Keifer who loved the works of Van Gogh so much he visited all the places frequented by Van Gogh.  This exhibit compared his works during this time along with some Van Gogh paintings I had never seen before.  I'm so glad I got to see them here.

Along the way, I happened upon this sculpture standing on a street corner.  There was no explanation or artist's name.  This poor workman is forever frozen in time looking for a place to plant his ladder.  

On the way back to the hotel, I passed this extremely cute little pub called the Coach & Horses.  

It was a good day full of new experiences.  

A Visit to Oxford

 

It's been 23 years since I visited the city of Oxford and it was about time I see it again.  I took the train Wednesday morning.  I had three goals in mind, first I wanted to see the memorial to the poet Shelley, second I wanted to visit the Ashmolean Museum, and third, I just wanted to stroll those ancient streets once again and snap some photos. I managed to succeed with all three goals.

To the left is the building known as the Radcliffe Camera.

And here is the beautiful memorial to Shelley that I had read about.  Shelley briefly attended University College Oxford until he was expelled for writing a pamphlet called "The Necessity of Atheism".  It's a twist of fate that this lovely memorial now resides in that very same college.

No trip to Oxford is complete without a stroll under the "Bridge of Sighs" as it is called.  On this day there were literally hundreds of people gathered at the bridge to get a look.  I was lucky to get a photo with only few present.

From there I took a stroll down a very, very narrow passage to get a glimpse of the Turf pub which dates back to 1831 and has seen many famous guests before they were famous.  It looks like Bill Clinton might have been one of them.

As I walked past the Sheldonian Theatre, I admired all those distinguished heads atop the fence posts.  

Then it was on to the Ashmolean Museum to see what treasures might be inside.

I discovered that they hold a large collection of Egyptian artifacts as well as some grand paintings.

But, I think what struck me the most was this fine sculpture by Ju Ming, a Taiwanese sculptor.  It's a statue of art historian Michael Sullivan. What I couldn't figure out is why such a fine sculpture was placed in such an out-of-the-way location next to the lift and the restrooms.  I think it's a brilliant piece of work.

All in all, it was a totally enjoyable day.

One of My Favorite Parts of London

 

One of my Favorite parts of London is the area where the Inns of Court are located.  First stop is Lincoln's Inn and the beautiful buildings and gardens there.

Visiting the "Undercroft" is always a must.  This is the area below Lincoln's Inn Chapel.  I bet you have seen this area as background in any number of television or movie productions.  It get's used a lot.

I stopped to peer into the windows of Ede & Ravenscroft, the UK's oldest tailors specializing in ceremonial robes and legal attire.  

When I arrived in the Middle Temple area, I stopped once again at Temple Church.  As an American I'm in awe of places with so much history.  This church dates back to 1163 and was the home of Knights Templar.  

Walking past the Royal Courts of Justice, I spotted several clusters of the press waiting for someone to come out the court building.  I never did find out who they were waiting for so if any of you heard, let me know.

New Places and Old Places

 

Another thing that was on my list of things to see was this place called Outernet.  It's a digital video experience that was a bit mind-blowing.  The changing patterns in this passageway were mesmerizing.  

Then in another area there was a story being told called Enchanted Forest.

And, in another room I caught this skyline image just before it disappeared.  This is an experience well worth locating.  And, it's free!

Then I walked over to Leicester Square and wondered how Mr. Shakespeare would feel about having pigeons sitting on his head.

Then I saw Mr. Bean sitting on a bench in Leicester Square.  There were a group of kids waiting to have their picture taken with him. I grabbed a shot in-between exchanges.

Then I made my way over to the National Gallery where I joined the huge crowds of people there to see the art.

My favorite painting I captured was Vermeer's "A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal".  I love Vermeer and enjoy seeing his works wherever I can.

I took lots and lots of photos today not to mention the lots and lots I took over the past four days.  I'll look forward to sharing some of the best in the future.

Warehouse Full of Incredible Things

 

In May of this year, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London opened its warehouse facility to the public.  When I read about it in the New York Times, I knew I would have to go there.  

They call it the V & A Storehouse and it was a building full of a massive amount of objects owned by the museum but not currently on view at the main museum.

I was lucky to be joined in this exploration by my friend  Steve who writes the Shadows & Light blog.

It was a thrill to see Steve once again and an even bigger treat to have him help me navigate getting to the storehouse.  I don't think I could have done it without him.  It's located a good deal east of the central part of London.

In the photo above we see a reconstructed office designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Edgar J Kaufman, an American business man.  It's the only FLW interior on display outside of the U.S. 

To the right is the Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schutte-Lihotzky in 1926.  It was supposed to be the ideal kitchen in a compact space to make housewives work easier.

There is so much to see in the storehouse that it was a bit overwhelming.  It was a great experience to see this incredible place.

On the way out, we walked over a bridge in Hackney Wick and I admired this view of the canal on another glorious, sunny day.

 

Be sure to check out Steve's post about our adventure.  He has even more photos and explanations on his site here. 

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.