Spent some wonderful hours at the Cabinet War Rooms today, mainly in the Churchill Museum wing. Very well made place, but they need to do something about the ventilation there, because I found my throat thickening and my eyes watering several times. Uhm. Right. Anyways, there's tons of biographical and political information, lots of wonderful quotes, excerpts from speeches, interesting pictures and anecdotes etc. Well worth the admission price (a hefty £12.95)!
The museum makes abundantly clear that Churchill was a complex and at times difficult man, who had his share of flaws and political miscalculations. But he rose to the most important occasion imaginable and became an incredibly important symbol for the British in their darkest hours. Present generations enjoying the benefits of democracy and liberty owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Picking up
Today's been a fairly good day. Got off to a late, lazy start then spent almost 3 hours wandering around inside Apsley House, former residence of general Arthur Wellesly aka Lord Wellington - the man who beat Napoleon at Waterloo. The house holds much of his large and interesting collection of art and has a bit of interesting biographical info as well. I strongly recommend the (free) audio guide.
I then crossed the street and spent 15 relatively wasted minutes at the Wellington Arch which has a few tiny exhibitions inside, nothing really worth paying for. Not that I did, as both places are run by English Heritage, the sister organization of Historic Scotland - of which I'm a lifetime member.
I then had a sinful lunch at the same Italian place I went to yesterday, just behind the National Portrait Gallery. I believe the name of the place is Ciao. Hardly an original name, but with the wildberry and ice dessert they served I feel inclined to forgive them. I then walked on to the British Museum, to see the Babylon exhibit. It wasn't stellar, but it was good and the amount of information given was vastly superior to what I encountered at the Royal Academy Wednesday. It's nice to leave a paid event and not feel like you've been ripped off.
I then crossed the street and spent 15 relatively wasted minutes at the Wellington Arch which has a few tiny exhibitions inside, nothing really worth paying for. Not that I did, as both places are run by English Heritage, the sister organization of Historic Scotland - of which I'm a lifetime member.
I then had a sinful lunch at the same Italian place I went to yesterday, just behind the National Portrait Gallery. I believe the name of the place is Ciao. Hardly an original name, but with the wildberry and ice dessert they served I feel inclined to forgive them. I then walked on to the British Museum, to see the Babylon exhibit. It wasn't stellar, but it was good and the amount of information given was vastly superior to what I encountered at the Royal Academy Wednesday. It's nice to leave a paid event and not feel like you've been ripped off.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
London, you tease!
London's been sending me mixed signals this time around. I arrived yesterday afternoon and the trip in to town was smooth until I was almost outside my hotel, where I was approached by a guy clearly trying to sell me stolen goods. Also, I fear I've come down with Alzheimers, since this hotel clearly doesn't have any of the features I clearly remembered it having from when I stayed here two years ago and which was the reason I chose to return here. Gah.
Today has also seen ups and downs. I first skipped breakfast at the hotel, since the sum total of options consisted of a bunch of bananas and some corn flakes. Fortunately there's a Subway at Victoria Station just up the road, and sweet Baby Jesus do I love me a good sub. I first went up to the National Portrait Gallery to see a room with images of Henry VIII (that's 8 for you retards). I had very little knowledge of the rest of the museum and no expectations. The room I went to see wasn't much, and would have been a disappointment in itself, but what I hadn't counted on was the incredible collection of other paintings there, plus all the wonderful biographical and historical information that helped put them into perspective. I very strongly recommend the top floor, which starts with the 15th century (I think Henry VI was the earliest monarch depicted) and ends with William IV. I would have seen the floor with the Victorians too, but after walking around for more than 3 hours I was really tired, and also getting lightheaded with hunger. This part of the museum is free, but getting an audioguide (£2) will enhance the experience immensely, trust me on this.
On the negative side I then had a very disappointing experience at the Royal Academy of Arts, where there was an exhibition on Byzants. I'd had this exhibition highly recommended to me by people whose judgement in these matters I trust (or have until now...), but I thought it was poorly presented, with not nearly enough information to put objects and history into perspective. The entrance cost an exorbitant £12 and contrasting it with the wonderful (and free) Portrait Gallery I felt completely ripped off and left in a foul mood. On the way back to the hotel I had to buy a fistful of chocolates and some books at WH Smith to recover (bonus points for the fact that they also sold sweet, sweet diet Irn-Bru soda there - the flower of Scottish beverages!)
Going out to hunt down some dinner soon, which should put me in a better mood. Also, I just had this very brief, yet strangely uplifting texting exchange with a friend in California...
Me: You there?
Her: In class.
Me: In London. I win.
Her: Asshole.
Today has also seen ups and downs. I first skipped breakfast at the hotel, since the sum total of options consisted of a bunch of bananas and some corn flakes. Fortunately there's a Subway at Victoria Station just up the road, and sweet Baby Jesus do I love me a good sub. I first went up to the National Portrait Gallery to see a room with images of Henry VIII (that's 8 for you retards). I had very little knowledge of the rest of the museum and no expectations. The room I went to see wasn't much, and would have been a disappointment in itself, but what I hadn't counted on was the incredible collection of other paintings there, plus all the wonderful biographical and historical information that helped put them into perspective. I very strongly recommend the top floor, which starts with the 15th century (I think Henry VI was the earliest monarch depicted) and ends with William IV. I would have seen the floor with the Victorians too, but after walking around for more than 3 hours I was really tired, and also getting lightheaded with hunger. This part of the museum is free, but getting an audioguide (£2) will enhance the experience immensely, trust me on this.
On the negative side I then had a very disappointing experience at the Royal Academy of Arts, where there was an exhibition on Byzants. I'd had this exhibition highly recommended to me by people whose judgement in these matters I trust (or have until now...), but I thought it was poorly presented, with not nearly enough information to put objects and history into perspective. The entrance cost an exorbitant £12 and contrasting it with the wonderful (and free) Portrait Gallery I felt completely ripped off and left in a foul mood. On the way back to the hotel I had to buy a fistful of chocolates and some books at WH Smith to recover (bonus points for the fact that they also sold sweet, sweet diet Irn-Bru soda there - the flower of Scottish beverages!)
Going out to hunt down some dinner soon, which should put me in a better mood. Also, I just had this very brief, yet strangely uplifting texting exchange with a friend in California...
Me: You there?
Her: In class.
Me: In London. I win.
Her: Asshole.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
London
Tentative schedule for London:
Tuesday (day of arrival): Nothing concrete, may join a guided walk sometime in the evening.
Wednesday: National Portrait Gallery (esp the gallery with images of Henry VIII) and the Byzants exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Thursday: The Babylon exhibition at the British Museum plus Apsley House (former home of the Duke of Wellington) and Wellington Arch. The two latter are run by English Heritage, which means I get in for free through my membership of Historic Scotland.
Friday: The Cabinet War Rooms including the relatively new Churchill Museum.
Saturday (day of departure): Maybe a trip to Camden Market, maybe a guided walk.
Ish gonna be fun!
Tuesday (day of arrival): Nothing concrete, may join a guided walk sometime in the evening.
Wednesday: National Portrait Gallery (esp the gallery with images of Henry VIII) and the Byzants exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.
Thursday: The Babylon exhibition at the British Museum plus Apsley House (former home of the Duke of Wellington) and Wellington Arch. The two latter are run by English Heritage, which means I get in for free through my membership of Historic Scotland.
Friday: The Cabinet War Rooms including the relatively new Churchill Museum.
Saturday (day of departure): Maybe a trip to Camden Market, maybe a guided walk.
Ish gonna be fun!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Traveling man
Soooo.... this is my travel itinerary for the year. Feel free to express your envy in the comments section:
February 24-28: London
April 2-13: Prague
April 29-May 3: Scotland (Stirling & Edinburgh)
June 22-July 22: US West Coast
The London ticket cost me NOK 10 ($1,50), but since I splurged and reserved a piece of checked in luggage, the total cost was slightly below NOK 400 ($60). Thank you, Ryanair! The Prague trip is heavily discounted on the hotel side, since I'm now friendly with the management.
The Scotland trip is with about a dozen colleagues (we went to Dublin in '07 and Berlin in '08). The two other males on this trip are both in their 60s, so I guess I'll be the residing studmuffin this time around, woo hoo!
What I'm most excited about (and obsessing over) is the US trip. I got a really cheap return ticket to Los Angeles with US Airways and I'm looking forward to touring the west coast for a month. I'll probably make my way up to Portland, make a quick swing into Washington, then set out east to Yellowstone, by way of Idaho. Then I'll go north to Montana to see the Little Big Horn battlesite before trekking even farther east to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. I'll then turn west again; not 100% sure about how fast I'll be going but I'm hoping to spend a day or two in Wyoming and maybe a night in Vegas. I'm then aiming to see friends in Fresno and spend a day or two in Yosemite with them. The final week of the trip will be spent with friends in San Diego, including a 2-3 day trip to Grand Canyon and maybe Sedona and the Petrified forest area out on I-40 too. If all goes according to plan, I'll see five new states (OR, WA, ID, MT and WY), which will leave only Alaska and Hawaii. Sounds like fun, yes?
February 24-28: London
April 2-13: Prague
April 29-May 3: Scotland (Stirling & Edinburgh)
June 22-July 22: US West Coast
The London ticket cost me NOK 10 ($1,50), but since I splurged and reserved a piece of checked in luggage, the total cost was slightly below NOK 400 ($60). Thank you, Ryanair! The Prague trip is heavily discounted on the hotel side, since I'm now friendly with the management.
The Scotland trip is with about a dozen colleagues (we went to Dublin in '07 and Berlin in '08). The two other males on this trip are both in their 60s, so I guess I'll be the residing studmuffin this time around, woo hoo!
What I'm most excited about (and obsessing over) is the US trip. I got a really cheap return ticket to Los Angeles with US Airways and I'm looking forward to touring the west coast for a month. I'll probably make my way up to Portland, make a quick swing into Washington, then set out east to Yellowstone, by way of Idaho. Then I'll go north to Montana to see the Little Big Horn battlesite before trekking even farther east to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. I'll then turn west again; not 100% sure about how fast I'll be going but I'm hoping to spend a day or two in Wyoming and maybe a night in Vegas. I'm then aiming to see friends in Fresno and spend a day or two in Yosemite with them. The final week of the trip will be spent with friends in San Diego, including a 2-3 day trip to Grand Canyon and maybe Sedona and the Petrified forest area out on I-40 too. If all goes according to plan, I'll see five new states (OR, WA, ID, MT and WY), which will leave only Alaska and Hawaii. Sounds like fun, yes?
Friday, January 30, 2009
Easter
I'm heading back to Prague, this time for my Easter holidays. Staying 11 nights, April 2-13. Please don't hate me because I'm blessed, mmmkay?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Cheap and dirty
Almost 5 years ago, a bunch of us English teachers were on a quick trip to England; Oxford to be precise. Yours truly, in my usual capacity as travel organizer, had booked the cheapest ensuite hotel rooms I could find in town at the Nanford Guest House. The two females in our merry band of five had had enough after the first night and went to find another place to stay. Moi and the two other guys couldn't really see what the fuss was about; the place wasn't really nice but it was sufficient or so we thought. The five of us have been bantering about this part of the trip ever since.
Today, I saw an article at a Norwegian online paper, quoting http://www.traveladvisor.com/ which had deemed Nanford the third dirtiest hotel in Britain. I am not going to hear the end of this.
Today, I saw an article at a Norwegian online paper, quoting http://www.traveladvisor.com/ which had deemed Nanford the third dirtiest hotel in Britain. I am not going to hear the end of this.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Yet more pics from Rome
More schtuff from the Palazzo Altemps, this time the wall paintings, mosiacs, and various reliefs. Click to get larger images.
Wall decorations from an excavated Roman villa depicting hunting scenes, work, festivites, nature - the lot:
Some reliefs, the last bunch are from a huge memorial to some vanquished enemy nation, I forget who.
Various house decorations:
Some of these are a bit dark or blurry, because they were kept in darkened rooms and flash photography was not allowed. Take my word for it, these decorations were incredible.
From a public bath
Scenes from Roman Africa, with hippos and crocs and all:
Maritime scenes, including dolphins. Wonder if they taste like chicken?
This is an attempt at a 360 degree shot of a wall painting that really did run the length and width of the room. Magnificent art!
Finally, lest you think I've gone all arty farty, we conclude this pictorial in the tone and manner which you've come to expect from this blog: BOOBIES!
Wall decorations from an excavated Roman villa depicting hunting scenes, work, festivites, nature - the lot:
Some reliefs, the last bunch are from a huge memorial to some vanquished enemy nation, I forget who.
Various house decorations:
Some of these are a bit dark or blurry, because they were kept in darkened rooms and flash photography was not allowed. Take my word for it, these decorations were incredible.
From a public bath
Scenes from Roman Africa, with hippos and crocs and all:
Maritime scenes, including dolphins. Wonder if they taste like chicken?
This is an attempt at a 360 degree shot of a wall painting that really did run the length and width of the room. Magnificent art!
Finally, lest you think I've gone all arty farty, we conclude this pictorial in the tone and manner which you've come to expect from this blog: BOOBIES!
More pics from Rome
Just a quick thumbnailing of my pics from Rome, in the unlikely event you're interested. These are from the Palazzo Altemps, one of the top two museums in Rome in my opinion (the other is the Capitol). Here are representations of people, divinites and such:
The Goddess Minerva (Greek: Athena)
A prince and an (Olympian?) boxer.
From memory (I really need to start taking notes), these notables are: Julia, daughter of Augustus; general Germanicus (I think); emperor Augustus himself (x2); emperor Nerva; emperor Vespasian (x3), emperor Hadrian and emperor Antonius Pius (x2).
The famous discus thrower:
I can't remember if the scantily clad woman is a representation of an actual person. The menacing looking guy with the spear (x2) is the God Dionysus. Judging from this statue he wasn't all about women and booze. The last one is the great hero Hercules. Who knew he had a comb over and an extra chromosome?
The Goddess Minerva (Greek: Athena)
A prince and an (Olympian?) boxer.
From memory (I really need to start taking notes), these notables are: Julia, daughter of Augustus; general Germanicus (I think); emperor Augustus himself (x2); emperor Nerva; emperor Vespasian (x3), emperor Hadrian and emperor Antonius Pius (x2).
The famous discus thrower:
I can't remember if the scantily clad woman is a representation of an actual person. The menacing looking guy with the spear (x2) is the God Dionysus. Judging from this statue he wasn't all about women and booze. The last one is the great hero Hercules. Who knew he had a comb over and an extra chromosome?
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