Thursday, April 11 – transit from London to Podgorica, Montenegro
I’m back to Heathrow this morning, so you know what that means. The SL9! I have a 9am departure; that required a little bit of an early wake up to get out of the flat by around 6:30. Not terrible though.
I’m on Austrian Airlines again, connecting through Vienna to Podgorica, Montenegro. The price of the one-way fare was $176. So, the connection is going to be interesting because I only have a 30 minute layover. I normally avoid this big time, but the next flight wasn’t until later in the evening. (And knowing me, I’m sure cost was a major driver in the decision as well! I can’t remember exactly?) Plus, Austrian allowed me to book the itinerary, so it must be legit, right?
And it’s not starting off well because we already have a 10 minute delay departing Heathrow. We can make this up in the air, right? Yes, we did! Also helpful was the fact that the plane was only half full. That should make deplaning quicker. But wait, the plane isn’t pulling up to a gate, we’re stopping on the tarmac. Another bus to terminal transfer. I’m doomed!
Just as I’m mentally preparing to camp out at Vienna Airport, and for a late night arrival in Podgorica, a lifeline appears as I exit the aircraft in the form of a special mini van at the ready to take me and four other Podgorica passengers directly to our plane, which also happens to be parked on the tarmac. Brilliant! Thank you Austrian Airlines! (Fortunately I didn’t have any checked bags; not sure if they would have made the connection!)
The flight to Podgorica took one hour and the A320 was about 3/4 full.
I though this was cool. On the way to Vienna we were temporarily paralleled by another flight.
And here are a couple views from the flight into Podgorica…
Another quick transit through immigration; not a single question from the officer. Where were these people last year when everybody in the Caribbean had these big concerns about my return or onward ticket (out of their country)?!?
And I hate to say it, but I took a taxi from the airport to my hotel. It killed me! It was basically the only option. There is train service to the Podgorica city center, but the stop was a 20 minute walk from the airport. I know, I wimped out. The 15 minute taxi ride cost me €15.
Hotel Aurel. I chose this hotel mainly because it’s close to the train station (which I’ll be using tomorrow). But it had good reviews too, and the price was right (of course!).$76 for the night, including breakfast
The research I did about Podgorica indicated it wasn’t a place really worth visiting. I had some time to kill though, so I absolutely had to get out and roam a bit!
Fuel Price Check: €1.62/liter equals $6.55/gallonWalking the streets of Old TownOsmanagic Mosque (c. 17th century)The Clock Tower of Podgorica (c. 1667)The Church of St. George under Gorica. It was most likely built in the second half of the 11th century.Old Ribnica River Bridge
Travel Note: The Europe eSIM data plan I have doesn’t include Montenegro and Albania, so I bought a Europe Extended eSIM with 3Gb of data for $19. Its validity is 15 days. The nice thing is that the two eSIMs can run concurrently, without having to manually switch back and forth between them.
Friday, April 12 – transit from Podgorica to Kotor
I have a busy day of travel ahead of me. But first…
…breakfast!Another hotel with a great breakfast selection! I’ve been lucky.
So, today I’m going to take a train from Podgorica to Bar and then catch a bus from Bar to Kotor. Now, I could have just taken a bus from Podgorica to Kotor, but I read that the train ride is pretty nice. Plus, I’m a sucker for trains! There are multiple train departures to Bar, so I chose to leave at the not-too-early time of 11:35am.
The Podgorica Train StationA poster in the station depicting our upcoming journey to Bar (at least, I think that’s what it is!)
The train cars were configured with a corridor on one side and enclosed, 6-seat compartments on the other. In the scrum of boarding the train, I was able to snag a window seat in a compartment. Sweet!
Shkodra LakeI kind of like the way this turned out!A view from the corridor window (by this time our compartment door was open because it was getting a little warm in here!). There were passengers standing in this area when we departed Bar. By the time I took this picture though seats had opened up within the compartments as folks got off the train.The Adriatic Coast (apologies for the reflections in the photo)The compartment after everyone exited in BarOur train (taken upon arrival in Bar)Bar Train StationThe trip lasted 70 minutes, which included 10 stops, and cost €2.30. A bargain!
That was fun! The train was packed upon boarding in Podgorica, but was only about 1/3 full by the time we reached Bar. Now I’m off to the Bar Bus Station!
It was only a 10 minute walk to the stationThe ticket to Kotor cost €7.50.I had a little over an hour wait before the bus departed, but I didn’t really feel like going anywhere. Plus, it’s a nice day to lounge, and that’s a pretty view!My coach to KotorNot many folks boarded in Bar, but the bus ended up fairly crowded as we made stops along the way to Kotor.Thank you! It’s good to be here!
The ride lasted a little over 2 hours. There were some pretty views of the Adriatic Coast along the way; it’s tough though to get decent pictures from a bus (reflections, generally blurry). Plus, I sat on the wrong side of the bus for the direct views! (I’m an idiot!) I technically could have switched to the other side of the bus, the seats weren’t reserved. I liked where I was sitting though; in the back row, which had extra legroom due to the emergency exit door. And there was already someone sitting on the opposite side window when I boarded the bus.
My hotel in Kotor is located in the Old Town and is only a 10 minute walk from the bus station. No taxis today people!
Here are a few photos from the walk…
The Gurdic Gate entrance to the Old Town, dates to the 13th-18th centuries.Hotel Vardar (note the yellow awning in the far right of the picture; that will have significance shortly!)View from hotel doorway seen on the left in the picture above.Area from which the above photo was taken (the bar is in the background)$141/nt, incl breakfast
I was kind of tired after my day of traveling, but I did go out for a short walk around…
The area around the corner from my hotel.Now we’re back to the yellow awning next to my hotel. It’s a post office! And they’re open until 8pm! So, of course I had to go buy a postcard to send off to Oliver (there are a lot of souvenir shops in the Old Town). Found the perfect card (it had a picture of my hotel), wrote it out, and dropped it off with a few minutes to spare. Nice!
Monday, April 8 through Wednesday, April 10 – Harrow on the Hill
I’ve just been hanging out on the Hill these few days. I’ve done a trip decompress, worked on a journal entry, and got ready to go on my next (and last) trip. Tomorrow I’m heading to Montenegro, and will follow that on to Albania. I’ll be away 9 days this time, so I’ll be taking the laptop with me and posting updates along the way (otherwise it would take forever to get caught up when I return!).
I expect to do several short entries while I’m on the trip, so you can look forward to hearing from me again in a couple days! (or dread it!)
Tuesday, April 2 – transit from London to Bratislava, Slovakia
I’m back to Heathrow on the SL9 this morning. Fortunately my flight doesn’t depart until 10am, so I don’t have to leave the flat super early. I’m flying into Vienna and then taking the short bus or train ride from the airport across the border into Slovakia and the city of Bratislava. The non-stop flight on Austrian Airlines took 2 hours, and the round trip airfare was $290.
Travel Note: I’ve talked previously about the minimal legroom on the British Airways A320s. Well the Austrian Airlines A320s on this trip were much more comfortable. Just sayin’, in case you ever have a choice between the two!
I had another quick transition through immigration in Vienna. The only question I was asked was whether or not I was staying in the city. When I told the officer that I was going on to Bratislava, she waived me through. I tried to explain that I was coming back to Vienna later in the week, but there was no interest.
Upon arrival at the Vienna airport I checked in at the Information Desk to find out the best way to get to Bratislava. They recommended taking the bus, showing me the schedule and stating that I could pay the driver. The next bus was due in about 20 minutes, so I went outside to the designated platform and waited for its arrival. Well, when I went to buy a ticket from the driver, he told me that the bus was fully booked. Doh! Luckily the wait for the next bus was only an hour. And after learning my lesson (I’m quick!), I immediately went online and booked a ticket for the next departure.
With time to kill, I went back into the terminal to roam around a bit. A short time later there was a little drama…
A portion of the arrivals area was cordoned off and the exits were closed due to (maybe you can spot it)……an unattended bag.After the police analyzed the bag using a remote-controlled device, followed by a physical inspection, the terminal was reopened in about 20 minutes. That still provided me plenty of time to exit the terminal and catch my bus. Whew! (Well done, Vienna Airport Police)
The bus ride in a comfortable coach to the Bratislava Central Bus Station took one hour and cost €12 ($13). Of note is the fact that there was no immigration check at the border crossing between Austria and Slovakia. This is due to both countries being part of the Schengen Agreement – an area encompassing 29 European countries that have eliminated controls at their common borders.
After arrival at the bus station, the short walk to my hotel took 20 minutes.
Marrol’s Boutique Hotel (my room was on the 4th floor, third window from the left)ReceptionBarTerrace in the back$132/nt, incl breakfast
I was kind of tired from the trip, but did get out for a little bit to stroll the area around the hotel.
Hviezdoslavovo námestie (city park)Slovak National Theatre (c. 1920)The Euro is the currency in both Slovakia and Austria.
Wednesday, April 3 and Thursday, April 4 – Bratislava
I’m combining both Wednesday and Thursday into one entry because I basically did the same thing on both days; you guessed it – walked around! And Bratislava is a great place for walking. The city is very compact, and the streets are marked exceptionally well (not always the case). I was planning on taking the short drive out of the city on Thursday to visit Devin Castle, however, when I checked their website on Thursday morning it stated that they were closed for the day (normally open on Thursdays). Anyway, I’m glad I checked and didn’t waste my time going there! (And thanks Devin Castle for updating your website!)
(Devin Castle originated in the 9th century and was ultimately left in ruins during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.)
Hotel RestaurantVery good breakfast!This 17th century palace, a former home of the archbishop, now houses government offices.Presidential Palace (c. 1760)Slovak Radio Building (c. 1983). Pretty cool!I like this street name! (and an example of Bratislava’s well-placed street signs)Approaching Slavín Memorial Monument and Military CemeterySlavín is the burial ground of Soviet Army soldiers who fell during World War II while taking over the city from the occupying Germans. It is situated on a hill overlooking Bratislava amidst villas and embassy residences. The monument was inaugurated in 1960 on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the liberation of the city.View of Bratislava Castle from Slavin (I guess the tree was cut back to improve the view?)An alleyway approaching Bratislava Castle.Bratislava CastleConstruction of the Castle began in the 9th century and continued on in phases over the next several hundred years.The Castle was eventually abandoned in the early 19th century and fell into disrepair. However, in the 1950s the decision was made to restore it. View from Bratislava Castle of Most SNP (“Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising”) crossing the Danube River. The flying saucer-shaped structure atop the bridge is an observation deck and restaurant.Another view of the city from Bratislava Castle. In the foreground is St. Martin’s Cathedral.View of Bratislava City Walls, St. Martin’s Cathedral, and Most SNP.The Bratislava City Walls date to the 13th century.View into the Old Town from the City Walls. That is Michael’s Gate rising in the background.St. Martin’s Cathedral (c. 1563–1830)Michael’s Gate is the only city gate of the medieval fortifications that has been preserved, and is one of the oldest buildings in Bratislava. Built around 1300, its present design is the result of baroque reconstruction in 1758.Daytime view of the Slovak National TheatreBratislava Old Town Hall. The tower dates to 1370.The Church of St. Elizabeth, commonly known as the Blue Church (c. 1913)Old Town HallIce cream (gelato) break!View of Most SNP, Bratislava Castle, and St. Martin’s Cathedral from Stary Most (Old Bridge).I did some exploring around the Danube on Thursday. There’s a nice path along the river, and I liked this apartment complex.Daytime view from Stary Most.I’m now on the other side of the Danube. This is Janko Kráľ Park. (with Most SNP in the background)View of Most SNP from the park (I think I’m obsessed with this bridge!)Time to mail Oliver a postcard! This post office is located in a rather interesting mall.
Sidenote: I’m a little concerned as to whether or not this postcard is going to make it to Virginia! The clerk I gave the postcard to took my money, but did not apply a stamp to the card (she did write something on the card though where the stamp would normally be placed), and subsequently dropped the card into something beneath her desk (a trash can?). Hopefully I’m just overreacting! I’ll let you know!
I’m attending the opera tonight (Thursday), here at The New Building of the Slovak National Theatre. When I booked the performance I thought it was going to be held at the original Theatre Building (night/day photos shown earlier in this post). However, that venue is closed while awaiting a restoration.View from the theatre grounds looking back to the Old Town and Bratislava Castle.Looking out from the interior of the theatre.Tonight’s performanceView from my seat in row 3 of the balcony (cost of ticket: €28).
It was an enjoyable performance! And like in Sofia, English subtitles were provided (bonus!). I have to admit though that I was a little disappointed in the venue. The interior just seemed a little sterile. And it’s not that I’m adverse to modern design. Not at all. As a comparison, I used the Overture Center and Hamel Music Center in Madison, both relatively new facilities that I’m familiar with. Both, in my opinion, have much more pleasing designs (inside and out). But I’m pretty sure nobody in Bratislava cares what I think!
Sidenote: I may be giving you the impression that I’m a huge opera fan. That’s not the case. I just enjoy checking out different venues, and attending a performance meets that objective (when the price is right!). The symphony would work equally well. But that form of entertainment is more accessible than the opera is to me in Madison, so I’m trying to take advantage of the opportunity traveling to these locations offers me. Plus, I like seeing the sets and costumes of the opera!
Slovakia/Bratislava Notes
The population of Bratislava is around 450,000
Slovak is the local language, but I had no problem speaking English with everyone I encountered in Bratislava
Slovakia (and Austria) is one hour ahead of London
There are not nearly as many smokers in Bratislava, compared to the other eastern European cities I visited this winter. A good thing!
My interaction with the locals was good; generally very friendly
Friday, April 5 – transit from Bratislava to Vienna
I’m back on the bus to Vienna today. The departure isn’t until noon, so I enjoyed a leisurely morning. And yes, I booked my bus ticket two days ago to make sure I had a reserved seat! (and it’s a good thing I did, the bus was filled to the max!)
Here are a couple photos from the Bratislava Central Bus Station…
The bus company has learned some tricks from the airlines and charges extra for selecting your own seat. I balked and ended up in the middle seat of the back row (5 across). I was a little bit squished, but the nice part was that the aisle was in front of me, so I had plenty of legroom!
The route of this bus took us back to the airport, but I stayed onboard until it reached its final destination – Wien Hauptbahnhof (Vienna Central Station). The ride took 90 minutes and cost €10. It’s interesting though, unlike the uninterrupted border crossing into Slovakia a few days ago, today the bus was stopped at the Austrian border for a check by immigration officers. It went really quickly though, and we were on our way. Worth noting: the immigration officers spoke only one language to the passengers – English (not Slovak, not German).
It was a nice day, and I was a little early for check-in, so I decided to walk from the station to my hotel. That took about an hour, but I wasn’t moving very fast, taking in the sights as I went along.
Hotel Stefanie……with claims to being the oldest hotel in Vienna.LobbyBarCheck out the length of this hallway! And my room was at the very end! (I kind of liked that actually; less traffic going by my door!)This room is a little smaller than the one I had in Bratislava! $120/nt, incl breakfast.
Like my first night in Bratislava, I went out for a little while to take in the sights.
Sidenote: I’ve been to Vienna previously. I had to go back and check my log to figure out when. It was in the fall of 2007, and I combined it with a trip to Switzerland and Prague.
St. Michael’s Wing of Hofburg Palace (c. 1893)St. Stephen’s Cathedral (c.1578)I guess I was a little surprised by how crowded is was (around the tourist areas) in Vienna. I suppose it was because I’ve been used to visiting the less popular Balkan countries this winter. Vienna is obviously a popular tourist destination, and this being the week after Easter, it’s the time of year when travel begins to pick up in this region.
Saturday, April 6 – Vienna
Hotel RestaurantLooks a little too healthy, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it got a messier! Another hotel with a very good breakfast.
While I was waiting for the bus at the Vienna airport a few days ago I picked up a booklet from the tourist office that featured various self-guided walking tours. The weather is beautiful; that seems like the perfect activity for me today. And based on the crowds I saw last night, I think I’m going to choose routes that are kind of off the beaten path.
The first tour I’ve chosen takes me on the Ringstrasse – a circular grand boulevard that serves as a ring road around the historic Innere Stadt district.
StadtparkVienna State Opera House (c. 1869)BurggartenThe back face of The Neue Burg, adjacent to Burggarten (more information below)The Neue Burg Wing of Hofburg Palace – it forms an extended wing from the main Palace area and lines one side of Heldenplatz Square. It was completed in the early 20th century.View of Heldenplatz Square (the Leopoldine Wing of Hofburg Palace is in the background)The Kunsthistorisches Museum (c. 1891)Volksgarten. That is City Hall in the background.Austrian Parliament Building (c. 1883)It was a little crowded around City Hall! (there was a festival taking place this weekend)A less crowded view of City Hall (c. 1883)Votive Church (c. 1879). It’s too bad they allow tour buses to park in front of the church.The Anker Clock – it forms a bridge between the two parts of the Anker Insurance Company’s building. In the course of 12 hours, twelve historical figures, or pairs of figures, move across the bridge. I was there between 1 and 2; the figure on display is the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, who allegedly died in Vienna in the year 180.
After taking a little break back at the hotel, my next walking tour covered an area where the 1873 World’s Fair was held.
Fuel Price Check: €1.68/liter equals $6.89/gallonThe walking tour took me through Wurstelprater Amusement Park (it opened in 1766!). Very busy on this beautiful Saturday evening!Not sure I would want to go on that ride!Prater Hauptallee (park)Vienna University of Economics and Business. This is an area called Viertel Zwei (Quarter Two). More interesting architecture.I’m now walking along the Donaukanal on my way back to the hotel. A lot of folks are out enjoying the sunset!This was a fun day!
Travel Note: The high temperature here today was 78 degrees. I’m pretty sure that’s the warmest it’s been for me so far on this escape. A little different than my previous winter trips! (but I’m not complaining!)
Sunday, April 7 – transit from Vienna to London
My flight back to London isn’t until early afternoon; I’m a man of leisure this morning!
My transfer to the airport will be by train. The station was a 15 minute walk from the hotel, and trip to the airport took 30 minutes. The cost: €4.40. (avoiding taxis is the best!)
Waiting for the train at Praterstern Station
And of course I took the SL9 back to the flat from Heathrow (not a very crowded bus on a Sunday afternoon!).
This was a fun trip! And the weather once again cooperated. Thank you Mother Nature!
Walking Summary
I did a LOT of walking on this trip, as I’m sure you know I like to do. Here are my daily step counts:
The tours of London buildings continues. I have two booked today, both at The British Library. The first covers their holdings, and the second focuses on the building itself. Each tour lasted about 75 minutes and cost £10. There were about a dozen people in each tour.
With more than 150 million items in its collection, The British Library is the second largest library in the World, trailing only the Library of Congress. If you’re interested, here’s a link to a listing of the Top Ten.
The library is located next to the St Pancras Railway Station. It was a little busy on this Good Friday holiday morning.A Eurostar train can be seen in the background.St Pancras Renaissance Hotel (adjacent to the station)The British Library (c. 1998). During construction, brick was sourced to match the neighboring St Pancras Hotel & Station (in the background).A scale model of the library, showing the eight-story subterranean storage facility. (BTW, the underground storage is already filled up. An offsite location is now used)An 18th century sculpture of Shakespeare.The Humanities Reading Room. The reading rooms were closed to the public for the Good Friday holiday. A good time to be on the tour; we had them all to ourselves!The Maps Reading Room. The celestial globe in the background is by Vincenzo Coronelli (c. 1693).In the middle of the building is a six-story glass tower containing the King’s Library with 65,000 printed volumes along with other pamphlets, manuscripts and maps, all collected by King George III between 1763 and 1820.
The items below are displayed in the library’s Treasures Gallery. This was part of the guided tour, but the room is also open to the public during normal library hours.
The Moutier-Grandval Bible from around 830-840. Amazing!I had to include this: It is entitled Shirin becomes Queen of Armenia (c. early 17th century). It tells of the romance between King Khusraw Parviz and Shirin, Queen of Armenia.Shakespeare’s First Folio (c. 1623). Of the estimated 750 First Folios, only around 250 survive today. Five are at The British Library.The Gutenberg Bible (c. 1455). Leonardo Da Vinci, The Science of Weights (c. 1518). For you engineering nerds, The Science of Weights is known today as Statics.Magna Carta (c. 1215). This is one of four surviving originals from 1215. Two are at The British Library.
This was a fun day exploring the library!
A pretty view of another library (this one the Harrow School’s) on my way back from the tube station.
Saturday, March 30 – Harrow on the Hill
My manic tours of various London buildings concludes today. I’m guessing you’re relieved by that statement. Apologies if I’ve bored you to death!
I’m back to the Palace of Westminster (The Houses of Parliament) for a rare treat – a tour of The Speaker’s House. This tour is only offered during the long Easter weekend, and occasionally during the summer when the speaker is away.
The house is three stories tall, with the top floor being the residence of the Speaker. The second floor is used for administrative purposes, and our tour covered the first floor. The rooms viewed were the Speaker’s Study, the Crimson Drawing Room, the Corner Drawing Room, the State Dining Room, and the State Bedroom. All were very opulent and contained portraits of past Speakers, as well as gifts from visiting dignitaries. The State Dining Room was especially impressive (as you can imagine).
The State Bedroom is meant to be the place where the monarch sleeps the night before their coronation in Westminster Abbey. Apparently though King Charles choose not to participate in this tradition (our guide said that the bed is very uncomfortable!)
The tour lasted 75 minutes. There were 14 of us, and the cost was £20. Here’s a link to UK Parliament’s website with more information on The Speaker’s House, if you’re interested.
As with the other tours in the Palace of Westminster, no photography was allowed.
Below are a couple photos from my visit to the Palace. I’m pretty sure I’ve posted similar pictures from this trip already, but I just can’t resist!
A less common view of the Palace from the west.Past the ticket check gate and on the way to the (airport style) security screening area.Now past the security tent.
As you can see, it was a beautiful day. I did a lot of walking, mainly in the area to the west of the Palace, avoiding the crowds around Westminster Bridge, Westminster Abbey and St. James’s Park.
Taking a break at Pimlico Gardens
Sunday, March 31 – Harrow on the Hill
Ended up staying on the Hill today. Pretty much low key. Did go for a walk though!
Monday, April 1 – Harrow on the Hill
Busy day! Laundry, flat cleaning, 1st quarter financial stuff, journal entry, and prep for my trip tomorrow.
I’m heading to Slovakia and Austria for a few days. No laptop again. I’m back on Sunday, so I’ll likely have the next entry posted on the following Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a great week!
I’m heading into the city tonight to attend a play that I booked a few weeks ago, when it was first announced. It’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, and stars Sarah Snook, who recently was awarded the Best Actress Emmy Award for her work on Succession. Not only is she the star, she is also the only performer, playing all 26 roles! Some of her parts were prerecorded and displayed on video screens, requiring Snook to interact with herself.
It was an amazing performance. Not only was she the only actor on stage for the two hour production, but she also masterfully handled the choreography of maneuvering amongst multiple camera operators sharing the stage with her. That’s right, she was acting for the audience as well as the camera, with her image then projected on to the multiple screens entering and exiting the stage.
It’s hard for me to describe the experience fully, but I thought this reviewer from The Guardian presented it well…
…the result is a true high-wire act, not only because of Snook’s fleet and fabulous performance but also because of the accompaniment of screens, pre-recorded footage, live film crew, and orchestration of technology that is as dazzling as it is complicated, heightening theatricality rather than distracting from it.
There are moments when a camera is pressed up against Snook’s face so closely we see every pore, and others when there are seven replicated versions of her.
It is a juggling act of high order for Snook. She must perform in real time, react to the recorded footage and manipulate the technology herself in some scenes. She speaks in dialogue but also narrates omnisciently. Some scenes require athleticism, others sudden stillness. It demands an exacting synchronicity and she gets it pitch perfect, powering through 26 characters.
It is all beautiful, brilliant, maniacally unmissable.
Photography was not allowed during the performance, but I was able to find a couple pictures online that will help describe the experience…
Five camera operators on stage. Five video screens. Snook is also on stage, performing in front of the operator in the middle.Snook performing live on the left, interacting with six (five at the table, one on the big screen) prerecorded characters (all played by Snook).Snook taking a curtain call along with the on-stage camera operators and technicians.
Here are a few of my photos from this evening…
Theatre Royal Haymarket (located between Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus)View from Row G, Seat 13 of the Royal Circle (my spot!).
A memorable evening!
Tuesday, March 26 – Harrow on the Hill
Pretty low key today. It was a beautiful morning though, and rain is forecast for this afternoon, so let’s head out for a walk!
I also did a little planning for my trip that’s coming up next week.
Steps Update: I’m now down to the final 30 days of the trip. Seems like it’s gone by quickly, right? Anyway, at the moment my average steps per day stands at 15.2k. I’m pretty happy with that, a nice improvement over my disappointing 13.2k average from last year’s escape. Hopefully I can stay above the 15k mark; I’m fairly confident that I will! (and with that, I just jinxed myself!)
Wednesday, March 27 – Harrow on the Hill
I’m back into London for another tour today. This time at the Battersea Power Station. Kind of geeky, I admit. Only recently have tours been offered here, and they sell out quickly (looking at their website, the next tour opening is in May). So I guess I’m not the only geek!
The building comprises two power stations, erected in stages. Battersea “A” was built between 1929 and 1935. The construction of Battersea “B” began in 1937, was paused during the Second World War, and then completed in 1955. The facility was decommissioned in 1978. Various plans were made to make subsequent use of the building, but none were successful. The power station thus remained empty until 2014, during which time it fell into near ruin. Thankfully, a plan was eventually put in place to develop the site with residences, bars, restaurants, offices, shops and entertainment spaces. The building was opened to the public in October 2022.
As you’ll see from the photos, it’s a beautiful facility. There were 22 people on the tour. It lasted 75 minutes and cost £20.
Cute pub located across from the Battersea Park Tube StationI like these flats adjacent to the Power StationApproaching the Power Station…The north side of the Power Station (facing the Thames).The entrance the Director’s office (no longer in use).This originally was the Turbine Room for Station “A”. The dark tiles in the floor represent the footprint of the equipment that was in place. The first three floors are now shops, restaurants and bars. The fourth floor is office space.Portions of the original building were left exposed.The Control Room for Station “B” was converted into a bar. Below it are shops, and above you can see into an atrium that is part of the Station’s residences.
To follow are pictures from what was, for me, the highlight of the tour – Control Room “A”. It has pretty much been left as it was, and is now used as an event space. (not open to the public)
Very Art Deco. The view is of the Turbine Room.The skylights are reminiscent of a Frank Lloyd Wright design.
Battersea Power Station Trivia:
The Power Station was immortalized in the album cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 Animals. The right side of the artwork was the front cover, while the left side overlapped to the back cover. BTW, that’s a pink pig floating between the stacks!Beautiful view of the Harrow School Chapel on the way back to the flat.
Thursday, March 28 – Harrow on the Hill
Another quiet day. It’s raining, so that makes my laziness justifiable (to me anyway!). And I do have more prep work for my trip next week. Really!
I’m attending a lecture at Gresham College early this evening, so I traveled into the city midday to do some roaming around.
Spring planting at Victoria Embankment GardensTwo Temple Place
Two Temple Place is located on Victoria Embankment. It was built for William Waldorf Astor in the 1890s. Astor emigrated to England from the United States in 1891 as the richest man in the world, and he spared no expense when work began on Two Temple Place in 1892.
I’m attending this exhibit, but mainly I want to see the inside of the building.Museum entrance. Also, the window in the upper right is formed with some amazing stained glass that you will see below.Beautiful staircase and stained glass skylight.Sunrise, by Clayton & Bell (c. 1895)Sunset, by Clayton & Bell (c. 1895). This is the window located to the upper right of the entrance.This is Waterhouse Square, located across the street from Gresham College, where I’ll be attending tonight’s lecture.
This is the second Gresham lecture that I have attended. You may recall that back in January I was at St. Luke’s Church for a talk entitled The Art and Science of Tuning. That was very interesting. So I’m back for more; this time to be held in Barnard’s Inn Hall of Gresham College.
Tonight’s lecture is Twentieth-Century Divas: Shirley Bassey. Born in 1937, she is originally from Wales, and is probably best known for the songs Goldfinger (from the James Bond film), and Big Spender. It was an interesting talk. The lecturer was very knowledgeable about Miss Bassey and his presentation was compelling. The talk lasted an hour. A ticket was required, but at no cost. I sat next to a nice couple who thought it was interesting (surprising?) that someone visiting from the United States would be attending this lecture. Or this lecture series in general. Funny!
Here’s a link to a video of the lecture, if you’re interested.
Gresham College courtyard. The small lecture hall is on the left (with the reddish lighting).
Friday, March 22 – Harrow on the Hill
I’m making my way back to Dulwich today. I was last there in January to attend the Rubens exhibit at the Picture Gallery. This time I’ll be taking a tour of Dulwich College, specifically to see the lifeboat, James Caird, from Shackleton’s expedition to the South Pole.
About Dulwich College
Dulwich College is a private, day and boarding school for boys, covering the U.S. equivalent of grade school, middle school, and high school. It was founded in 1619 by Elizabethan actor Edward Alleyn, and has been in its current location since 1870. I was curious as to how prestigious this school was; a Google search looking for a ranking of the top U.K. private schools for boys produced this particular list:
1. St. Paul’s School, London
3. Eton College
11. Dulwich College
30. Harrow School
Wow! That Harrow ranking surprised me. It could be just an aberration related to the criteria of the list however. Here’s a link to the rankings I used.
About Sir Ernest Shackleton and the James Caird
Shackleton was an Irish explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic in the early 20th century. His Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917 was struck by disaster when its ship, Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and finally sank off Antarctica in 1915. The crew escaped by camping on the sea ice until it disintegrated, then by launching the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island and ultimately the South Atlantic island of South Georgia. The latter segment involved enduring a stormy ocean voyage of 830 miles in what became Shackleton’s most famous exploit.
Shackleton and five companions made the journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia aboard a 20 foot lifeboat, the James Caird (named after the expedition’s chief sponsor). It was modified for the trip by raising the sides, strengthening the keel, building a makeshift deck of wood and canvas, and sealing the work with oil paint and seal blood.
The James Caird was returned to England in 1919. In 1922 it was donated to Dulwich College, where Shackleton had been a student. Excluding a period of time when it was restored and displayed by the National Maritime Museum, it has remained with the college ever since.
If you’re not familiar with the story of Shackleton and the Endurance expedition, I encourage you to investigate it further; it’s amazing! Here’s a link to an impressive book on the subject. And Kenneth Branagh portrayed Shackleton in an award-winning TV mini-series.
Here are some photos from today’s outing…
Departure from Victoria Station to Dulwich; a 15 minute train ride.
Dulwich CollegeThe tour lasted an hour. There were 16 of us. The tours are only offered on Fridays, and a ticket is required (free of charge).Above the school’s library doors is the union flag that covered Shackleton’s coffin at his funeral.Left to right: a photo of Shackleton, an original sail from the James Caird, and two sledges used in Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions.The James CairdNotice how it was built up and covered; modifications from the original lifeboat’s design.
If you’d like more information on the James Caird, here’s a link to the Dulwich College website that also includes a 12 minute video about the boat and Shackleton.
Sidenote:
Did you know there was a “Little Ben” in London? I didn’t until it was mentioned by our guide on the Big Ben tour. Here it is outside Victoria Station.
Saturday, March 23 – Harrow on the Hill
It’s been a busy week! I’m a little worn out. No big plans for the day.
Auction Update: The Pattie Boyd Collection
The online auction has concluded, and the results are in…
Remember this painting that was used as the cover art for the Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs? The estimate was £40,000-60,000. It ended up selling for…are you ready? £2 million!!
Overall the collection sold for £2.8 million ($3.6 million), or more than seven times the pre-sale high estimate of £380,000! Well done Pattie!
Sunday, March 24 – Harrow on the Hill
Today I’m off to Brooklands, an aviation and automotive museum north of London. A cool place to visit under normal circumstances, but today is special because they are holding a MINI DAY. Perfect!
Brooklands was the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation and the site of many engineering and technological achievements throughout the 20th century. Constructed in 1907, its racing circuit was the first of its kind in the world. It was also a leading aircraft design and manufacturing center, producing a total of 18,000 aircraft between 1908 and 1987. The museum opened in 1991.
Getting to Brooklands required a 30 minute train ride from the Wimbledon tube station followed by a 20 minute walk from the Weybridge station to the museum. The museum entry fee was £23 and I paid an additional £7 to tour a Concorde aircraft that is on display there.
Pretty quiet on the District Line train to Wimbledon this morning!Brooklands ClubhouseMinis for as far as the eye can see!You may think that the current Mini is a small car, and you’d be right. But compared to the original Mini, it’s a beast!London Bus MuseumSomething smells good!I went with the Krakauer. At £10 it was kind of a ripoff, but I was hungry. And it tasted good!Aircraft Factory1923 Aston Martin Razor Blade. It claims to be the narrowest racing car ever built……you be the judge!1928 Bentley 4 1/2 litre1926 Bugatti Type 37 GPIt’s time for my tour of the ConcordeThe Concorde was powered by four Rolls-Royce jet engines.
The Concorde could maintain a speed of up to 1,350 mph at an altitude of 60,000 ft. (by comparison a Boeing 787 Dreamliner cruises at a speed of 650 mph and an altitude of 40,000 ft) Its average flight time on the transatlantic New York – Paris route was just under 3 1/2 hours.
Notice how small the window is. This is due to the Concorde’s flying at the extreme altitude of 60,000 feet.
Located adjacent to Brooklands is Mercedes Benz World. Of course I had to make a stop there as well!
Mercedes Benz World is part showroom, activity center, museum, and driving facility (having taken over part of the original Brooklands racetrack).
Fun! A slot car version of the Brooklands / Mercedes Benz track.This is cool! Entitled Suspended II, this artwork displays the 3,200 components of the Mercedes Benz Formula 1 race car. 1886 Benz Model 1 (a replica; the original is at the MB Museum in Stuttgart).1907 Mercedes 75 PS Spider1955 Mercedes Benz W-196 race car. A 1998 McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 car is in the background.
Whew! What a day. Fun, but long. I left the flat around 8am and returned at 6pm.
I have a couple Classic Rock events planned for today.
First off, let’s head back to Christie’s for another auction view. (I feel like I’m becoming a regular there…) This time I’m checking out The Pattie Boyd Collection (auction link here). If you’re not familiar with Pattie, well, here’s all you need to know: she was once married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton (not at the same time!). And both of these rock legends wrote iconic songs about her, including Something, Layla, and Wonderful Tonight. If you’d like more information about Pattie, George, and Eric, and their complicated relationship, Christie’s has a nice background piece you can access here.
The auction included memorabilia and photographs (many taken by Pattie). Here are a few highlights…
Remember taking photos like these with the Kodak Instant Camera?Photo of Pattie & George, taken by Pattie using a camera with a timer.The original painting used as the cover artwork for the 1970 Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. The estimate is £40,000 – 60,000. With one day left in the auction, the current online high bid is £150,000.
This painting has an interesting history (taking into account that Pattie left George in 1974 and married Eric in 1979):
Acquired directly from Emile de la Tour de St Ygest, the artist’s son, by Eric Clapton in 1970.
Gifted to George Harrison by Eric Clapton, late 1970s.
Gifted to Pattie Boyd by George Harrison, late 1980s.
As a bonus, there were three other auctions on view at Christie’s today. (I should just stop by here every week to see what’s on display!)
I’m attending a concert tonight at The Royal Albert Hall. As I made my way from Christie’s down to the Hall, I stopped in the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum to kill some time…
Okay, it’s getting to be that time. Let’s head over to The Royal Albert Hall!
And Who, you may ask, is performing tonight?
Exactly!I liked this poster set. Was tempted to buy it. But I really don’t have the wall space (plus, the signed version was sold out!)The concert was to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust (is the cost of my ticket tax deductible?)The view from my seat in the stalls. And I loved the fact that my seat swiveled so that I could face the stage!A view during the show (with a little zoom).
It was a great show! The two surviving, and arguably most important, members of the band (Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend) still got it. Although, I found it ironic that they performed their classic song My Generation, which includes the lyrics, I hope I die before I get old! (I’m sure I’m not the first one to comment on this over the years!).
I liked sitting in the stalls, versus being on the floor, for a couple reasons: a) the floor is on one level, while the stall seating is graduated, and more importantly, b) everyone on the floor stood for the whole concert, while I sat for about 90% of it. I know that sounds old (okay boomer!), but I speak the truth! Right?
I also liked the fact that The Who did not perform an encore. That seems like one of the most useless concert traditions. The show’s over, good night! And finally, I liked that Pete (especially) and Roger had some serious banter and interaction amongst each other and with the audience. To me, that makes it fun.
The concert concluded with probably my favorite song of theirs: Baba O’Riley (although, it’s undoubtedly the favorite of most, especially after it was used as the theme song for a TV show – CSI, I think?).
After the show I grabbed the Piccadilly Line to South Harrow, and was back in the flat by 12:15am. A fun day!
The Who Trivia:
Ringo Starr’s son Zak’s (b. 1965) godfather was The Who’s original drummer, Keith Moon. “Uncle” Keith gave Zak a drum kit when he was eight years old, which ultimately led to him turning it into a career. (despite the objection of Ringo, who only gave his son one lesson!) Sadly, Keith Moon passed away in 1978. The Who subsequently cycled through a few drummers over the years. However, since 1996, Zak has been a regular member of the band. Including at tonight’s concert. Pretty cool!
Tuesday, March 19 – Harrow on the Hill
Had a leisurely day following my late night.
This evening though I joined a small group for a wonderful dinner gathering hosted by Mary & Tony. That was followed by all of us attending a choral concert at the Harrow School Speech Room.
Ticket cost: £10
The performers included The Harrow School Choral Society, the Choir of Francis Holland School, guest soloists, and an orchestra consisting of Harrow School students and guest performers. A beautiful performance to conclude a fun evening. Thank you Mary & Tony!
Wednesday, March 20 – Harrow on the Hill
I have two more events booked in the Capital today. Here are a couple views on the way to my first stop…
Leicester Square Station, 10:30am. Where is everybody? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an escalator on the tube this empty!St Mary Le Strand Church (c. 1727)Cool mural!My first booking today is a tour of the Royal Courts of Justice.
The Royal Courts (aka The Law Courts) opened in 1882. The interior very much resembles The Houses of Parliament. Both were built in the gothic revival style. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside the building. In fact, it is a criminal offense to do so! This relates to protecting the rights and safety of witnesses, jurors, and others involved in court proceedings.
The Law Courts building is massive: It includes several towers, more than 1,000 rooms, and the great hall is about 240 feet long and 80 feet high.
The tour was very interesting. It lasted 75 minutes and there were 22 people in our group. The cost of the tour was £17. (Although, the building is open to the public. Anyone is free to roam around and even attend court proceedings. In my case though it was nice to have the tour guide)
I have some free time now before I attend this evening’s concert. I want to check out something exciting (to me anyway!) that was discovered on Monday: A new Banksy installation in London! If you’re not familiar, Banksy is the pseudonym of an England-based street artist, political activist, and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. I’ve shown some of his work on this trip when I visited the Christie’s auction viewings (including in my Monday post above!)
Well, on Monday a new piece of his work was found in north London. Let’s go check it out!
A little bit of a crowd has gathered…The green paint is obviously meant to represent the foliage of the cutback tree. And, in another reference to the color, the work of art was created during the evening of St. Patrick’s Day. (the fence was installed after the artwork was discovered)The paint color also matches the color of the street sign.The person with the spray can may be a reference to the use of pesticides…Sadly, the artwork has already been vandalized by this white paint that was thrown on it.
Here’s a link to a BBC News report about this artwork, if you’d like more information.
The concert I’m attending tonight is at St. Paul’s Cathedral (very excited!). Here are a couple sights from my walk back to central London…
Emirates Stadium, home to Arsenal FC.I walked through an alleyway populated with food trucks. This one stood out!And here we are at the wonderful St. Paul’s!I’m attending another Bach choral performance tonight. And Mary and Tony will be joining me!The view from my fifth row seat. Wow! What a setting. I can’t get enough of this place!I booked my ticket right after the concert was announced and was able to grab a coveted seat “under the dome”. (cost: £15)As we made our way to the tube station after the concert… (that’s the moon in the upper right)St. Paul’s is probably my favorite building in London. Just amazing inside and out!
Nothing very exciting today. I worked on a journal entry, did some planning for my upcoming trips next month, more input on my taxes, and went for a walk.
Sidenote
I’ve had the Lands’ End soft briefcase pictured below for years. I use it constantly when I’m out walking around. I carry it over my shoulder and across my chest so that it’s impossible for someone to snatch. And the heavy canvas deters anyone who might have thoughts of cutting into it. I basically keep everything in it rather than my pockets. Well, I find it interesting how the color has faded over the years. Check it out…
This is the side that faces out; with the handles lying over the front.Note the lack of discoloration where the handle normally falls.And here’s the side that lies across my body. Quite the difference!
Anyway, I thought this was kind of cool, but I’m weird!
Thursday, March 14 – Harrow on the Hill
I took a walk today in one of my favorite parts of London – Regent’s Canal. I started at the Warwick Avenue tube station near Little Venice, and finished at Angel Station in Islington. The entire route (about 5 miles) was along the canal. Here are few photos from the trek…
At the start in Little VeniceBeautiful homes near Regent’s Park and the London Zoo.St Mark’s Church, Regent’s Park (c. 1852)Camden Lock, and the fun-to-visit Camden Market (and I can’t believe I didn’t notice there was a huge tour bus on the bridge when I took the picture! Sloppy!)Nearing the end in Islington
Friday, March 15 – Harrow on the Hill
I have a couple events book at the Royal Opera House (ROH) today – An Architecture Tour and a Masterclass.
The Architecture Tour began at 1:15pm and lasted 75 minutes (cost: £19). It was really interesting; especially backstage, where the methods by which the various sets are housed and then positioned on stage were explained and displayed. Sadly, no photography was allowed, so I’ve just included some shots below from the ROH common areas.
I thought this was kind of cool: a scale model of one of the sets from the 2018 performance of Swan Lake.The ROH is home to The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.A view of Covent Garden from the terrace of the ROH (the London Eye can be seen in the background)
The Masterclass did not start until later in the evening; to kill some time I roamed around Covent Garden and made my way down to the Thames. By late afternoon though it started raining, so I ducked into The National Portrait Gallery (thankfully open late on Friday!).
A portrait of Queen Victoria (four rooms down)This portrait of Ben Franklin is the one that appears on the $100 bill. (he was 72 years old at the time of the sitting)Possibly photoshopped? Oh, wait! This is a painting…
The rain has stopped, and just in time for me to make my way back to the ROH for the Masterclass.
Covent GardenThe lobby on the way to the Clore Studio, where the class was held.The Clore Studio; an intimate venue within the ROH, with a seating capacity of 200.
The Masterclass was led by British tenor Toby Spence. He is currently performing in The Flying Dutchman at the ROH. The class lasted 90 minutes and cost £20. It featured three young artists from the National Opera Studio. Each performed an aria, which was then critiqued by Mr. Spence. He spent a half hour with each one, modifying specific aspects of their performances. It was very enjoyable!
You may recognize this; it is the venue in the ROH where I previously attended the lunchtime concert. This afternoon a group singalong was taking place. And when I returned in the evening……it had been transformed into a bar.
Finally, some pictures from Trafalgar Square on my way to the tube station…
St. Martin in the FieldsThe National GalleryBig Ben
Saturday, March 16 – Harrow on the Hill
I’m heading back into the capital today for an afternoon guided tour of the UK Parliament. The meeting place in the Houses of Parliament is the same that was used for my previous Big Ben Tour.
To get there I decided to avoid the crowds around Westminster Bridge and instead come in from the west along the north bank of the Thames. I took the tube to the Earl’s Court station and walked the rest of the way.
Here are few pictures from the walk…
Earl’s Court StationSt Luke’s Church, Earls Court (c. 1873)Albert BridgeThe London Peace PagodaRoyal Hospital ChelseaBattersea Power Station (I’ll be taking a tour there in a couple weeks)Approaching the visitor’s entrance to the Palace of Westminster (aka the Houses of Parliament)Along the walkway to the security checkpoint
The guided tour included visits to the House of Commons, House of Lords and Westminster Hall. It was very interesting. Again, no picture taking was allowed. The tour lasted 90 minutes and cost £32. There were 26 people in our group, which I thought was a little too large.
Photography was allowed solely in this location – St Stephen’s HallSt Stephen’s Hall
Sunday, March 17 – Harrow on the Hill
I have a busy week coming up, so I’m just taking it kind of easy today. I worked on this journal entry and did a little reading. Contain your excitement!
Well, it’s been a busy month of traveling! I’m a little tired actually. Probably old age, because I was doing a heck of a lot more moving around last year! Sad!
I’ll be spending the next 3+ weeks in London. I have a lot of activities planned though, so hopefully you won’t become too bored as you follow along!
Today was my usual day-after trip routine: grocery run, photo review, and rest!
Saturday, March 9 – Harrow on the Hill
Okay, I have to admit, I was kind of lazy today. It was a nice day though, so I had to get outside; ended up going for a good walk.
Travel Note: Unless I have something specific planned, I’ve been tending to avoid London on the weekends. It is definitely more crowded, and it seems like there are always demonstrations of some sort taking place.
Sunday, March 10 – Harrow on the Hill
We have rain today; a perfect excuse to work on my Bucharest Journal Entry!
Sidenote: Georgina asked me what camera I use. I actually have two. For inside and low-light photos I use an iPhone 13 mini. For outside, I have a Canon PowerShot SX160 IS that I bought a few years ago. I’m pretty sure the iPhone is the better camera, but I don’t like to have my phone out a lot when I’m walking around outside (probably overly cautious!), and I like to preserve the phone’s battery life as well. I was leaning towards upgrading the Canon, but the more I think about it, I probably just need to learn how to use it to its full capabilities! I rely on “AUTO” mode exclusively (lazy much?!?).
Both are red. Coincidence?
Monday, March 11 – Harrow on the Hill
I finished up the Bucharest Journal Entry this morning, and went out for a walk in the afternoon.
Am I boring you to death? Sorry about that! Hang in there, because tomorrow it will start getting more interesting, I promise!
Tuesday, March 12 – Harrow on the Hill
A rainy morning. Seems like the perfect time to start working on my taxes. I know. Ugh! (I have filed an extension though, so I’m not required to have it done by April 15).
A while back I booked a play that I will be attending this evening in London. It piqued my interest for a few reasons. It’s not a typical West End production. It would probably be considered off-Broadway by New York standards (maybe even off-off-Broadway?). The venue (Park Theatre) is very small; the seating capacity is 200. And the star of the show was someone I was curious about. I’ll further explain by way of this excerpt from the Time Out London review of the play:
Emmy and Golden Globe award winner, and Academy Award nominee Felicity Huffman’s career famously went off the rails in 2019 after a very American scandal that involved her paying a stranger to take her daughter’s A-Level equivalents for her. Huffman was arrested, went to jail, and hasn’t worked a lot since. But London is the perfect place to opt for a low-key relaunch: the whole affair sounds so weird to the average Brit that I doubt there’s much antipathy towards her.
The name of the play is Hir. I enjoyed it, although it touched on topics that may not be to everyone’s tastes (PTSD, gender identity, mental health). It was a little uncomfortable at times, but that’s okay. Here’s a link to the Theatre’s summary of the play, if you’d like further information. Oh, and the cost of the ticket was only £29.
Park TheatreLobby / Bar AreaThe small stage has “U” shaped seating around it. This is the view from my front-row corner balcony seat.
Sidenote:
In light of the recent controversy surrounding a fellow amateur photographer, I want to assure you, my readers, that I have never and will never publish a photo that has been manipulated in any way. I welcome the scrutiny of the news agencies and internet detectives!
Sunday, March 3 – transit from Harrow on the Hill to Bucharest, Romania
I have a 10am departure from Heathrow on British Airways, so I left the flat around 6:45am to catch, you guessed it, the SL9. The nonstop flight to Bucharest took around 3 hours, and the round trip cost was $188.
Travel Note: This is my second round trip on a British Airways A320 (also to Sofia). The legroom is brutal! My knees are right up against the seat in front of me. And there’s no hard back surface at the lower end of the seats. I can therefore feel the knees of the person behind me in my lower back. Fun!
The flight was packed, with an arrival around 3pm (Bucharest is 2 hours ahead of London). Like Sarajevo, I received zero questions from the immigration officer. I guess they’re just happy to have visitors (this time of year)!
My transfer options included a bus or train into the city. I decided to splurge though (very uncharacteristic, right?) and went with a $15 / 25 minute Uber ride. Fortunately the Europe eSIM on my phone worked here in Romania. That made using such things such as Uber more economical.
Boutique Hotel Monaco. My room was on the 3rd floor in the back.$79/night, including breakfastThe Romanian Leu. 1 USD = 4.58 RON.
Travel Tip: I use ATMs to obtain local currency when traveling overseas. I’ve mentioned numerous times that I have a Schwab debit card that offers zero foreign transaction fees, and reimburses all ATM charges. A great card for international travel! This specific tip though relates to the use of overseas ATMs: You will invariably be prompted to accept the currency exchange rate calculated by the bank operating the ATM. If your debit card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, then decline this conversion, because your card’s rate will always be better. (Same goes for using Paypal for foreign transactions; always choose the local currency rather than the U.S. dollar conversion)
Following check-in, I took a little stroll around the area of the hotel.
Kretzulescu Church (c. 1722)National Art MuseumPalace of the Deposits and Consignments, aka CEC Palace (c. 1900)Bucharest Old Town, with CEC Palace in the backgroundThe Romanian Athenaeum (c. 1888)
Monday, March 4 – Bucharest
It’s a beautiful day, let’s roam! But first…
…breakfast.Made to order omelet. Nice!
Bucharest is a little spread out, but definitely a walkable city. I have a few specific places I want to check out today, but am also happy to just see where I randomly end up.
My first stop is the Village Museum. It’s a little bit of a walk to get there though. Here are a few sights from the journey…
Vasile Urseanu Astronomical Observatory (c. 1910)National Museum of Geology (c. 1907)Arcul de Triumf (c. 1878)
Bucharest is nicknamed The Little Paris. Obviously you can see the similar architectural styles. However, the similarities only present themselves in isolated areas of the city. In my mind, Buenos Aires provides a more consistent comparison to Paris.
Memorial to Alexei Navalny outside of the Russian Embassy. There were three police officers standing just outside the view of this photo. I thought it was best not to take a picture of them!
The Village Museum or National Museum of the Village Dimitrie Gusti is an open-air museum that showcases traditional Romanian village life. The museum contains 123 authentic peasant settlements. The entry fee was 30 RON ($7).
18th Century ChurchPestle Stamp for crushing gold-bearing oreEarly 19th Century WindmillThe House of Poienile Izei (c. 1860)Interior of the Izei HouseHoly Voivods Church (c. 1773)Church InteriorChurch Interior
My next stop was Cismigiu Gardens…
The park was created in 1847.A beautiful day for lounging outside!It looked like these folks were playing Mahjong, or a version of it.Snack time! This is Covrigi (basically a round soft pretzel). Cost: 40 cents.Bucharest Tram StopDaytime view of CEC Palace Daytime view of The Romanian AthenaeumCentral University Library Carol IThis is the Embassy of Vietnam, located around the corner from my hotel
A LOT of walking today! I’ll provide a daily summary of steps at the end of this journal entry.
Tuesday, March 5 – Bucharest
I’ve booked an all-day tour today. The itinerary includes visiting two castles and a medieval city. I had to be at the pickup point no later than 7:30am, which was a little ways from the hotel. So sadly no breakfast this morning.
Walked by the Prefectura Bucuresti (government building) on my way to the pickup location.My ride for the day. The coach was about 2/3 full. Fortunately I had an empty seat next to me.
The cost of the tour was $27, which I thought was amazingly inexpensive.
We made a rest stop along the way, so I was able to get my Fuel Price Check: 7.22 RON/liter = $6.02/gallon.
Peles Castle
Our first stop is Peles Castle. The drive from Bucharest took about 3 hours. The castle was built between 1873 and 1914 for King Carol I of Romania. Unfortunately during the low season the castle is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. (I knew this when I booked the tour, but going tomorrow wasn’t an option, as you will see…) However, we were able to walk the grounds.
Area near the entrance to the CastleEntrance to the Castle groundsApproaching Peles CastleThe Castle covers 34,000 square feet with over 170 roomsA beautiful setting!
Brasov
Next we visited the city of Brasov, which dates to the 13th century. It is located in the central part of the country, north of Bucharest and is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is part of the historical region of Transylvania.
The old town was easily walkable. We were given free time to do some exploring on our own.
The Palace of Justice of Brasov (c. 1902)The Black Church (c. 1542)The Black Church can be seen in the backgroundThe Council Square (with the Brasov County Museum of History). It has been the place for weekly and annual markets since 1364. (and a popular spot to sit on a bench and enjoy the sunshine!)A panorama of the square
Bran Castle
Our final stop today is Bran Castle in Transylvania. The castle was built by Saxons in 1377, and is marketed by Romania as Dracula’s Castle. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a work of fiction however, and there is no evidence that the author knew anything about this castle. I have a feeling this is going to be kind of touristy (which I tend to avoid!), but I just couldn’t resist, being that I was so close to Transylvania!
The entry fee to the Castle was $15.The Saxon ChamberI like this door!The Royal Dining RoomCool Staircase #1Cool Staircase #2Making my way around to the outside of the CastleIt seems appropriate that Dracula’s Castle would be bathed in eerie sunlight!Time for another Covrigi before we hit the road! This one has some walnuts and was more expensive than my last one: 80 cents!
This was a good day. And long! Bran Castle was rather touristy, but I have to admit I enjoyed it. The other two stops were fun too! I left the hotel at 7am, and got back around 7:45pm.
Wednesday, March 6 – Bucharest
I spun my wheels a bit today. I think I have to chalk it up to laziness. Or hubris?
I wanted to take a tour of the Palace of Parliament, and assumed that during the low season I could just walk up and make it happen. Nope. And that wasn’t the only issue.
The Palace of the Parliament is massive. It covers nearly 4 million square feet. It was constructed over a period of 13 years (1984–97) under the direction of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the president of Communist Romania.
The Palace complex covers a huge city block and is surrounded by a wall. According to Google Maps, the visitors entrance was to the left as you are looking at the Palace. Wrong. The guard at that gate instructed me go to the gate on the opposite end of the property. Okay. When I finally entered the visitors area I noticed there were a lot of people waiting around. Mmmm. Not good. Then I saw a sign indicating that visitors taking the tour were required to present photo identification. That could be a problem. Speaking to the woman at reception confirmed my suspicions: The tours were fully booked until 3pm, and I would need to present my passport to take the tour, which I had left at the hotel (I did have my driver’s license, but that was not good enough). By this time I was kind of frustrated (mad a myself), and decided to just forget about the tour. Plus, I had plans for later in the day and didn’t feel like coming back here in the afternoon for the tour (the Palace is a little ways away from my hotel).
Next I wanted to check out a subway station I had read about…
Politehnica StationWhat makes this station special is the floor. This beautiful limestone marble is infused with 80 million year old marine fossils.Beautiful!I had to buy a ticket to get access to see the floor, so I ended up riding the train back to the Old Town (cost: 65 cents). The cost of the ticket is regardless of distance traveled; unlike London which is broken into zones. And you’ll note that the ticket I bought is valid until the end of the year. Not like Sofia, which requires their tickets to be used immediately (I’m still bitter!).This is Carturesti Carusel, a cool multilevel bookstore.A fun stop!
While in Old Town, I picked up a postcard for Oliver at a souvenir shop, and mailed it…
…here, on my way back to the hotel.
I’m attending another opera tonight. More specifically, Les Contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) by Jacques Offenbach.
Now, I booked this online before traveling to Bucharest. While reading about the performance, I noticed that the start time was 6:30pm. That seemed kind of early to me, but really didn’t pay too much attention to it. Well, after arriving in Bucharest and learning more about The Tales of Hoffmann, I realized that this performance will have two intervals and runs 3 hours and forty minutes. This is like the Scorsese film of operas! I’m not sure if I’ll be staying for the full performance. We’ll see…
Romanian National Opera (c. 1953)A beautiful venue!One of the bar areasA little museumThat is the subtitle screen at the top of the curtain. The opera was sung in French, with Romanian subtitles provided (sadly, no English, like in Sofia).The view from my front row balcony seat. (Cost: $21)
It was a fun performance, with beautiful sets. I’m ashamed to say though that I left during the second interval. Just a little too long. Please don’t judge me!
Thursday, March 7 – transit from Bucharest to Harrow on the Hill
My flight back to London isn’t until 4pm, so I believe a little more roaming is in order!
Sculpture by Ioan Bolborea entitled Cartful Of Clowns in front of Bucharest’s National Theater.Stavropoleos Monastery (c. 1724)A charming courtyard sanctuary in the Old TownTo commemorate my visit to “Dracula’s” Castle, I picked up this pin at the Hard Rock Cafe.For obvious reasons, my photos tend to be of the more attractive architecture in a particular city. Here in Bucharest, this would be a more typical sight (nice building, but a little run down).I was tempted to go in here…I’m now approaching Obor Market, comprising two main market halls connected by a network of outdoor stalls. It’s HUGE!Looks like a popular place to eat……but I was drawn here!Gogoasa cu Ciocolata (basically doughnut-like, filled with chocolate). And of course I got the optional powdered sugar! Cost: 65 cents. Delish!
Well, my time in Bucharest is coming to an end. I decided to go with another $15 Uber to the airport. This trip had some issues though. First off, the car reeked of cigarette smoke. Disgusting! And secondly, I think the driver tried to pull some sort of scam on me, telling me his app was indicating that I had cancelled the ride and I would have to rebook the trip. Um, I don’t think so. My app was stating that the ride was still active, and I had also received an email during the ride from my credit card company indicating the charge had gone through. (the benefits of having internet access) I relayed this information to the driver and it pretty much shut him up. (he even messaged me the next day via Uber, but I ignored it)
Security area queue at the Bucharest airport.
Getting through security at the airport was pretty chaotic. Hard to believe they are really part of the E.U.! And the boarding of the flight was a mess; not by groups, no lines, just a free for all! Oh well, I survived. The flight on the A320 was pretty full, but I luckily had an open middle seat next to me. And upon arrival at Heathrow I had to endure another bus ride from the plane to the terminal. It’s hard to be me. Haha!
I grabbed the trusty SL9 for my ride back to Harrow, and was in the flat around 8pm.
Bucharest Information
The population of Bucharest is about 2 million
The tourist area is a little more spread out than Sofia
I would put it ahead of Sofia in terms of infrastructure
Yes, there is a lot of smoking here (like Sofia and Sarajevo)
Much walking again on this trip. Here are the daily step totals:
