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:
You probably know my day-after-trip routine by now: grocery run, sort through trip photos, catch up on emails and finances, and rest!
I did run a couple extra errands today. One involved picking up a new travel notebook. It’s a little 4×6 book with lined pages that I use to write down whatever comes to mind (insert joke here). I seem to need to do this more often as I get older. It also comes in handy as I’m preparing these journal entries. The notebook I’m using now I bought at the beginning of the Hawaii trip in 2022. It’s served me well!
My workstation! You can see my current notebook on the left with the pen holding the pages open. The new black notebook is next to the laptop.
Thursday, February 29 – Harrow on the Hill
Happy Leap Day!
How am I spending this bonus day? Mainly working on the journal entry for the Sarajevo trip. I tried to go for a walk, but somewhat failed. It was drizzling when I left, then started raining harder. I had an umbrella; was still getting rather wet though, so turned back. Lame, I know!
Friday, March 1 – Harrow on the Hill
I’m back to Christie’s auction house today for another viewing. And this is not for just one auction, but four! (of similar type) The auctions are:
The Christie’s building was jam-packed with artwork. It was like walking through a maze of nooks and crannies just see it all. Amazing! A wonderful opportunity to view masterpieces that may never be seen in public again. I won’t bore you with a ton of photos; just a few of my favorites. You can use the links above if you’d like to see the entire catalog of each auction.
Renoir, Sur la falaise. Estimate: $1.9 – 3.2 millionEstimate: $16 – 23 millionEstimate: $19 – 25 millionA Hirst flanked by two WarholsMiro, The Escape Ladder. Estimate: $3.5 – 4.4 million. And……it’s painted on burlap!Estimate: $38 – 63 millionEstimate: $0.8 – 1 millionWarhol, Campbell’s Soup I. Estimate: $1.1 – 1.5 millionBansky, Keep It Real. Estimate: $190 – 250 thousandThis Monet is to be auctioned at an upcoming New York auction in May
What a treat to be able to view such a wide range of amazing artwork! And as you can see by the photos, it wasn’t very crowded! These auction viewings are something tourists aren’t generally unaware of. To the benefit of “us” locals. Haha!
This evening I went to a screening at the British Film Institute (BFI), located on the Thames by Waterloo Station. The film was a new documentary about Frank Capra (director of films such as It’s a Wonderful Life). It was very good, and there was a Q&A afterward with the director and producer, which was a bonus.
The theater was probably 1/3 full by the time the film started.
Saturday, March 2 – Harrow on the Hill
Not too much exciting to report today. I went for walk, worked on this journal entry, and prepared for my trip tomorrow to Bucharest, Romania. I’ll be gone until Thursday night. Again, no laptop, so expect my next update to be posted on the weekend. Have a great week everyone!
Friday, February 23 – transit from Harrow on the Hill to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
I have an early departure from Heathrow again this morning. However, I’ve figured out that without checking any baggage, getting there 90 minutes before takeoff provides plenty of time to make it to the gate. (I’m a little dense, but eventually I get it sorted!) My flight’s at 7:30. That means getting to the airport around 6:00. Okay, catch a bus around 5:00. Well, sadly that’s too early for my beloved SL9. But I can grab the N140 (N stands for Night service), which travels the same route as the SL9, but is not an express. (Footnote: the 140/N140 was my go-to bus to Heathrow when I lived here; the SL9 didn’t exist). And surprisingly, the bus was pretty crowded!
I’m booked on Lufthansa, connecting through Frankfurt to Sarajevo. The cost of the round trip was $235. Both flights were on an A320, and each took between 60-90 minutes. The flight to Frankfurt was 1/3 full; the Sarajevo flight was packed. Popular spot?
Travel Note: Both the unloading and loading of the planes in Frankfurt was not direct to the terminal, but via a bus transfer. I hate that! But here’s a tip: No need to be in a rush to get off the plane, because the last one on the bus is the first one to exit!
We landed in Sarajevo around 2pm (they’re 1 hour ahead of London). The immigration process was about as simple as you can get: no questions at all (like how long are you staying, where are you staying, etc.)! I read that there is a tram service available from the airport to the city center where my hotel is located. Well, when I asked the person at the airport information desk about this, he basically said it would be too confusing for me to figure out how to find the tram stop, and that I should just take a taxi. Whatever. He’s probably getting a commission from the taxi companies! And we all know how much I dislike taxi drivers, so the heck with it, maybe I’ll just walk to the hotel!
I need directions to do this though. And of course the helpful person at the information desk didn’t have any maps. Also, the Europe eSIM I purchased apparently doesn’t have coverage in Bosnia and Herzegovina (referred to going forward as B&H). I say apparently because I didn’t know this when I bought it; only discovered the fact when I tried to get service upon landing in Sarajevo. (Do your homework Tim!). And my cheap self is trying to avoid any AT&T daily roaming costs (even though it’s only $10/day!). Maybe the airport offers free WiFi? Nope. However…I do see that a nearby Porsche dealership has an unsecured signal available. Mmmmm. I’m on it!
I’ve described before the process of downloading directions in Google Maps when on a WiFi signal, and then simply using the GPS capability of the phone to track your location without having to rely on cellular service. Well, that’s what I did here. The walk to the hotel was a pretty straight shot, 9km long, and took about two hours with stops for photos. And truth be told, I was looking forward to the walk because I was feeling guilty about my last two days of being a lazy slug and not leaving the flat!
Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics (I’ll have more about that later…)Fuel Price Check!: 2.71 BAM/liter = $5.68/gallonInteresting architecture. Might even fit in Doha?Much of the walk from the airport was along the Miljacka RiverFestina Lente. Cool bridge! Designed by students of……the Academy of Fine Arts, which is appropriately located at the foot of the bridge.There were of few of these sculptures suspended over the river. Clever!The Latin Bridge; it played an important role in world history (that I will discuss later). My hotel is the yellow building that you can see through the trees to the right of the bridge.Ornament Hotel. My room has the balcony on the right.$54/night, including breakfastThe currency is called the Konvertibilna Marka (BAM). 1 USD = 1.8 BAM.
After getting settled in, I took a stroll around the nearby old town (called Bascarsija)…
There were a LOT of pastry shops in Sarajevo……I’ll mention this again later.This is a spot in the Bascarsija where it is said that the civilizations of the East and West collide, touch and connect. Market Hall (I’ll have an interior picture later on…)Sacred Heart Cathedral (c. 1887)Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos (c.1874). Note the full moon in the background.
Saturday, February 24 – Sarajevo
General Sarajevo and B&H Notes
The population of B&H is a little over 3 million. Of that, roughly 50% are Muslim, which I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t realize that it was that significant.
I read that visitors should not drink the tap water, and the hotel staff confirmed this. Interesting.
The locals were generally friendly; a nice improvement over Sofia.
Like Sofia, there is a LOT of smoking in Sarajevo. Kind of depressing. Fortunately the hotel is smoke-free.
I was wondering if Bosnia and Herzegovina had the longest country name in the world. It’s not even close! Not even in the Top Ten in fact. Number 1? United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Huh? Here’s a link to the list, if you’re interested.
It’s been nearly 30 years since the conclusion of the civil war here. And it appears that the country is still suffering, based on my observations of the buildings and infrastructure. That’s a shame.
A common question from the locals I spoke to was, Why would someone from the United States want to travel all the way to Sarajevo? Funny!
The hotel’s breakfast selections (sadly, no stuffed grape leaves)……and the dining area.Not bad!
Today’s plan is to do one of my favorite things when I visit a new city: Just wander around. Let’s go!
The Yellow Fortress or Yellow Bastion is a cannon fortress at the entrance of the Walled City of Vratnik. It was built between 1727 and 1739.Sarajevo City Hall, known as VijećnicaAshkenazi Synagogue (c. 1902)Kazandžiluk, nicknamed Coppersmith Street or Coppersmiths’ Alley, is named for the artisans that have lined the street since the 16th century.The Sebilj Fountain (c. 1753) in the center of Bascarsija SquareA Sarajevo tramThe Church of the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel, also known as the Old Orthodox Churchc. 1539Ćurčića Džamija Mosque (c. 1483)A library donated by Qatar in 2014 (coincidental!)Gazi Husrev Beg’s Madrassa, a high school and college founded in 1537View of Gazi Husrev Beg’s Mosque from the MadrassaGazi Husrev Beg’s Mosque (c. 1531)View of the Clock Tower (17th century) from Gazi Husrev Beg’s MosqueGazi Husrev Beg’s Tomb
Gazi Husrev Beg was an Ottoman Bosnian known for his successful conquests and campaigns to further Ottoman expansion into Croatia and Hungary.
The interior of Market HallPlaying large scale chess in front of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos Building of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (c. 1886)This Eternal Flame is a memorial to the military and civilian victims of the Second World War
Sunday, February 25 – Sarajevo
I’m on an mission of Olympic proportions today! I’m going to head up Trebević Mountain to check out the abandoned bobsled and luge track built for the 1984 Winter Olympics.
There is a cable car that travels up to the site; however, something about it annoys me. The price of a return ticket for B&H citizens is 6 BAM ($3.30), for others it is 30 BAM ($16.70). Really? Heck with that! According to Google Maps the walk up there is 4km, with a 500m elevation change, and should take about 90 minutes. Onward!
Must have received a lot of rain overnight; the river has turned brown!The trek begins!Alifakovac CemeteryA view of the Yellow Fortress in the backgroundToday’s low clouds & fog obscure the view of SarajevoThe mountain is totally covered in clouds! They’re hard to see, but this is the route of the (black) cable cars.A close up of the cable cars.It is thick up here! It will be interesting to see what kind of view I have of the track.Hey! It’s clearing up.And there we go!The track ran 1,300m for the bobsled and 1,210m for the luge.
Following the Olympics, the track continued as a stop on the World Cup circuit until the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars in 1991 and Bosnian War in 1992. During this time, the position of the track on Trebević Mountain, looking down on the city of Sarajevo, made it one of tactical importance. The track was used as an artillery site by Bosnian Serb forces, and holes were drilled into certain corners of the track for use in combat.
Over the years, the track was abandoned and covered in graffitiI’m normally not a fan of graffiti, but in this case I kind of like it. And just like that, the clouds and fog are back! I caught a lucky break in the weather that allowed me to check out the bobsled and luge track. Thank you!
Google Maps nailed it – the walk up did take 90 minutes, but that included photo stops. Walking back down in the rain was a 60 minute hike. I enjoyed this! But then, I’m kind of weird. And I’m glad I did the walk rather than the cable cars, and not just because I’m cheap!
Tomorrow I was hoping to travel to nearby Mostar, the home of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Joining a group tour seemed to be the best alternative. However, the first two tourist offices I stopped by in town left me wondering if I would go. The small crowds of the low season that I’ve enjoyed so far on this winter escape worked against me this time. At both agencies I was the only person interested in going to Mostar tomorrow. That meant going on a tour wasn’t possible, or I would have to pay for a private tour. Nightmares from the Caribbean all over again! I decided to try one more shop before I gave up. Sadly, I received the same bad news there too. However, the woman I spoke to, Amela, suggested I take the train to Mostar. Brilliant! I can’t believe I didn’t consider that. I’m definitely slipping.
Amela turned out to be very helpful; giving me tips on Mostar, local restaurants, local cuisine, and the wines of Bosnia. We probably talked for half an hour. I normally would have felt guilty taking up her time, but on this quiet Sunday I was the only one in the shop and she seemed happy to have someone to talk to.
So, I have a plan for tomorrow – it’s the train to Mostar! And for dinner, I went with an Amela suggestion…
…an off-the-beaten path kebab shop, with the bonus that it’s open on Sunday!It hit the spot! Cost: $4.40
Monday, February 26 – Sarajevo
The train to Mostar departs early – 7:15am. It’s about a half hour walk to the train station from my hotel, so I’ll sadly be missing breakfast today. Oh well…
Early Monday morning in SarajevoSarajevo Train StationInside of the train station, and it stinks of cigarette smoke! Ugh!My round trip ticket. 22.60 BAM ($12.50)2nd class seating. Thankfully there was no smoking on the train!
The journey to Mostar took about two hours. The view along the way was pretty, but it was cloudy and foggy, so not the best for pictures. Plus, I’ve always found it hard to get decent pictures from a train. Window reflections and the train movement are the main problems.
I’m happy Amela suggested this. I’d much rather take a train ride and set my own itinerary, versus going on a group tour via a bus. Plus it was MUCH less expensive! Cheap in fact (my favorite word!)!
Mostar platform……and the stationThis is the star attraction in Mostar – the Stari Most (Old Bridge), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge, which spans the the Neretva River, was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century.
This seemed to be the most popular spot to photograph the bridge. However, I thought photos taken from the steps you can see on the other side of the bridge provided a better view. (photo to follow…)
Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who guarded the Stari Most during the Ottoman era.
Views from the bridgeHere’s the view from the steps. Better, right?Mostar is kind of touristy, but I put up with it!I liked the artwork at this shop. The small pieces weren’t very expensive ($200), but when I went into the shop to talk to the artist, the cigarette smoke overwhelmed me! I was worried that the odor would be ingrained into any canvas that I bought. So I didn’t buy a painting, but……I did purchase this magnet! ($3)More views around town…This is Kriva Ćuprija, a small stone bridge crossing the Radobolja river. (c. 1558)Upriver view from the bridge……and downriver. This is also the spot where I had lunch. I chose the restaurant on the right, with the balcony overhanging the river.Views from my tableGrilled trout and a local white wine ($11.60). It was very good!Waiting on the Mostar platform for the train back to Sarajevo.
This was a fun day! But long. I left my hotel at 6:15am and got back at 7:45pm. I really didn’t need to stay in Mostar that long, but I was a victim of the train schedule. And it wasn’t that bad. It was a beautiful day to walk around and explore. Plus I enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch!
Tuesday, February 27 – transit from Sarajevo to Harrow on the Hill
My return flight wasn’t until mid-afternoon, so I had a relaxing breakfast and did a little more roaming around the city center.
I mentioned earlier that the Latin Bridge was site of an important event in world history. Well, the northern end of the bridge was the site of……the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip in 1914, which began the July Crisis that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I.And a few meters from that site is this post office where I mailed Oliver’s postcard!
I had some local currency that I wanted to convert before I headed to the airport. There are a bunch of currency exchange shops in the old town, so I figured there wouldn’t be any issues. Well, I tried buying dollars at my first two stops, but neither had any. My third stop did have dollars, but their smallest denomination was a 20, and I didn’t have enough BAM for that. Mmm… What about Euros? Yes! They do have 10 EUR bills. So I had enough to buy a 10er, but still had about 8 BAM left over. What to do? Well…
…it just so happened that right across from the currency exchange is this pastry shop (I told you I’d return to this subject!). The clerk was very helpful; she ended up converting all of my remaining BAM into……baklava! Perfect!
Sidenote: I’ve always pronounced it bak-la-va. Here they say bak-lava.
Well, it’s about time to head to the airport, and you guessed it…
…I’m walking!
My return was booked via Lufthansa, but I’m flying Swiss Air via Zurich back to Heathrow. The first leg was on a small 2×2 configured plane, which was full. The trip from Zurich to London was on an A220. I don’t think I’ve ever flown on one of those. It’s like a 737, but has 2×3 seating. It was about 3/4 full. Upon arrival at Heathrow I grabbed the SL9 bus (pretty empty) and was back to the flat by 9pm.
This was a good trip! Sarajevo most definitively would not make my Top 10 List, but I’m happy I experienced it!
Travel Note:
I walked a TON on this trip. Probably a subconscious payback for my laziness in London last week! Here’s the daily steps breakdown:
Started the day with a leisurely morning. Followed that with a walk/grocery run and then sorted through my Qatar photos. That’s about it folks. Bedtime was early; feeling the jet lag a little, plus I had a busy weekend!
Wednesday, February 21 – Harrow on the Hill
It’s a rainy day; perfect excuse to stay in and work on the Doha journal entry. And it’s going to be a long one!
Thursday, February 22 – Harrow on the Hill
More rain…
…but that’s alright because I have more work to do on the journal entry from the weekend. I also need to do some prep for my next trip…
…Tomorrow I’m traveling to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. I’ll be returning on Tuesday night. Once again, no laptop. The next journal entry will therefore be posted in about a week. Sorry about that! You’re crushed, I know!
Thursday, February 15 – transit from London to Doha, Qatar
I have an 8:30 departure this morning from Heathrow. I’d like to be there by 6am, so that means leaving the flat around 4:45am to catch the bus. This is too early for the SL9 express though. I’m therefore taking the 140 to Hayes & Harlington Station and then hitching a ride on the new (for me; it opened in 2022) Elizabeth tube line to Heathrow.
Not very crowded on the train this morning!
I have a non-stop flight via Qatar Airways aboard the massive A380 double-decker. The flight took around 6 1/2 hours, and was very comfortable. Asian airlines are the best! We were a little late departing; I ended up exiting customs & immigration in Doha at 7pm (Doha is 3 hours ahead of London). Ruth was patiently waiting for me though, and after joining Kent, we were off to celebrate Ruth’s birthday at a Thai restaurant.
It was delicious!Happy Birthday Ruth! Kent & Ruth’s apartment building (that’s an Aston Martin dealership on the ground floor)Views from their 30th floor apartment…
Friday, February 16 – Doha
Our first stop this morning is the Al Shahaniya camel racetrack. Cool! There were no races taking place, but we were able to watch the camels training. I actually think this was better than being there for the races, because we were the only spectators!
Professional camel racing began in Qatar in 1972The racetrack is massive. And although shaded seating is available in the grandstand, we followed the camels by driving our car along the road that runs parallel to the track (as the locals would do, if anyone else were here besides the trainers!)These are remote-controlled, toddler-sized robot jockeys. The operator applies the whip antenna, commands the jockey to pull on the reins, and shouts encouragement to the camel via a built-in speaker.Racing camels can run at speeds of up to 40 mph in short sprints, and may continue at 30 mph for as long as an hour.
That was fun! Now we’re off on a desert trek…
We’re visiting a couple different spots in the desert. This is the terrain, yet……amazingly Google Maps can provide us with a specific route! Crazy!Beautiful wind-eroded sand formations…A traditional Qatari masjid (mosque), built in the 1940sWe’re approaching a desert art installation, with this associated warning.Titled East-West/West-East, the work consists of four gigantic steel plates that are located across a kilometer of desert on Qatar’s Zekreet Peninsula.Installed in 2014, this is the work of Richard Serra, an artist from the United States known for creating imposing metalwork sculptures.Each monolith is over 16 meters tall
Our next destination is the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim (FBQ) Al Thani Museum. But first, let’s make a stop at the nearby Al Samriya Autograph Collection Hotel for a light lunch.
The hotel groundsBeautiful lobbyThe exit from the hotel to the pool areaThe restaurant is on the leftZoufa Restaurant, specializing in Lebanese cuisine. Delicious!The FBQ Museum was opened in 1998There are 15 halls in the museum which accommodate a total of over 15,000 artifacts. It’s massive!All of the artifacts in the museum were collected by Sheikh Faisal over a span of 50 years.This is a Kiswa (used to cover the main door of the Kaaba, the stone building at the center of Islam’s most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca). This example dates from 1910.Dating from the late 18th century, this Syrian house was brought to Qatar from Damascus and rebuilt in 2014.The museum houses a very interesting and eclectic collection!Just outside the museum is the leaning mosque of Doha
We also made a quick stop at a nearby Oryx reserve…
The Arabian Oryx is the national animal of Qatar
For dinner we went to The Belgian Cafe at the Intercontinental Hotel…
We sat outside and enjoyed this wonderful view of the Doha skylineI had a spiced hibiscus vodka sour and……Beetroot Risotto. Tasty!
Wow! What a day! And we’re just getting started…
Saturday, February 17 – Doha
We’re off to the waterfront this morning to checkout the boats and fish market…
Shark!Our next stop, Al Jassasiya, is one of a dozen rock-carving sites in Qatar.Discovered around 1957, the site may appear to be a deserted sandstone quarry, but it actually contains a total of 874 carvings, known as petroglyphs, the earliest thought to be 5,000 years old or more.The Al Jassasiya rock carvings feature various shapes, including rosettes, fish, ostriches and cup marksThe cup marks are believed to represent vessels used to store pearls or to play ancient board games known as Al Haloosa or Al Huwaila.For lunch, Ruth found us this great, off-the-beaten-path Turkish restaurant!It was very good!
Following lunch we made a short drive to the Al Ruwais Police Station…
The Police Station was built in 1955, and has now been converted into a cafe.Historically, police stations in Qatar were often constructed close to harbor locations to provide security, but they also doubled as customs posts and monitored the boat traffic entering or leaving town. (If you look closely, you can make out Ruth and Kent lounging along the seawall)I like this nearby house.Our next stop is Al Zubara FortIt was built in 1938 to serve as a Coast Guard Station (or maybe a police station?)The Fort was converted into a museum in the 1980sAdjacent to the Fort is the Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, a UNESCO World Heritage designee.Al Zubarah was a walled coastal town that flourished for a period of 50 years in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.The town fell to forces loyal to the Sultan of Muscat and was mostly destroyed in 1811.At the height of its prosperity, Al Zubarah had trading links with the Indian Ocean, Arabia and Western Asia.Al Zubarah was ultimately abandoned in the early 20th century, after which its remaining rubble stone and mortar buildings collapsed and were gradually covered by a protective layer of sand blown from the desert.Only a small part of the town has been excavated. My guess is that the work on this massive site will be going on for decades!
Another wonderful day in Doha! And it’s not quite over…
We had this amazing view from the apartment of fireworks set off at the conclusion of the Qatar TotalEnergies women’s tennis tournament held at the nearby International Tennis and Squash complex.
Sunday, February 18 – Doha
This morning we’re visiting Souq Waqif, which translates to Standing Market. The souq was founded over a century ago, but gradually fell into disrepair. A major restoration and rebuilding effort was completed in 2008.
The diversity of products offered here is mind-boggling!
In this shop you can buy fabric in any color you want, as long as it’s white! (thanks for pointing this out Ruth!)SpicesDatesBreak time!This shop was amazing…BeautifulWhite Gyrfalcon. Wow! Many thanks to the shopkeeper for allowing us to take pictures inside, and for removing the hood on this beautiful bird of prey.This is The Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei. Opened in 2008. (thanks for the pose Kent!)Beautiful view of Doha skyline.The museum is built on an island adjacent to this harbor.17th century garden carpet16th-17th century Moroccan arch15th century backgammon board12th century Iranian stucco panelDamascus residence13th century armor
The museum was very impressive – both the design and the contents!
Our next stop is The Pearl – a man-made island featuring marinas, residential towers, hotels, dining and shopping. Very exclusive.
A distant view of the Doha skylineThe Yacht ClubThis wonderful day is coming to an end…
My last supper in Doha was at a Georgian restaurant that is a favorite of Ruth & Kent…
…an unbelievable meal with unbelievable friends. The perfect conclusion to an amazing long weekend in Doha with my wonderful hosts, Ruth & Kent!
The Architecture Of Doha
I was really impressed with the architecture of Doha. Very diverse and distinctive. Here are a few examples…
The Al Wahda Arches (also called 5/6 Arch, Qatar Arch, Gateway Arch)Dugong by Jeff KoonsLusail Stadium (used in the 2022 World Cup)Stadium 974 (used in the 2022 World Cup). It received its name from the 974 that is the international dialing code of Qatar and as well as the fact that 974 shipping containers were used in the design.Marina Twin Towers, and next to them……Katara Towers, which is divided between two hotel brands, the Fairmont and the Raffles. Each occupies one half of the building, which is designed to resemble a pair of Qatari crossed scimitars.Lusail TowersA 30 meter art installation of a whale shark, called Al Nehem, suspended between the four Lusail Towers.
Monday, February 19 – transit from Doha to London
I have an early afternoon flight today, and before dropping me off at the airport Ruth did me the huge favor of stopping by the post office so I could mail a postcard to Oliver. Thanks Ruth!
Doha Post OfficeCool stamp commemorating the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar!
As you would probably expect, the Doha airport is pretty nice. Here are a few pictures…
There is a nice walking area below amongst the greenery!
My return itinerary had me on a Qatar Airways flight to Frankfurt (via a Dreamliner 787) connecting to a British Airways puddle-jumper (2×2 seating) to London City airport. The flight to Frankfurt was around 6 hours and it took a little over an hour to go from Frankfurt to London. I hadn’t flown into (or out of) London City before, so that was a new experience. It’s a small airport, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they had the same automated immigration system that is in place at Heathrow.
From the airport I used the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) to connect to the Underground and make my way home. I got back to the flat at 10:30pm.
Funny (Interesting?) Travel Note: When connecting in Frankfurt I didn’t need to go through immigration, but passengers were required to submit to another security screening before entering the British Airways gate area. Well, something on me raised an alert during the body scan, so I was diverted for a pat down. As the agent was feeling my lower chest / upper abdomen through my shirt, he asked, “what is this hard thing?” Um, that’s my rib cage!
Trip Footnotes
I was blown away by Doha. The museums, architecture, dining, infrastructure, and sporting event options are amazing. Plus it’s safe, clean, and the locals are very friendly. Weather-wise, this seemed like the perfect time of year to visit. Temperatures were in the 70s and 80s during my stay.
Of course, my enjoyment and impression of Doha has much to do with my amazing hosts. Thank you so much Ruth & Kent! Your itinerary and dining selections were perfect. And thanks for taking a day off from work Kent! What a trip!
In talking with Ruth & Kent, we seem to agree that it’s been nine years since we last saw each other (in person). That’s scary, and kind of sad. The plan is to not let that happen again! (hopefully I can return the hospitality when they visit Madison?) By my count, we have spent time together in five different countries (and four continents!) – United States, United Kingdom, Iceland (on vacation together – great trip!), Australia, and now Qatar. Pretty cool! And Kent and I worked together in Mexico.
