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.
I’m taking advantage of this beautiful sunny day (a little chilly though!) to make my way into the city and roam around the parks – specifically Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.
A few pictures from the stroll…
Kensington Palace & Queen Victoria StatueRound Pond – Kensington GardensThe (Prince) Albert MemorialThe Serpentine Gallery
A beautiful day; very relaxing. And 21k steps later I was back on the Hill!
Tuesday, February 13 – Harrow on the Hill
We have rain today. A perfect opportunity to do some laundry, prepare for my next trip (depart on Thursday), and try to figure out what traveling I want to do in April.
Bonus Picture from Bulgaria
I forgot to show you the Bulgarian currency, the Lev. I picked up some cash using an ATM at the airport.
The Crown Auction Update
The auction has concluded, and it was a huge success. The 473-lot sale achieved more than £1.6 million against the pre-sale estimate of £525,000.
Here are some highlights…
Princess Diana’s green Jaguar (similar to), 1987 Jaguar XJ-SC 3.6-Litre Cabriolet. Estimate: £15,000 – £20,000. Sold for £70,250.A reproduction of the Gold State Coach. Estimate: £30,000 – £50,000. Sold for £56,280.A scale model of the Queen’s funeral procession; being sold as a complete set (over 500 pieces). Estimate: £8,000 – £12,000. Sold for £53,740.A reproduction of Saint Edward’s Chair (The Coronation Chair). Estimate: £10,000 – £20,000. Sold for £25,600.A reproduction of Diana’s engagement ring. Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000. Sold for £7.680.And finally, the NASA lot I was interested in (Estimate: £200 – £300). It sold for £832.
Wednesday, February 14 – Harrow on the Hill
I’ve finalized my travel plans. About time! Today I booked two more trips in April. Nice to have that sorted.
I leave tomorrow morning to visit my friends Kent & Ruth in Doha, Qatar. I’ll be back late Monday. No laptop again, so look for the next update to be posted about a week from now. Have a great weekend!
I going to try something a little different for this entry. Since I did not bring my laptop with me on the recent trip, what will follow is a full summary of my time away from London. Therefore, instead of a day-by-day account, I thought I’d break the trip down into categories. Let me know if you hate it and I’ll never do it again!
Tuesday, February 6 through Friday, February 9 – Sofia, Bulgaria
Itinerary
I departed Heathrow midday Tuesday, so no early wake up required! The nonstop flight on British Airways took about 3 hours. Return was on Friday night, also nonstop via BA. The round trip cost was £166 ($213). Both flights were on an Airbus A320 (like a 737). The flight to Sofia was jam-packed (I had an aisle seat). Less so on the return; I had a window seat with an empty middle seat next to me.
I landed at around 7:30pm in Sofia (two hours ahead of London). After taking the metro to the city center, and following a short walk, I arrived at my hotel about an hour later. Wednesday was spent exploring the city, which included a “free” walking tour (more on that later). For Wednesday evening, I booked a ticket to see the opera Tosca. I reserved a full-day tour for Thursday. Since my flight back to London wasn’t until around 8pm, I was a man of leisure Friday morning. The hotel did offer me a late checkout (at no cost), but it was a nice day, so I ended up leaving at 11am to do some more roaming around the city and just relaxing in one of Sofia’s many parks.
Transportation
Taking the SL9 bus to Heathrow. No problem finding a seat at 10:30am on Tuesday. In fact, I was able to grab this front row seat on the upper deck. Nice!
I took the SL9 back to Harrow on Friday night as well. I arrived at the Heathrow bus terminal at 10:30pm and it was very crowded! That surprised me. The SL9 originates at Heathrow, and it was basically like a scrum of people trying to board the bus. Crazy! I was able to get a seat though. And my stop in Harrow is the second to last on the route, so the bus was pretty much empty by the time I exited.
Sofia Airport (taken Friday afternoon)The check-in area.
I arrived at the airport 3 hours before departure. That was WAY too early! Especially since I had no bags to check. This is a small airport.
Metro station at the airport.Arrival in the city centerFor one-off trips, a paper ticket is issued for the Metro (which I used). A smartphone app can also be used to scan for payment at the station’s entrance gates. The ticket cost is 1.60 Bulgarian Lev (BGN). That converts to 88 cents. (I love not having to rely on taxis to/from the airport!)
After I checked out of the hotel on Friday I stopped by the nearby metro station to buy a ticket for my ride to the airport later in the afternoon. I bought the ticket using cash at a kiosk (an important point!). Later in the afternoon I decided to convert my remaining Lev to U.S. dollars before heading to the airport. I figured the conversion rate would better in the city center than at the airport.
Okay, that’s all sorted, time to catch the train. Well, I tried to use the ticket I purchased earlier in the day, and it wouldn’t work. Even after multiple tries. What the…?!? So, I spoke to the person at the ticket desk and she points to a little sign on the window that states “tickets purchased must be used immediately; do not buy tickets for later use”. Really? Would have been nice if that sign was on the kiosk too! Anyway, I now do not have a valid ticket, or any local currency. Mmmmm… Luckily (coincidentally?) there was an ATM right next to the ticket kiosk. And amazingly I was able to retrieve as little a 10 BGN ($5.50), with no transaction fee (although my Schwab card reimburses all ATM fees anyway). After buying the metro ticket I used the remaining Lev to buy some food from a stand in the metro station (I did this after I immediately used my ticket to enter the station!).
Fuel Price Check! The 2.75 BGN/liter converts to $5.75/gallon.
Hotel
The hotel might have been the highlight of my trip. Seriously! (I’m not sure if that’s good or bad!)
Art ‘Otel, in an historic building from the 30sThe booked cost was $109/night. However, I cashed in some booking.com rewards that lowered the cost to $80/night.I liked this sitting area! I was on the top (5th) floor and had two small balconies……that offered this great sunrise view!Sunset too!The dining roomAn amazing selection for breakfast (included)The eagle-eyed amongst will you will spot something special. That’s right, sarma! (stuffed grape leaves, for the non-Armenian readers). It is called sarmi in Bulgaria. On the left is banitsa, a traditional Bulgaria pastry filled with cheese, and served with plain yogurt.Also included in the rate was an evening happy hour! This is the bar area. I arrived too late on the first night, and was only able to utilize it briefly on my second night because I was going to the opera. But I took full advantage on the third night.Yes, that’s more sarma on the left!This is rakia, a traditional Bulgarian fruit brandy……and this is mavrud, a Bulgarian red wine.A glass of wine and three shots later I was feeling it! The photo was taken on the outdoor patio in the glow of the heat lamps.This was waiting for me in my room when I returned for my last night. Thank you!
At checkout the owner of the hotel offered me a voucher for a taxi ride to the airport. I thanked him, but mentioned that I was just going to take the metro. He then offered me some money. I tried to refuse, but to no avail. Obviously, I had a very enjoyable stay at Art ‘Otel. I’d return to Sofia just to stay there again!
Sofia City Center
The city center is easily walkable. I spent most of Wednesday and Friday doing just that! Here are some highlights…
Sofia City Courthouse. This was our meeting place for the “free” walking tour on Wednesday. The free is in quotations because the guide asked for a €10 donation. Now, the guide was very good and the tour lasted two hours. Very enjoyable and well worth the cost. The only issue I have is don’t call it free! (there were 14 people on the tour; more than I expected)National Assembly of BulgariaSt. Nedelya Church. It dates to the 10th century, but incurred destruction throughout the ages and has been rebuilt many times.In addition to the metro, there are also trams in Sofia.Regional History Museum of Sofia. This was previously a public baths building (1913-1986).Ceremonial guards in front of the Presidency BuildingThe Church of Saint George. It was built in the 4th century as a Roman bath, and was later converted into a church. It is considered the oldest building in Sofia.The Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker (c. 1914)Vitosha Boulevard – a long pedestrian-only street lined with stores, restaurants and bars.The National Palace of CultureThe park adjacent to The National Palace of Culture. I spent a fair amount of time relaxing here on Friday.Sofia Central Post OfficeI mailed Oliver a postcard on Friday. We’ll see how long it takes to arrive!Ivan Vazov National Theater (c. 1907)Saint Sofia Church (c. 6th century). In the 14th century, the church gave its name to the city, previously known as Serdica.St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (c. 1924). It is the largest cathedral in the Balkans. I took this picture shortly after sunrise on Thursday, as I made my way to meet the tour group. (The cathedral is not leaning; I took a crooked photo! Must have been sleepy!)Side view of the cathedral in the sunrise.Walking by on my way to the opera.The interior of the cathedral
Serdica Archeological Complex
During the construction of the second phase of the Sofia metro, remains of the ancient Roman city of Serdica were uncovered and are on display to the public. The complex covers an area of approximately 9,000 square meters, which once included eight streets, an early Christian basilica, six large buildings, mineral springs and a medieval church, all located at underground level. Dating back to a period from the 1st to the 6th century, early examples of a water and sewage system, as well as ornately tiled floors have been uncovered.
Here are a few pictures from the complex…
The Banya Bashi Mosque (c. 1566) is in the background
Tosca
On Wednesday night I attended only my third opera, Puccini’s Tosca. The other two were: a) Another Puccini, La Bohème, at the Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest, and b) Verdi’s Aida performed at the London Coliseum. All three were wonderful. The singing obviously was amazing, but I equally enjoyed the decorative sets of each production. I also like visiting the different theaters.
The Budapest performance was probably my favorite experience because I sat in a box with a Hungarian couple. The wife spoke a little English so we talked before the start and during the interval. That show was kind of interesting too because it was sung in Italian, however there were subtitles presented above the stage…in Hungarian of course! Fortunately I knew the basic story of La Bohème. In the case of Tosca, it too was sung in Italian, both but Bulgarian and English subtitles were presented. Thank you!
Sofia Opera and Ballet House (that’s the Tosca poster on the left)I stopped by in the afternoon on Wednesday to make sure I knew how to find it later that night!I got here kind of early! My seat is the second row of the balcony, immediately to the left of the seated couple (their right).The view from my seat (cost: $44). Coincidentally, the London Royal Opera is staging a production of Tosca this month. A similar seat for their production would cost £221. Seriously!A pretty venue. An enjoyable evening!
Rila Monastery
I booked a full-day tour on Thursday to visit two UNESCO World Heritage sites. The first stop will be at the Rila Monastery.
My ride for the tour. It was pretty much full (I did have two seats to myself though). I was surprised. There were three options for the tour: transportation only, audio guide, or guided. I went with the latter, which was the most expensive ($38). There were only seven of us who chose the guided option. Most went with the transportation only.
Sidenote: I’m thrilled that group tours are back as a way for me to visit various remote sites. It was frustrating (i.e., expensive!) having to hire drivers in the Caribbean last year.
Rest stop on the way to the Monastery. It was a two hour drive.Main entrance to the Monastery.
Rila Monastery is located in the southwestern Rila Mountains, at an elevation of 3,800 ft. The Monastery was founded in the 10th century, but was relocated to this present location in the 14th century. However, the arrival of the Ottomans in the following century resulted in its almost total destruction. It was subsequently rebuilt, but destroyed again by a fire in the 19th century. Most of the buildings in the complex now date from the 19th century rebuild.
The Main Church (c. 1837)The Residential PartTower of Hrelja – the oldest building in the complex (c. 1335)Beautiful frescoesSouthern Gate EntranceI’m going to try some Mekitsa – a simple Bulgarian deep-fried sweet bread.Cost: 55 cents. I may have added a little too much powdered sugar! Tasty!Stream water to wash down the Mekitsa. Very cold, and very good!
Boyana Church
The second UNESCO World Heritage site we will be visiting today is Boyana Church. It is located back in the outskirts of Sofia.
The church was built in three stages: in the late 10th to early 11th, the mid-13th, and the mid-19th centuries. The interior contains a total of 89 scenes with 240 human images depicted on the walls. (no interior photography was allowed)The (small) entrance to the church (watch your head!)The late 10th to early 11th section is on the right; the mid-13th section is in the middle, and… …the mid-19th century portion is on the left.
Today (Thursday) was fun. And long. I left my hotel around 8:15am and got back around 5:30pm. Just in time for happy hour!
General Trip Notes
As you can probably see, the weather was beautiful during my time in Sofia. Especially on Thursday at the Monastery. The high temperatures were near 60 throughout the trip. Lucky!
I’m enjoying this off-season escape! From the low costs, lack of crowds, and availability of events it’s been wonderful. Reviews of the Monastery tour indicates the crowds can be brutal during the high season. And I never would have had a personal Hard Rock Vault tour in the summer! (Ironically, the Wall Street Journal just published an article about the benefits of off-season travel)
In general I found the people of Sofia to be grumpy and unfriendly. That’s disappointing. Maybe there were other issues in play, like the language barrier. Exceptions were the folks in the tourist trade I encountered, but that’s to be expected. Two non-trade exceptions were the immigration officer I dealt with on arrival and a woman that sat next to me on the flight from London. Viara did not live in Sofia, but offered to assist me if I had any questions or issues. We ended up trading texts during my stay.
My UK eSIM data plan expired on the day I left for Sofia, and since I’ll be traveling over the next month, I renewed with a 30 day eSIM that covers all of Europe. The 3 Gb plan cost $10. Cheap!
There is a lot of smoking in Sofia. A LOT. Thankfully my hotel was smoke-free.
The population of Sofia is 1.4 million, but the city center doesn’t seem that crowded. I think it’s because the city covers a large area.
I don’t think I mentioned in the first Journal Entry for this trip that immigration at Heathrow is now automated for those with U.S. passports (along with other countries). Basically all that is required are a scan of your face and passport. I had no waiting on my initial arrival or on this trip’s return. Brilliant!
Saturday, February 10 – Harrow on the Hill
Sorted through trip photos, caught up on emails, updated financials, went for a walk, and REST!
Sidenote: Today is the Chinese New Year, and there is a parade and celebrations planned in the City. Also planned though are protests taking place from Parliament up to Trafalgar Square. So, I think I’m going to avoid that today. I actually attended the parade when I lived here. It was fun, but massively crowded. I’m sure it will be even more so today.
Sunday, February 11 – Harrow on the Hill
Made a grocery run, went for a walk, and worked on this loooonnng Journal Entry!
Sidenote: The Super Bowl will be shown here live, but it doesn’t start until 11:30pm, so I think I’ll pass. I can always watch the highlights (and commercials) on YouTube. Or maybe they’ll replay it on TV here at a normal time during the week!
Be forewarned, this will probably be the least interesting Journal Entry in the history of Journal Entries…
Sunday, February 4 – Harrow on the Hill
After a busy Saturday, I remained on the Hill today, mainly working on a Journal Entry.
How about a little London Underground trivia?
The shortest distance between two adjacent stations on the underground network is only 260 meters. The tube journey between Leicester Square and Covent Garden on the Piccadilly Line takes about 20 seconds, yet it is one of the most popular journeys with tourists.
Georgina asked me about the weather on the trip so far. I feel pretty lucky, as it’s been very dry. That’s the key to me. I’d rather it be cold and dry versus warm and wet. I think I’ve had one rainy day so far. The temperatures have been in the 40s and 50s.
The Crown Auction Update: With a little over three days to go in the auction, bidding on the lot of NASA items I’m interested in currently sits at £200. I’m out.
Monday, February 5 – Harrow on the Hill
I’m posting this rather lame JE today because I’m heading to Sofia, Bulgaria tomorrow and don’t plan on taking my laptop with me. I’ll be back late Friday, so the next posting will be on the weekend. Huge disappointment, I know! Anticipation is a good thing! The beauty of basing myself in one spot is that I don’t have to take everything with me when I go from place to place. For this trip, only a backpack will suffice (you know I like to travel light!).
I feel like I owe you a photo. I decided to look back and see where I was five years ago today, during my first winter escape.
I was on a full-day excursion to Isla de Chiloe in Chile. And this is a previously unpublished photo. You’re welcome!
Travel Note: London is pretty much cashless (if you want it to be). I love it! (Chuck would hate it!) The only cash I’ve spent so far is the tip I gave Ash on the Hard Rock tour. I went out today to pick up a small, travel-friendly tube of toothpaste. It cost £1. I put it on my card…
Have a good week. I’ll be back in touch on the weekend.
Taking the photo of the entrance to The Temple Church on Sunday made me realize that I had never visited The Temple complex (or if I did, I don’t recall). Not really sure why that is, probably just ignorance on my part! Anyway, my mission is to rectify that today.
Self-guided tours of the church are available throughout the day. Unfortunately, my timing was a little off though because a guided tour was on the schedule today too, but it started 20 minutes before my arrival. Ugh! I had even checked the church’s website this morning to confirm that it was open, and saw no reference to a guided tour. I mentioned this to the person at the entrance, and after checking the website she confirmed that the guided tour should have been listed, but was not. Anyway, she also told me that on Friday the Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple would be giving a talk in the church, and highly recommended that I attend. Sold, I’ll be back on Friday!
I did some walking around The Temple complex, but it wasn’t a very photogenic day (overcast), so I decided to hold off on any picture taking, with hope for better conditions when I return on Friday.
The Temple is located on the north bank of the Thames, just to the east of Waterloo Bridge. Since I had some extra time on my hands I decided to take a walk along the Thames, heading up river to the west. Again, not a great day for photos. Sorry about that! I did make a quick stop at the Tate Britain however, and have a couple pictures from that visit.
Summer Sundown by William McTaggart (c. 1880)Study of Madame Gautreau by John Singer Sargent (c. 1884).
Not a great day for photos, but a good day for steps! 22k.
Travel Note: For those of you who’ve not been to London, you might find the photo below interesting. These indicators are provided at most major crosswalks, and are very helpful for those of us who are used to looking for traffic traveling in the opposite direction!
Thursday, February 1 – Harrow on the Hill
Not much to report today. I went for a walk and booked another trip. I now have four short trips planned – taking place this month and in early March. So hopefully you’ll have some interesting things to read about over the next few weeks!
Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Auction Update
The auction was held yesterday, and to quote the auction house, Christie’s, the results were “staggering”. The auction lasted more than six hours, and the proceeds totaled over £8.8 million ($11.2 million)!
The 1959 Gibson Les Paul with the highest estimate in the auction, £300,000 – £500,000, sold for £693,000 ($876,000), which was the auction’s top result.This guitar with numerous signatures had an estimate of £20,000 – £40,000. It sold for £403,200 ($510,000)! 100% of the proceeds are going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.And remember this 1983 Gibson Les Paul that was used to record Money For Nothing and Brothers In Arms? I thought the estimate was “crazy low” at £10,000 – £15,000. Well, it sold for…are you ready? £592,200 ($749,000)!!!
Friday, February 2 – Harrow on the Hill
Okay, I’m heading back to The Temple Church today for a tour and a talk (£5).
The church was built by the Knights Templar and was consecrated in 1185. It was heavily damaged by German bombing during World War II and has since been greatly restored and rebuilt.
And luckily we have a better day for picture taking…
The altarpiece was designed by Christopher Wren’s team in the 1680s. It was sold in the 1840s, but bought back after World War II.These effigies were heavily damaged in the Blitz of 1941 when the burning roof fell on them.This painting by Kathleen Allen depicts two of the effigies in the immediate aftermath of the bombing.
The talk by Robin Griffith-Jones, the Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple, was entertaining. He talked about the Knights Templar, and touched on the role The Temple Church played in Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code. He wasn’t happy about the inaccuracies in the book, but as he said, considering the book was published in 2003, “its time has probably passed”.
The Temple Church sits amid a complex of other buildings that is one of the main legal districts in London.
Entrance to The Temple from Victoria EmbankmentThis is the entrance to The Temple shown in my picture from Sunday (note the London bus passing by the open door)The Temple Church Master’s House (where today’s lecturer, Robin Griffith-Jones, lives)Middle Temple HallWalkway to the New CourtElm CourtPretty bloom on February 2nd!Inner Temple GardenNice view of Big Ben (more on that tomorrow…)
Saturday, February 3 – Harrow on the Hill
Early on in my trip Ed suggested I take a tour of Big Ben. Great idea! Sadly, I should have consulted with him last fall, because these tours are hugely popular and sell out months in advance. When I checked the booking website, there was nothing available through the end of April, which is when I’m heading back to the States. I’m an idiot! However, one sentence on their website offered a glimmer of hope: If more tickets become available due to cancellations, these will be available on the booking page. Mmmm… Okay, so my path forward was clear: be relentless in checking for cancellations! And thankfully, an opening appeared a week or so ago for this morning. Yes! Luckily, the extended duration of my stay in London helped overcome my stupidity!
The tour (cost: £25) began at 10am. We were instructed to report to the visitor entrance at the Houses of Parliament at 9:30am to facilitate passing through the airport-style security search. Our group was 15 people (now I know why it sells out so fast!), which was great. No phones or cameras were allowed on the tour. It was claimed that this was for security reasons, which I can understand. But I have a feeling it’s also to avoid having people clamoring to get photos. I actually liked this aspect as well.
The tour involved climbing 334 steps, with stops at various levels on the way up. And it was timed so that we were in the mechanism room when the clocked chimed the 3/4 hour, and in the belfry at the top of the hour to witness the bells chime (we were given earplugs!). And as our guide pointed out, we were lucky to be on the 10am tour because that allowed us to see/hear the bell rung 11 times; whereas the tour group that starts at noon would only experience it once! Ha!
It was a good time to be taking the tour because the Big Ben Tower had recently completed a lengthy restoration (2017-2022), when it was shrouded in scaffolding. Some of the displays even smelled new! However, the bells were not restored, in order to maintain their patina.
The tour lasted 90 minutes, and was wonderful. Thanks Ed!
The view after passing through securityWe were allowed to take a look around Westminster Hall following the tourThis is in the floor of the hall. It’s hard to read; It is where Winston Churchill’s body was lain in state in 1965.
Sidenote: This was the second time I’ve toured Big Ben. The first time occurred when I was living here and Janet Earnshaw arranged for seven of us to tour the Clock Tower and the Palace of Westminster. Back then the tours had to be booked via a request sent to the House of Commons. And each of the visitors were subsequently vetted by the Metropolitan Police prior to being allowed to take tour. Quite the undertaking. Thanks again Janet!
A rigorous process!January 16, 2009 (Janet is taking the picture). 15 years ago. Wow!
A fun day, and it’s not even over yet! I thought I might try and see a show on the West End today.
Back when I lived here, if I was looking for theatre tickets, I would head down to Leicester Square to the TKTS booth to check on what discounts were available for that day’s performances. Well, I noticed when I’ve passed by the booth on this trip that there were hardly any customers. That seemed odd, because there always used to be a line of people waiting. Finally it dawned on me. It’s all done online now!
So, this morning I checked the TKTS website and found a 50% off ticket for the matinee performance of The Motive and The Cue. The play is based on the making of Richard Burton and John Gielgud’s Hamlet on Broadway in 1964. The synopsis, per the play’s website: Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title role in an experimental new production of Hamlet under John Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel. The play is directed by Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe winner Sam Mendes, and stars Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss and Tuppence Middleton as Burton, Gielgud and Taylor.
The 1964 production of Hamlet was a financial smash, achieving the longest run for the play in Broadway history at 137 performances. The run’s popularity was due in no small part to the attention Burton received for his romance with Taylor. Ironically, John Gielgud (who was a renowned Shakespearean actor) portrayed Hamlet in a 1934 production that took place in the same theatre as today’s play – at the time called the New Theatre, now named the Noël Coward Theatre.
Noël Coward TheatreA poster from when it was named the New TheatreBeautiful interior (difficult to get a good picture)My seat in the stalls (all seats were occupied by the time the curtain went up)
It was a very enjoyable performance. The fitting end to a wonderful day!
A footnote: spotted this as I was roaming around Covent Garden before the start of the play. Cute!
I’m back in the city today to check out the Frost Fair! It’s located just off the Thames, near the Tate Modern.Nice view of The Shard on the way to the fair.The artisan market at the fair. Many homemade goods and food & drink.A game of skittlesCarriage rides were offered too! (that’s the Tate Modern in the background)The horses were popular with the childrenThis was the highlight. A human-powered elephant! It’s getting ready to go on a short parade.On its way……followed by the Elephant Festival Troupe!
It was a beautiful day, so I did a little bit of walking around. Here are a couple sights from along the way…
St Dunstan-in-the-WestAn entrance to the Temple ChurchSomerset House (note all of the folks in the distance enjoying what remains of the sunshine!)Royal Courts of JusticeSt. Paul’s – a favorite
Monday, January 29 – Harrow on the Hill
Not a lot to report today. A little trip planning, a grocery run, went for a walk, and general laziness!
The Crown Auction update: With a little over a week to go in the auction, the NASA lot I’m interested in stands at £160. Probably going to be more than I want to spend. Oh well!
Tuesday, January 30 – Harrow on the Hill
Kind of more of the same from Monday. I did some additional travel planning, and now have three short trips planned for February. Where to? You’ll have to wait and see! And I also worked on this journal entry today. Not a total slug!
Steps Update: I’m trying to redeem myself this year after last winter’s disappointing average of 13.2k steps per day. Three weeks in and I’m averaging 15.5k per day, with a high of 25k. I’ll be happy if I can keep up this pace. A long way to go though!
That is the theme for today. Well, at least until tonight (more on that later)…
I’m visiting another auction house in London this morning. This time it’s Christie’s, for a viewing of The Mark Knopfler Guitar Collection. Hopefully you’ve heard of him? If not, he’s best known as the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the band Dire Straits. One of my all-time favorite guitarists, definitely top five.
He’s auctioning off more than 120 of his guitars and amps at the end of the month, and they’re on display for public viewing. Let’s take a look…
The entrance to Christie’sThis guitar caught my eye because of the autographs and the Teenage Cancer Trust logo. This is the UK charity that will benefit from the concert by The Who that I will be attending in March. The signatures on the guitar include Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Sting, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, and many others. The estimate is £20,000 – £40,000.This guitar has the highest estimate in the auction: £300,000 – £500,000. It’s a 1959 Gibson Les Paul. Note the original case behind it!To me though, this is the star of the show. Christie’s must think so too, because it is the only guitar hung on this wall, and it is displayed in its own room!It’s a 1983 Gibson Les Paul, but that’s not what makes it the star. It’s because it was used to record Money For Nothing and Brothers In Arms. The estimate is £10,000 – £15,000, which seems crazy low to me. It will be interesting to see what the hammer price brings.
Besides being one of my favorite guitarists, Mark Knopfler is also the artist responsible for one of my favorite songs, Brothers In Arms. If you’re not familiar with it, take a listen here.
Continuing with the Rock ‘n Roll theme, my next stop will be the Hard Rock Cafe, to hopefully take a tour of their vault (of memorabilia).
A quick stop at St. James’s Square on the way to the Hard Rock.The first Hard Rock Cafe, still in its original location, near Hyde Park Corner.
The vault is located in the basement of the Hard Rock Store, which is next door to the Cafe. I’ve taken the tour previously, but it’s been many years. And I’m in luck! Tours will be offered today, with the first one starting in about 20 minutes. (the tours are free of charge)
What followed proved to be an excellent argument for visiting London in the winter – I was the only one on the tour! And it got even better! My tour guide, Ash, was amazing. He provided me with some great background information on the items in the vault, as well as some wonderful stories from the early days of the cafe. He spent a half hour with just me. Unbelievable. I was so grateful I gave him £20 as we were about to leave the vault. Well, now he felt obliged to spend even more time with me! Brilliant! We talked some more in the vault, and then he took me next door to the Cafe, showing me some more memorabilia there. Finally, after spending a full hour with me, one of the staff from the store came over to the Cafe to grab Ash because he was scheduled to give the next vault tour!
Here are some pictures from the tour…
The items are literally in a vault……a very small room packed with many items.A rare Tim sighting in the Journal! And could I look any more dorky?!? Ash had me replicate a Ringo Starr pose on the bench (legs crossed, peace sign).The pose (I had my legs crossed the wrong way!)We’re now over at the Cafe. On Ash’s phone is a picture of John Lennon wearing the item that’s in the display case above.Above the bar at the Cafe. (I’ll be seeing him play in March!)Ash showing a picture of Townshend coming back to the Cafe decades later, taking his guitar off the wall, and playing it!
What an experience! Thanks Ash!
My last stop on the Rock ‘n Roll outing will be at Savile Row, to pay homage to the Apple Corp. building were TheBeatles played an impromptu rooftop concert.
The photo is taken at an odd angle because the sidewalk and half the road directly across the street were closed due to construction.
For those of you interested in seeing some great footage from the concert and the events leading up to it, I highly recommend the documentary The Beatles: Get Back. Here’s a link to an excerpt from the concert portion of the documentary (runs 4 minutes).
Okay, time to head back to the Hill to attend a production of Jekyll & Hyde by the Harrow School boys. This is a free performance, but tickets were required, which Mary obtained. It was just her and me tonight, as Tony opted to stay home to watch football.
Another excellent performance by the students!
Sidenote: Benedict Cumberbatch is a former Harrow School student. It would have been fun to see him perform during his high school days!
Thursday, January 25 – Harrow on the Hill
I remained on the Hill today to attend a couple Harrow School events this evening. I’m trying to take advantage of all that they’re offering!
The exhibition brought together many items from throughout the world to illustrate remote places and societies. The objects on display were drawn mainly from the Harrow School’s collection. A fun event!
It wasn’t very crowded, which was nice. Wine was even offered!Chinese Imperial Table Screen, c. late 18th / early 19th century (Qing Dynasty)The Bodhisattva Guanyin, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)I really liked this early 18th century sketch of the Sphinx. It shows the base buried in sand, and also disproved the 19th century theories that it was Napoleon’s troops who had destroyed its nose by using it as target practice!Not related to the exhibition, but of course Winston Churchill deserves his place here as arguably the most noteworthy Old Harrovian.
Following the exhibition, I walked a couple of buildings over to watch the Singing Prizes competition in the Speech Room. For this event a total of 40 boys in three categories performed with the goal of being judged the best in their respective category (junior, intermediate, senior). The adjudicator was James Gilchrist, a tenor specializing in recital and oratorio singing.
The Speech Room prior to the start of the competition
So, there are 40 singers, and after each round of competition Mr. Gilchrist would give a short critique of each one and announce the winner. This is going to take a little while! But it’s not like I have to get up and go to work tomorrow!
The choice of songs was from composers I pretty much expected: Mozart, Schubert, Handel, etc. However, there were a few that went with selections from musicals like South Pacific and Man of La Mancha. One even choose Elton John’s Your Song. Again, amazing performances by the boys. But I have to say that to me the most outstanding performer of the night was the pianist (a member of the Harrow School staff) who accompanied each of the 40 students. Wow!
Friday, January 26 – Harrow on the Hill
I’m traveling to Dulwich (the ‘w’ is silent) in the South of London today to view an exhibition of paintings by Peter Paul Rubens at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Getting there took about an hour, using both the Underground and National Rail lines. It’s a beautiful day, so I’m also going to take a walking tour of the area, using the book that Tony lent to me.
The entry to the Rubens exhibit required a timed ticket (£15; can you believe I’m actually paying for something?!); I set mine up for mid-afternoon to allow me to take the walking tour first. Here are some of the sights along the way…
Dulwich College, founded in 1619. These buildings are from the 19th century. We’ll see the original college buildings later in the walk. This is now a boarding school for middle and high school age boys.Dulwich College.
A funny story behind this picture. I entered through an open gate into the grounds of the college. Well, it turns out visitors aren’t allowed on the grounds, and one of the staff happened to come by after I took the picture. He was very nice about it, and we ended up talking for a few minutes. What really peaked my interest was his mentioning that the college has in its possession one of the boats from Shackleton’s exploration of Antarctica. He wasn’t sure if it was open for public viewing, but I’m absolutely going to follow up on that. Watch this space…
Dulwich Toll Gate (£1.20). This is the only toll gate left in London and raises thousands of pounds per year for the College estate. Fortunately pedestrians are exempt from the toll! Not many animals pass through the gate anymore!The Parish Church of Saint Stephen (c. 1868)Enjoying the sunny day!I’m now in the Sydenham Hill Woods nature reserve.Cool fence!Dulwich Park boating lake. Not very busy this time of year. Obviously the geese like it though!College Lodge (c. 1889)Old Dulwich College19th century grammar school
An enjoyable walk in a picturesque village. I think I may have to come back here, especially if the Shackleton boat is available for viewing. Now, on to the Picture Gallery…
The Dulwich Picture Gallery is the first public picture gallery in England (early 19th century)A walk around the permanent collection before entering the Rubens exhibit.I like this Canaletto depicting the Thames in 1750, with London in the distance.Rembrandt’s Girl at a Window (c. 1645). Wow!Marchesa Maria Serra Pallavicino (c. 1606)The Virgin in Adoration before the Christ Child (c. 1616-1619)After viewing this 2nd century sculpture, Rubens reused this pose in several of his works.Diana Returning from the Hunt (c. 1623)
Saturday, January 27 – Harrow on the Hill
A minor disappointment today. St, Mary’s church here on the Hill was planning on holding a fundraiser they called Spire Cafe Winter Warmer. Running from 11am to 6pm, on sale were to be “Hot filled rolls, homemade soup and cakes, mugs of hot spiced-apple juice, plus stacks of scones, fresh from the oven.” Yum! There was also going to be a talk inside the Church, Treasures of St Mary’s, given a couple times throughout the day. Well, I walked up there mid-afternoon only to find a note inside the church stating that the event was cancelled due to an illness. Bummer! Hopefully it will be rescheduled.
So, plan B for lunch turned out to be making a run to the aforementioned favorite – Wenzel’s.
Tuna salad baguette and a loaf of bread (£6.45)
I spent the rest of the day loafing (no pun intended!) around and working on this long overdue journal entry!
A couple random vehicle sightings…
I like this vintage Land Rover that is parked in the neighborhood.EV charging on the Hill!
I want to lead off by thanking all of you who reached out to me today on my birthday. It’s great hearing from you when I’m away from home. And yes, I’m spending another birthday somewhere other than Madison. I’ve documented previously the various places I’ve been on my birthday, so I won’t go through it again. I’ll just say that to be in Madison on this day has been a rare occurrence over the past 30+ years! The exception would be the Covid lock down of 2021 (but that pandemic resulted in a lot of exceptions!).
So what’s the plan for the big day? I’m pretty excited to be heading in to London to attend a women’s football (soccer) match between Chelsea and Manchester United at historic Stamford Bridge (home to the Chelsea men’s team as well). Most of you know I enjoy women’s sports, so the fact that I won’t be seeing the men in action doesn’t bother me in the least. In fact, tickets to the men’s matches are extremely difficult to obtain and prohibitively expensive. The ticket to today’s match was £12 (and you all know how cheap I am!).
The match kicked off at 12:30pm, with entry into the stadium beginning at 10:30am. I really had no clue how crowded it would be, so I left my flat a little before 9 to catch the Piccadilly line into the city. And I must say I was surprised by how crowded the train was. On a Sunday morning! And it wasn’t because of the football match. I don’t recall this being the case when I lived here previously. Oh well…
I arrived a little before 10am……and I guess I didn’t need to get here this early! Not bothered though, because it gave me plenty of time to walk around the grounds and get some photos without many fans in the frame.The statue is of Peter Osgood. You can read about him here if you’re interested.Arriving early gave me time to check out the team store. No purchases though! (Note the short line on the right to enter the store. I’m glad I went in now, because after the match the queue was massive!)The Chelsea Football Club was formed in 1905, when they began playing at Stamford Bridge.This wall is all that remains of the original stadium. The venue has undergone major changes over the years, most recently in the 1990s when it was renovated into a modern, all-seat stadium.I did a little research about where to sit before I booked my ticket online. The two end zones were the least expensive, and each side had their own names – The Shed End and the Matthew Harding Stand. I subsequently discovered that the Shed End is where the visiting fans would be sitting (you can see that stipulated in the small print on the awning). It is also a standing optional area, which I wasn’t really interested in……I therefore chose a seat in the Matthew Harding Stand, with the home fans!I liked my seat – in the front row corner of the upper section.Another thing I discovered in my seat location research was the fact that the lower portion of the Matthew Harding Stand was, like The Shed End, standing optional. I took this photo during the match, and you can see that most of the fans are standing. They even have bars going across each row to keep everybody segregated when they’re not seated.Whereas the upper stands where I sat had no option for standing. Perfect! (I took this picture when I first arrived; the section was filled by kickoff.)A view of the West Stands from my seat.
I have to say I was a little concerned about what I was wearing to the match – specifically a maroon jacket and a red and black Wisconsin stocking cap – because the visiting team’s (Manchester United) colors are red and yellow. I wondered if that would be a problem since I was sitting in the home side end zone. But it turned out to be a non-issue. It was actually a very family-friendly atmosphere, with many children in attendance. Obviously the intensity level at the women’s matches is much lower than that at the men’s. Very enjoyable.
And we’re underway!
The stadium capacity is listed at around 41,000. I looked for an attendance figure for this match afterwards, but couldn’t find anything. I’m guessing it was around 1/3 full. It wasn’t a bad day to be a spectator – dry conditions with a temperature around 50 degrees.
Chelsea won the match 3-1, with all three of the home team goals scored by Lauren James. Impressive! Here she is (#10) after scoring her last goal on the end where I was sitting. If you look closely, you can see that she has a Chucky Hepburn hair color spot going on. (a Wisconsin basketball reference, for those of you wondering what the heck I’m talking about!)
The Chelsea women’s team is currently in first place in the Women’s Super League and has been very successful over the years. And in some good news for the U.S., it was announced last fall that the manager of Chelsea would be leaving her position at the end of the season (May) to become the new manager of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Nice!
Monday, January 22 – Harrow on the Hill
Sadly readers, today I’m observing another day of domestic bliss on the Hill. Did some travel planning, reading, grocery shopping, and went for a walk. Whoo hoo!
Tuesday, January 23 – Harrow on the Hill
It’s raining this morning; the first daytime rain since my arrival. A perfect time to get caught up on my journal! The weather cleared by the afternoon though, so I just went out for another walk around the area.
Apologies for the boring last couple days, but I do have some upcoming activities planned. So be sure to watch this space!
A rare occurrence this morning (at least to me) – both the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines are under severe delays. I guess my trip into the city will just be a little later. It’s not like I’m in a rush. Fortunately I can monitor the status of all the lines from the Transport for London website, or their app that I downloaded upon my arrival. And it’s probably best I didn’t get an early start, as I plan on attending a lecture in the capital this evening (more about that later).
Tony lent me a book on walking tours of London and today I chose a walk that covers Soho to Trafalgar Square. It’s bright and sunny today. Perfect for roaming. Below are a few pictures…
St. Patrick’s Church on Soho Square (the rare time that the view is better without leaves on the tree!)This mural is off of Carnaby Street, and depicts the colorful history of Soho. Carnaby Street was the place to be during the fashion revolution of the 1960s.
It wasn’t a coincidence that the walk I chose concluded on Trafalgar Square. There’s a guided tour at The National Gallery this afternoon that I plan on attending. The tours last an hour and the guide typically selects four pieces of art in the museum’s collection to discuss (history, technique, background, etc.). There’s generally some type of connection between the pieces chosen, but not always. If it sounds like I’m familiar with these tours, it’s because I took them often when I lived here.
One of the selections from our tour. This is Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire from 1838. It is considered such a national icon that the image is include on the back of the new £20 note…
Mary told me about a free lecture series provided throughout the year by Gresham College. There’s one tonight that I attended entitled The Art and Science of Tuning (musical instruments), taking place at LSO St. Luke’s in the city.
It turned out to be very interesting, and the lecturer, Milton Mermikides, was very good. Gresham College recorded the lecture. Here’s a link to it if you’re interested in watching.
Prior to the start of the lecture. A good crowd! Cool venue too.
Friday, January 19 – Harrow on the Hill
I have a day of music planned.
I’m heading into the city this morning, Covent Garden specifically, to attend a free Live at Lunch performance at the Royal Opera House (ROH). These events are only held on Fridays, generally two per month. The performance begins at 1pm, but I wasn’t really sure of the logistics, so I ended up stopping by the ROH around 11:50am to check things out. It turns out that there was already a small group queuing up, so I joined them! The doors to the ROH opened at noon. That allowed us to move the line inside, where it became more organized, and warmer!
I was 8th in line; able to snag a front-row seat. Nice!The soprano and her accompanist performed for an hour. It was wonderful. It consisted of several arias from various operas. The singer was excellent, and it was also nice that she took the time to explain the back story on each of the operas and the specific aria that she performed. (Note that the audience is also seated in the balcony behind the artists)This was taken after the concert from the balcony. I was seated in the front row just to the right of the center aisle. Perfect!This is a beautiful venue within the Royal Opera House. The roof is amazing.
After the performance I walked around Covent Garden a bit. Here are a few pictures…
Cute!Great idea!Here comes the train that will take me back to the Hill!
I mentioned at the beginning that I had a day of music planned. Well, this evening I’m attending another performance at the Harrow School. Tonight’s event is entitled Woodwind Evening. It consisted of ten individual student performances, mainly flute and clarinet, but also one bassoon solo! There were also two pieces played by a clarinet quintet. All included piano accompaniment as well.
The performance lasted about 75 minutes. Very enjoyable. The students are amazing. Sparsely attended though. Besides me, the audience included two parents, three school staff, and the other student performers. That’s it. In fact, it’s funny that afterwards one of the parents said hello to me and asked which of the soloists was my son!
Saturday, January 20 – Harrow on the Hill
Just stuck around the Hill today. Did some work on the journal, a little travel planning, went for a walk, and made a grocery run. Exciting stuff!
This evening though Tony and Mary invited my to join them for a concert in nearby Pinner (where they used to live). It was held in the Pinner Parish Church and consisted of works by Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and others performed by a chamber choir and small orchestral group. A fun event!
