Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Greenwich


We went out to Greenwich as a group the other day. It was another rainy day, which I love because it is not as cold outside. We took the DLR, which I have never been on and danced to music the whole way. Once we got to Greenwich we stopped inside the maritime Museum. We spent time walking around there looking around at the wave pool that is there that has been used to conduct many experiments. We also walked through a part of the gallery that talked about the amount of waste that is produced in the world.
After we had spent sometime in the Maritime museum we made our way up to the Royal Observatory. We spent a countless amount of time taking pictures on the line and talking through the microphone that echoed around the dome designed by Christopher Wren. After all of this excitement we made our way down in the pouring rain, spent sometime in the WH Smith bookstore and dinned out at GKB (Gourmet Kitchen Burger). I really liked Greenwich not only for the latitude line but the cute town it is. While we were in the book store their were two ladies talking about if they got each others emails for lunch and they just ran into each other at the bookstore. That probably rarely happens in the city, and I loved that I witnessed that!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Little Venice


Last Saturday Jess, Elsa and I headed out to Little Venice. Little Venice is a little neightborhood right around where we live. Little Venice is known for its decorative boats all up and down the canal in the middle of a neighborhood. It is not so much that the canal looks exactly like Venice but it does bring a hint of Italy into the jammed packed city of London. On this walk we could not help noting how different parts of London are... Notting Hill to Regents Street to Buckingham Palace. Not to mention Little Venice to Southall. I love all of the diversity that makes up this city!


This is St. Mary's Square. In our walks book it told us of the "tragic muse", Sarah Siddons who is buried here; However, I could not find her grave. Oh well, she was a London actress in the 1800's who was painted by every major painter at that time.


This is just another shot of the canal. This was a short walk but neat to explore. I pictured Little Venice to be more lively than it actually was. I think if we were to explore this community in the summer there would be more people out on their boats. It was nice seeing it so clam though, and who knows maybe it is always like this because it is packed in a little community. I think if I were to live in London I would live in Little Venice. It gives a suburban feel to a neighborhood right in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world.

Monday, November 23, 2009

A Fall into Paris (photo essay #4)

"Paris is always a good idea." - Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina


This picture was taken at the bottom of the hill of the Sacre Cour.


When I walked back into the the gardens at Versailles one thing that caught my eye were these black balls on stick wires. They formed in these rows for probably a good hundred yards. I really do not like when modern art is placed in classical sites. I just found this so odd that I had to take a picture. Plus, I thought that the reds and yellows in the trees behind were so beautiful.


I really liked this green fence. I thought that it was perfect because in the summer it blends in with the green trees in the fall it compliments the yellow of the falling leaves and then it adds color in the winter when everything is brown. Of course Versailles would have the green fence.


I loved the Sky at Versailles on this day. I liked how few leaves were left on the tree but the branches were still so complex. On a color scale I really like the brown of the branches and the blue of the sky.


I wish I could have seen these trees in the Summer time when the leaves hung over the grass as you walk through. Instead it was like a preview to summer where the trees were stripped of their leaves and preparing for a pile of snow next to their roots.


I love the Fall!! I wanted to take all of these leaves form a huge pile and jump in it. I thought that Versailles would not be to happy with an American messing up their beautiful landscape. Oh well.. I loved how the leaves were left on the ground to admire and not "cleaned up" like other parks.


This picture is now what I picture when I think of Paris. I loved the river. I loved how the trees lined up against the river with different architecture of bringes all up and down the river with the city on either side.