London calling, yes, I was there, too
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
After all this, won't you give me a smile?
London calling...
A couple of weeks ago, it was declared that the most important Islamic holiday of the year was going to be observed with days off on Wed 16 - Thurs 17 Oct. Later, the Minister of Education mandated that all Moroccan schools were to be closed Tues - Fri; my school then added Mon 14 and the mad rush was on to schedule travel for the 9 days total vacation. The night before the last work day I furiously tried to make plans to go to London and somewhere else, which became Dublin. Of course, my computer went on the fritz and I finished buying airline tix and reserving hostel rooms and printing boarding passes at a tiny cyber joint I managed to find in the neighborhood. This was going to be an adventure...
Air Arabia did a good job getting me from Casa to London Gatwick. It was nice being able to "speak the language" so I had no trouble getting directions to the place where I was staying. The London Underground a/k/a The Tube is the world's oldest subway system, but was not too difficult to navigate. My hostel was in a perfectly nice area in Central London just around the corner from a big station. So far, so good...
Because of problems with my cell phone, I was going to actually have to use that dinosaur known as a payphone to call the tour company. Here is an exterior photo:
I can't show you an interior photo, because this is a family-friendly forum. I was a bit surprised when I entered the booth; I had forgotten that inside these booths one may find advertisements from ladies offering to spend time with you, for a fee. I declined. Little did I know that later that evening at about 2:30 a.m. I got something of a show anyway. I was sleeping in a top bunk and the young couple in the bunk beneath me got a little frisky...May I also say I LOVE English accents on women!
Next day began with a trip to Stonehenge. As soon as I took my seat in the very front of the bus I fell asleep. When I woke up about an hour later I nearly had a heart attack! He was driving on the wrong side of the highway!! Oh, yeah...
Stonehenge was a bit of a disappointment; it was just a pile of rocks. I'm sure everyone knows the theories, etc. Let's just move on to some pics:
After I returned to London I walked about the city some and went to the British Museum, considered one of the world's greatest museums. Maybe the most famous artifact among the 13 million items it holds is the Rosetta Stone. It was a real "rock" star; it was tough to snap a pic...
The next day I took one of those "Hop On, Hop Off" tours. I got there bright and early and snagged a front row seat in the upper deck. I wound up spending hours driving all around the city listening to the audio tour. The history was amazing!
Look, kids - Big Ben! Parliament! (Name that movie reference)
Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's Cathedral - the list goes on and on and on as I sat on that bus all day long :) One place I thought was particularly is one you may not be aware of, and that is Speaker's Corner (the original and most famous, at the NE corner of Hyde Park). Ever wonder where originated the phrase "on a soapbox" came from? I know now, and as an American, I'm not very impressed with English so-called freedom of speech.
The Tower Bridge:
I took a tour just of the Tower of London. Amazing place. My hairs stand on end and my goosepimples get goosepimples when I stand on the grounds of places like this:
Some more photos, including one of me with the Yeoman Warder who gave our tour (I told him I forgave him for his taking a shot during the tour at people from my native area who murder the English language):
I can't even begin to list all the places I visited in my brief time. I did take a pair of photos that have some kitschy value to them. The first is of 221B Baker Street; you should be able to figure out the famous "resident" of that site:
This one will be much harder...
Try imagining it taken from in/the other side of the street...
Yes, I was in the crosswalk at the Abbey Road studio made famous by the iconic album cover. I couldn't get anyone to stand in traffic to get a better re-creation :( Still, my favorite photo of the whole vacation.
One last one before my flight to the Emerald Isle - where it all began...
Off to Dublin!
Thanks to Ryanair for a brief and uneventful journey. I took a bus to the City Centre (where the 398-foot Spire monument is) to catch a tram to my hostel. I checked in around 3:30; the guy at the desk said: "Here is your keycard, there is the elevator, and the bar is open". It was already doing good business. I was gonna like this place. Better yet, it was literally next door to the old Jameson distillery. I added that to my itinerary before the Guinness storehouse the next day.
FIRE ALARM!
But thanks to the buxom young blonde in the bunk next to me. (Unfortunately that means the adjacent bunk, not her physically next to me :( I should also add (or not) that I loved the plethora of "gingers" running around. These (1/4) Irish eyes were a-smilin'...
The distillery opened at 9, the tour began at 10. I was chosen as one of the volunteer tasters. This is at about 10:30 a.m. when I'm taking shots of Jack Daniel's, scotch and Jameson's, plus a big glass of Jameson's with ginger ale and lime. I had a scone for breakfast and rarely drink - how could this possibly go wrong?
I made my way next to the Guinness tour. We learned how to drink our Guinness, then I was again chosen as a volunteer to learn how to pour the proper pint. The whisky is starting to kick in by this time, and it took me twice to put the glass under the correct tap, and three times to pull the tap, not push it. I finished that pint with my Guinness & beef stew; the other photo is a view from the Gravity bar at the storehouse...
It's now 1p.m. and. I. am. bombed. annihilated. obliterated. I am usually good for one impromptu drunken night per year; this one took place during the daytime, as I stumbled the streets of Dublin. This often came in handy:
The National Leprechaun Museum - yes, such a place exists...
Did a little walking tour before I made my way back to England to end up at home in Casa. Saw (respectively) Saint Patrick's Cathedral (founded 1191. largest church in Ireland), Christ Church Cathedral (founded c. 1028, the oldest church in Ireland), Trinity College (dates to 1592, holds the famed Book of Kells) and Dublin Castle...
Alas, and alack, all good things must come to and end. I cannot wait to go back...
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river...
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
After all this, won't you give me a smile?
London calling...
A couple of weeks ago, it was declared that the most important Islamic holiday of the year was going to be observed with days off on Wed 16 - Thurs 17 Oct. Later, the Minister of Education mandated that all Moroccan schools were to be closed Tues - Fri; my school then added Mon 14 and the mad rush was on to schedule travel for the 9 days total vacation. The night before the last work day I furiously tried to make plans to go to London and somewhere else, which became Dublin. Of course, my computer went on the fritz and I finished buying airline tix and reserving hostel rooms and printing boarding passes at a tiny cyber joint I managed to find in the neighborhood. This was going to be an adventure...
Air Arabia did a good job getting me from Casa to London Gatwick. It was nice being able to "speak the language" so I had no trouble getting directions to the place where I was staying. The London Underground a/k/a The Tube is the world's oldest subway system, but was not too difficult to navigate. My hostel was in a perfectly nice area in Central London just around the corner from a big station. So far, so good...
Because of problems with my cell phone, I was going to actually have to use that dinosaur known as a payphone to call the tour company. Here is an exterior photo:
Next day began with a trip to Stonehenge. As soon as I took my seat in the very front of the bus I fell asleep. When I woke up about an hour later I nearly had a heart attack! He was driving on the wrong side of the highway!! Oh, yeah...
Stonehenge was a bit of a disappointment; it was just a pile of rocks. I'm sure everyone knows the theories, etc. Let's just move on to some pics:
That night I went to a casino that had a bar showing all the NFL games live each on their own big-screen TV. Hot waitresses barely wearing jerseys, cigars - I don't believe in heaven, and if there actually is one, I know I surely ain't going, but if there is one, I imagine the scene around me is what it would resemble...
Oh yeah, here is a photo from the casino bathroom. Yes, it is a 2-way window...
Look, kids - Big Ben! Parliament! (Name that movie reference)
Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's Cathedral - the list goes on and on and on as I sat on that bus all day long :) One place I thought was particularly is one you may not be aware of, and that is Speaker's Corner (the original and most famous, at the NE corner of Hyde Park). Ever wonder where originated the phrase "on a soapbox" came from? I know now, and as an American, I'm not very impressed with English so-called freedom of speech.
The Tower Bridge:
I took a tour just of the Tower of London. Amazing place. My hairs stand on end and my goosepimples get goosepimples when I stand on the grounds of places like this:
I can't even begin to list all the places I visited in my brief time. I did take a pair of photos that have some kitschy value to them. The first is of 221B Baker Street; you should be able to figure out the famous "resident" of that site:
Yes, I was in the crosswalk at the Abbey Road studio made famous by the iconic album cover. I couldn't get anyone to stand in traffic to get a better re-creation :( Still, my favorite photo of the whole vacation.
One last one before my flight to the Emerald Isle - where it all began...
Off to Dublin!
Thanks to Ryanair for a brief and uneventful journey. I took a bus to the City Centre (where the 398-foot Spire monument is) to catch a tram to my hostel. I checked in around 3:30; the guy at the desk said: "Here is your keycard, there is the elevator, and the bar is open". It was already doing good business. I was gonna like this place. Better yet, it was literally next door to the old Jameson distillery. I added that to my itinerary before the Guinness storehouse the next day.
FIRE ALARM!
But thanks to the buxom young blonde in the bunk next to me. (Unfortunately that means the adjacent bunk, not her physically next to me :( I should also add (or not) that I loved the plethora of "gingers" running around. These (1/4) Irish eyes were a-smilin'...
The distillery opened at 9, the tour began at 10. I was chosen as one of the volunteer tasters. This is at about 10:30 a.m. when I'm taking shots of Jack Daniel's, scotch and Jameson's, plus a big glass of Jameson's with ginger ale and lime. I had a scone for breakfast and rarely drink - how could this possibly go wrong?
Alas, and alack, all good things must come to and end. I cannot wait to go back...
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning, and I live by the river...
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