Posts tagged Museums

16.11 Isle of Wight

0515 I wake up after a good sleep. The bed in this hotel is very comfy.

0600 I download walking maps for the day as well as purchasing a ticket for the Spinnaker Tower on Sunday.

0630 I head down to breakfast. I‘m the only person there at the start. There‘s a good selection in the buffet. On the TV there‘s lots of Brexit turmoil in the news.

0720 The sun is coming up. It’s overcast and misty.

0800 I head for the train station.

0815 I decide to catch the catamaran ferry to the Isle of Wight. The Solent looks quite still. I was hoping to stand outside but the weather is poor and the “sun deck” is closed. It’s so misty that there’s not much to see anyway. The crossing is very smooth. There aren’t many people on the ferry at this time of the day.

0835 The ferry arrives at Ryde on the Isle of Wight. I walk up to the High Street. Many of the shops as still closed. I hear the distinctive sound of seagulls in a seaside town. On the way back down the street I buy a Belgian bun from a bakery.

While waiting at the Ryde train station I see a notice warning of engineering works on the line to London on Sunday; the day I travel to London. I will need to see how that might affect me.

0951 The train departs to Shanklin calling at Ryde St John’s Road, Brading, Sandown, Lake and Shanklin. It’s an old train. I think it may actually be an ex-underground train. It rattles.

1010 We arrive at Shanklin. I walk around the town. In general, the towns on the island are bigger than I expected. But the overcast weather does cast a dready light. I’m sure they are more lively in Spring and Summer.

1054 I catch the number 2 bus to Godshill. I‘ve seen photos of thatched houses in this town and would like to check them out.

1107 The bus arrives in Godshill. I wander around the town. I think I’ve seen the best parts then I look at my map. I notice another part of town and wander up Church Hill. Here I see some more thatched houses around the church; gorgeous. I take a short stroll on a footpath out of town and see some of the countryside. I walk past massive fields of cabbages (I assume).

1206 I catch the number 2 bus back to Shanklin.

1220 We arrive in Shanklin. I’m going to catch the train back to Ryde.

1238 I’m on the train back to Ryde. I’m feeling quiet sleepy at the moment.

1300 We arrive at Ryde. I had hoped to catch the hovercraft back to Portsmouth. As a child, I remember seeing a hovercraft at Dover but I don’t think I’ve ever been on one. Unfortunately, when I get to the hovercraft “station” there’s a sign indicating that the service is temporarily suspended. That’s disappointing! I make my way to the catamaran ferry instead.

While waiting for the ferry back to Portsmouth I notice two large structures in the sea. At first I assume they are large ships. When they don’t move I realise that they are sea forts. Unfortunately, they are too far away and it’s too misty for me to get a good photo.

1347 We depart Ryde.

1405 We arrive in Portsmouth. I head to the hotel to freshen up and drop off my back pack. I’ll visit more of the maritime museums while I have the time and I want to travel light.

1430 I make it to the museums. It’s lightly spotting rain. I visit the Battle of Jutland display, the M.33 (a surviving ship from Gallipoli), the HMS Victory museum and the Naval Museum. I make my way to a shop and stop for a coffee and cake. Today, as with yesterday, I notice heavily armed police walking between the museums.

1551 I head back to the hotel again. The hotel is next to a massive outlet shopping centre. I decide to look around. I buy some light sweaters for my next trip to Bavaria at Christmas.

1655 I’m back in the hotel and working on my blog. I’m not sure if I’ll do anything for dinner; I’ve eaten plenty today. I’d prefer to sit in, read some of my acquisitions and head to bed early. I’d like to do some walking tomorrow.

England 2018Ian Barber17 November 2018Isle of Wight, Godshill, Portsmouth, Shanklin, UK, Museums, Ryde Comments

15.11 Moreton-in-Marsh to Portsmouth

0500 I wake up after a fitful night. The weather forecast all week has been for fog this morning. I’ve been hoping to get some interesting photos. But it’s clear this morning. Boo hoo!

0730 Breakfast.

0830 Time for the ritual repack. Today I’m moving on but I don’t have pre-booked tickets. That means I have more flexibility and less pressure. It’s nice. I dream of a time when I may be able to slow down the pace of travel to be more like this.

0852 Finished repacking. Only 22 minutes!

0910 Time to check-out.

0930 I get to the train station. It’s quite mild. Warm from walking, I’m just in t-shirt now. I buy my ticket but don’t properly read the train signage on the platform. I go over the overpass to platform 2 where the London trains would usually depart from. The station master calls out from across the tracks to confirm which train I want. She tells me it’s going to depart from platform 1. Back over the overpass! The sign on platform 1 still shows the 0929 train to Moreton-in-Marsh, so when a train arrives I take no notice. But the train sits at the platform for quite some time and the sign changes to my train. I check with the station master and this IS my train. That was all a bit confusing.

0950 Great Western Railway departs, calling at Kingham, Charlbury, Hanborough, Oxford and Reading. I bought a first class ticket but this train doesn’t have a first class carriage. The conductor says I can get a form to request a refund if none of the trains offer first class seating.

1105 We arrive at Reading.

1115 Great Western Railway departs. The weather is very overcast now. This train does have a first class section and it’s worth it.

1150 We arrive in Guildford.

1204 Great South Western departs, calling at Hazelmere, Petersfield, Havant, Fratton, Portsmouth and Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour. This train also has a first class section, so I’m happy with my ticket choice after all.

1305 We arrive at Portsmouth Harbour.

1318 I check-in. The WiFi doesn‘t appear to be working in my room or at reception. I speak with the staff. I pop to the nearby pret-a-manger for a hot chocolate and to use their WiFi for updates. But I can‘t connect to that either. Oops, maybe it’s my phone? I restart my phone and everything is OK again.

1400 I’d like to visit the Spinnaker Tower, but when I check online I realise I will have to book for another day. I decide to explore the Mary Rose museum instead. I make my way there. The Mary Rose was King Henry VIII’s ship that sank in 1545. What’s left of it has been recovered and is preserved in a museum. Admittedly, there’s not much left but it was fascinating all the same.

1450 I finish at the Mary Rose museum after buying my big book for the trip: Britain’s Tudor Maps County by County.

My plan had been to visit the other maritime museums on Sunday but I realise it will be really busy then and it’s very quiet now. I decide to get a ticket (it will be valid for a year) and I visit HMS Victory and HMS Warrior in relative peace.

HMS Victory was Nelson’s ship at the Battle of Trafalgar. I remember it vividly from my childhood because a friend made a really great model of it. It’s really special to walk through the real thing.

HMS Warrior was an iron-clad warship from 1860. I’m not so familiar with it, but explore anyway.

It’s late in the day and birds are congregating on the top of one of the masts. They get disturbed when a guide shakes a rope and fly off in a flurry.

1645 I get back to the hotel. The last hotel was lovely but every floorboard in my room creaked. It’s nice to not make noises as I walk in this hotel. I organise laundry for tomorrow. I’ve done really well with packing this trip; just a few things need washing.

1830 I shower and head out to find some dinner. The hotel is located in a shopping/dining precinct, so there will be plenty of choices. Being a week night, it’s relatively quiet out. I settle for The Old Customs House and have a delicious chicken and leek pie with mash and greens.

2030 I watch a little TV and then sleep time. I’ve really noticed the Christmas ads on the TV here. All snow and tinsel; it just feels so much more authentic than Christmas in Australia.

England 2018Ian Barber16 November 2018Portsmouth, Museums, Ships, HMS Warrior, HMS Victory, UK, Mary Rose Comments

Manchester

After yesterday's adventure I was hobbling around when I got up this morning with sore muscles and a blister on the bottom of one foot. I've decided that I must prepare better for my next trip and toughen up my feet.

For today, I thought of putting together a plan to visit some of the villages in the Peak District. This is an area I haven't explored yet and the man on the train from Llandudno had given me a number of recommendations. However, in the end I realised that a rushed one day plan was not going to do the region justice. Added to that, the area is to the east of Manchester and there was a forecast of rain. I decided that I should add the area to my "to visit" list for my next trip and do it properly.

So, in order to treat my feet with kindness, I decided to do some activities in Manchester.

After a very relaxed start to the day I headed to the Imperial War Museum "North". The focus of this museum of the IWM is the impact of war on individuals. To get there I was going to need to get my head around the tram system. Manchester has what looks like a great network of shiny new trams. When you see them in the streets they warn pedestrians with an unexpected but very endearing whistley "toot" sound. I researched my options and decided on day tripper ticket to allow me to get around as much as I liked.

I caught a tram on the D line to Salford Quay at 10:40am. It took only about 10-15min. It was a short walk to the museum but I had to wait a few minutes for this bridge to lower.

The museum building is very striking. It's made up from there shards representing conflict on land, in air and on water.

As with the IWM in London, it was an extremely well designed museum. I spent quite some time strolling through the chronological display. On each hour a different film consumed all the walls of the main exhibition area. I watched 3 of them but the first was the most moving. It focussed on the impact of war on children and I have to admit I had to struggle to keep it together.

After a delicious but late lunch at the cafe I decided I had time to fit in one other museum. I headed back to central Manchester and to the People's History Museum. On the way I noticed some interesting architecture. I could definitely have a field day here with my camera if I had sufficient time. I only took a few shots, including this of the very impressive town hall.

The People's History Museum was all about the struggle for people's rights and the evolution of voting an politics in the UK. There was also an exhibition on the journey to LGBT+ rights in the UK and around the world. Another fantastic museum.

By now it was nearly 5:00pm and time to get back. I'll have a quiet night tonight and repack my bags before moving on to my next destination tomorrow.

England and Wales 2017Ian Barber19 May 2017Cityscapes, Museums, England, UK Comments

Trying not to think about it

Last night I caught up with friends Emma and Sibs for dinner at a Peruvian restaurant in Shoreditch. It was great to see them and the food was fantastic. On my way to the restaurant I spotted this building and had to take a snap. I think the way they've played with perspective is brilliant!

Last night wasn't late, but after Sunday night's effort it was still difficult getting myself activated this morning. I only had some very vague plans for the day so I headed towards the Thames. The walk took me through Chelsea and then along the Thames until the Houses of Parliament. I don't remember walking along that part of the Thames before.

It was a perfectly clear morning and the browns and reds of bricks and tiles against the vivid blue sky looked stunning.

I passed this bike slowly being digested by the undergrowth.

The tide was exceptionally low on the Thames with many boats beached along the shores.

The walk along the embankment took me a couple of hours but it was nice to stroll and take photos of things as they caught my eye.

I spent a little bit of time sitting in one of the parks along side the Thames. Luckily, I don't think I broke any of these rules.

At one stage there were two very large and very loud black army helicopters hovering over part of the city. I haven't seen anything that beefy over the city before and it was a little unnerving

Eventually I made it to Covent Garden. I wanted to get a print I'd seen at the start of my trip and to visit the London Transport Museum. When I first arrived I went to the open day at the London Transport Museum depot not realising that there was actually a museum in the city. So today I checked it out. Understandably, it was teeming with school kids so navigating around was a little tricky. But worth it all the same.

This is the inside of one of the older tube trains. Very different to these days.

There's currently a design exhibition on and this model of Picadilly Circus station was fascinating. I really got a sense of how complex the network of tunnels is below the surface. Quite mind blowing that it all works, actually.

By this time my energy was waning. I checked my map and discovered that a tube station nearby would take me directly to Earl's Court where the hotel is. It was a sign. Now I'm resting up before heading out to catch up with another friend.

Tomorrow is my last day in England and I'm trying my hardest not to think about it.

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber25 May 2016UK, Museums, Thames, London, EnglandComment

Oops

The plan was to go to Horse Meat Disco last night and check out the new look and sound system, stay for a couple of hours, then head home. Things didn't go according to plan (details not required) and today has been a very slow day as a result. Not that I'm complaining. Wouldn't have changed any of it!

When I did eventually get out and about I visited the Victoria & Albert Museum. When I went there at the start of my trip there were some books I was interested in but didn't want to weigh down my luggage too early. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the exact books but did buy another one.

There was also a new installation there as part of engineering month. Thanks for the tip off Andy, I wouldn't have looked for it otherwise. There's a robot/machine that is spinning this structure out of carbon fibre over the course of the month.

I took a few photos on the way to the museum and back but nothing worth posting here. Tonight I catch up with friends Emma and Sibs. We're going to a Peruvian restaurant.

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber24 May 2016England, Museums, London, UKComment

Jam packed

I woke up after one of the best sleeps I've had on this holiday. It's was early, but I felt refreshed. After breakfast my first plan was to have one last go at photographing some of the older buildings in the city and then explore some more of the wall.

Capturing the feel of the buildings is challenging. The streets are so narrow its often difficult to fit the whole building in and the streets are so dark that the contrast created by any light makes getting the right light balance tedious. I got some shots that I think will come out all right in post processing, but these two are OK as they are. The second one is meant to show just how ramshackle some of the buildings are.

I picked up the wall from the eastern side and followed it around. It was still early in the morning and there were some great views. The wall is fascinating to walk and it's punctuated by gates and towers.

It was a beautiful clear morning and by the time I'd walked around the wall I was getting warm so I popped back to the apartment to change into lighter clothes. Then it was back to visit the Merchants Hall I had seen on my wall walk. It was built in the 1400s and was a guild hall for merchants.

Somewhere on my walks I came across these cute goslings. There are quite a few geese in the rivers of York. I'm not fond of geese so I always make sure to keep my distance.

From the Merchant Hall I made my way to Clifford's Tower. This used to be part of a castle.

After grabbing some lunch I made my way to the main destination for the day - the National Railway Museum.

They have a series of Royal carriages. This was the setting inside one of them. Luxury.

They even have an authentic bullet train from Japan.

And some historic British trains.

Probably the most fascinating was this cutaway steam train. I never realised that the round tank at the front contained all those pipes. I'd assumed it was just hollow.

I spent quite a few hours wandering around before buying some great things from the shop. One is a book of transit system maps from around the world. It may sound a bit boring but I think some of these maps are mini works of art. I've always been a fan.

After popping back to the apartment again to drop of my purchases I walked my aching feet to one last destination - the York Museum. I had considered giving it a miss but I figure tomorrow is a train day and my feet can rest then.

The museum was really well presented and gave a great insight into the history of York from prehistory, to Roman, Viking, Anglo and Norman. I took a photo of this tile because of the stamp. It just made it a whole lot more personal and real to think that someone placed that stamp there 2,000 years ago.

That was a jam packed day. My feet aren't talking to me right now but I will rest them. Tomorrow I head on to the Lake District.

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber18 May 2016Northern England, England, Museums, Castles, Old Town, UK, York, TrainsComment

An O-slow day

I had a number of sights on my to-see list for Oslo but the Viking ship museum was the only must-see. I started out early to avoid crowds. It felt toasty warm in the apartment. Outside was grey but you could see it was clearing. I checked the temperature ... 1 degree! I made sure I rugged up until it warmed up a bit.

First on the agenda was to take some photos of the buildings in this complex. They each have their own unique style and a couple are awesome. The light wasn't my friend though, and it wasn't until I returned at the end of the day that I got some semi decent shots. Similarly I checked out the opera house but, with the sun behind it, the shots came out a bit grey, Again I took more at the end of the day when the sun was shining on the front. I did get a shot of this sculpture offshore though.

Some big ferries dock here.

From there I decided to get some cash and make my way to the Viking ship museum. It's the furthest away and I could work my way back from there. Finding an ATM proved to be more difficult than expected and I had to go a long way before I found one.

I knew of 2 ways to get to the museum: bus and ferry. I decided on bus and began a mission to buy a 24h travel card. That also proved to be more difficult than expected. Even the ticket machines at the train station didn't cooperate. So I went with the ferry instead. In the end it was a better and cheaper option anyway. Before boarding I stopped for coffee and some cake near city hall. Speaking of city hall, this is the building.

I found this sculpture/frieze on the side amusing. Is the guy trying to ambush the other two? Seemed a bit incongruous.

This was the ferry to the island with the museums.

The Viking ship museum is on an island with a number of other museums. The houses near the museum are post-card perfect. It looks like quite an affluent area.

The Viking ship museum has 3 Viking long boats that had finished life as burial vessels and were then discovered from the mid 1800s to early 1900s. It was great to see them in real life to get a sense of their size and design.

The museum also has artefacts found at the sites.

The ticket also gave me entry to the Historical Museum but that was back in downtown Oslo, so I made the ferry trip back. There was some good scenery on the way.

After stopping for some lunch I passed what appears to be the Main Street of Oslo and I could here a marching band in the distance. I hung around to discover it was the changing of the guard at the royal palace.

When I made it to the historical museum I was a bit disappointed. They had some great medieval and Viking artifacts but in the Viking section they had mounted these folk art figures in the cabinets which made the displays seem quite tacky.

I didn't stay there long. By this time I was feeling quite lethargic so I decided to be lazy and get a ticket for the hop on/hop off bus. That way I could be driven around to see anything I hadn't got to yet. I got off at Aker Brygge. This is a waterfront neighbourhood built from the late 80s and its typical of the newer, flashier side of Oslo. As well as lots of residential buildings there are lots and lots of restaurants. It's like the marina at Glenelg x 10. I stopped for a delicious gelato: 1 scoop of coffee and 1 scoop of cinnamon. The weather was beautiful and sunny - but I still needed my 4 layers!

From Aker Brygge I slowly made my way back to the apartment. Past Akershus Fortress.

I saw this guy leaning out the window to clean it. My Origin colleagues will know what was going through my mind.

And past the Opera House. It's great how you can walk right over the roof.

And finally to take some more pics of the buildings around the apartment. Also, I've noticed that the pedestrian crossing lights have 2 red men. They always appear to be on at the same time. Is that to make you stop twice as much?

I will have another early night tonight. I catch the train to Bergen at 8:30am.

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber5 May 2016Oslo, Museums, Architecture, Cityscapes, NorwayComment

Pop + culture + history

Today the plan was all about museums. A number of interesting ones are conveniently located on an island called Djurgarden. I set off early again catching the metro to T-Centralen then changing lines to get me to Karlaplan. There was a connecting train already waiting when I got to T-Centralen but by the time I double checked that it was the right one it was leaving. I had to wait 15min for the next one, but that's better than catching the wrong one and having to backtrack.

I was early so it gave me an opportunity to photograph some other aspects of the city.

Some of the boats moored along the lake/sea have a lot of character.

First museum was the Vasa Museum. I used to love to make models when I was a kid, and the Vasa was on my wish list for a very long time. I can still picture the box. Consequently, I know a little about the ship. It sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 only shortly after setting sail. Oops, that's a bit embarrassing. It lay at the bottom of the harbour for over 300 years until it was salvaged in 1961. They have worked on conserving it and have build a great museum around it. It was quite dark inside, so photography was a little tricky, but I swapped lenses which helped a bit.

This cross section was really interesting.

After the history of the Vasa I decided to pop into the Abba Museum (pun intended). This museum was to originally open in 2010 and I bought tickets at the time as part of the Europe trip Emily and I made but something fell through and the opening got postponed. They had a travelling museum that Scott and I saw in Melbourne, but I still thought I should have a look at the local version. I'm glad I did because there were a couple of really interesting exhibits I hadn't seen. I bought some items from the shop too. I bought the DVD of their North American tour which I've never seen, the deluxe version of Chess which has videos I've never seen and the recording of the Kristina performance at Carnegie Hall which I've been having trouble getting in Australia.

After pop, it was time for some culture so I went to the Nordic Museum which showcases life, work, trends and traditions in Sweden from the 16th century to present. The museum itself is very impressive.

And the exhibits were also very interesting. I must admit I assumed the museum would also cover Swedish history but it didn't. I guess there must be another museum for that. Stockholm appears to have a lot of museums.

After the last museum I had intended to make my way back to the apartment, but the weather was nice, almost warm, and Djurgarden is essentially one massive park so I followed the crowds and strolled for a while. I took some more photos of the scenery on and across from the island.

I had to get this shot. Oh the indignity.

Another full day.

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber2 May 2016Sweden, Parks, Museums, Stockholm, CityscapesComment

Thursday part 3: Danish design

My last destination for the day was the Danish Design Museum. On the way I came across an old part of town where all the buildings were the same design and ochre render.

There were some other interesting sights too.

The design museum had a couple of exhibitions as well as their standard collections. An interesting exhibition was one that explored Japanese influences on Danish design.

I wandered around the museum, at one stage getting stuck in a guided tour bottleneck. Here are some pictures of my favourite things.

This was the most beautiful thing I saw. It was in an exhibition of Danish design today. I couldn't work out whether it was glass or acrylic, but I think it's stunning.

By the time I got to the end of the museum it was raining. It was still only mid afternoon, but I decided I'd done well fitting all that in and it was time to relax and head back to the apartment. I bought some more supplies as well as a delicious snack from a bakery nearby. Could this be why my waist is expanding?

Tomorrow it's on to Stockholm.

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber29 April 2016Copenhagen, Denmark, Old Town, MuseumsComment

Castle time

As expected, I was in bed early last night, before 9:00pm. But I desperately needed the sleep and I think the rest has helped me to shake off the last of the jet lag. I still woke up early, but that's just me.

The initial plan for today was to meet a friend for coffee in Camden and then maybe wander around the markets. The forecast wasn't too bright so I thought this was a wise move. However, as the sun came up it was looking better than I expected so I changed plans. I was also feeling a little anxious that I hadn't done any of my day trips yet and didn't want to leave them all until my return. So I decided to make my apologies to my friend and head to Windsor Castle. At first I was thinking a grey day might be bad for photographing castles but then I figured it might be more dramatic.

I took the tube to Paddington. The trusses in the station ceiling have this ornate pattern.

From Paddington I caught the train to Windsor. On the way we went through Southall which curiously had the station name in an Indian looking script as well as English. I assume it was to embrace the cultural identity of the area. Nice one.

I had to change trains at Slough. Speaking of Slough, all my guesses at pronunciation were wrong. It's pronounced sl-ow as in "cow" - go figure.

While waiting at Slough for the Windsor train I noticed this building. Seemed a little out of place actually.

Also while at Slough an express train belted past. It was incredibly fast!

Once at Windsor I made my way to the castle. It must be odd for the town to be in the shadow of this massive structure. I wandered around taking some shots. It's an impressive place.

And what's a castle without a gargoyle or dragon or two?

It started to spot with rain so it was time to move inside and do the tour of the state apartments. As you'd expect they are very grand, if a bit dark and gloomy. But only the Queen's reception room had some serious Royal bling to it. As you'd expect, you're not allowed to take photos inside, so nothing to show you.

I saw this odd style of clock on the side of the chapel. I've seen some others like it in London.

And the chapel was equally as impressive.

One really obvious thing you notice as soon as you get to the castle is the air traffic. The castle must be close to right on a main flight path. Lucky those castle walls are thick. I checked my flight path app and this was the traffic going on.

When I left the castle it was raining to I dashed to find somewhere for lunch before heading back into the city. At the end of the day I had a booking to visit Dennis Severs' house.

It's hard to describe what you encounter when you enter this unassuming door. If you're interested I suggest you read for yourself on the website. http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/ It was a great experience, though I didn't figure out all of the story. It would be worth going back a second time - I'm sure I'd discover more.

Near the house I came across this sculpture. I had to look a couple of times to decide whether it was a sculpture or some maintenance work.

The tube back to the hotel was packed, I guess it was still rush hour. But I made it back intact. I ended the evening sitting in the hotel bar writing this blog and sipping on a martini (or two).

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber26 April 2016Trains, England, Museums, Castles, UK, Southern England, London Comment

Museum day

I woke up at 7:00am this morning (Sunday) feeling fresh, though I started feeling a bit tired as the early morning progressed. It rained overnight but it was clearing by 9:00am. I had another delicious breakfast in the hotel and worked on my blog for a while. My first stop for the day didn't open until 11:00am so there was no rush. Having said that, it took me a while to muster the energy to get going, so it was good to not be in a hurry.

Before leaving Australia I saw an advertisement for an open weekend at the London Transport Museum depot so I organised a ticket. Today was the day. It's also the day of the London marathon and I noticed increased police presence as soon as I left the hotel as a policeman brandishing a machine gun was patrolling ahead of me.

I headed to the Kensington High Street tube station to top up my Oyster card and take my first tube ride of this trip (took the circle line to Earls Court then the district line to Acton Town). On my way down the escalator I reacquainted myself with standing on the right side instead of the left as we tend to do.

The museum depot was a few minutes walk from the station. I noticed these serious pieces of hardware on the way in.

The depot has a huge collection of old maps and signage. It was fascinating to see how they have evolved.

The depot also has a good collection of trains and buses.

I enjoyed walking around. Dotted around the depot were stalls selling all sorts of second hand transport related items. Of particular interest to me were some maps. I bought a couple. I also bought my first 2 books of the trip - starting early - I must pace myself. One was London Transport Photographs 1880-1965 and the other was 150 of the most iconic posters from the underground. I could easily have bought a few more too.

After a couple of hours of wandering around I made my way back to the hotel to drop off my purchases and decide what to do next. I decided to check out some exhibitions at the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum (next door to each other).

The exhibition at the Natural History Museum was Otherworlds, a collection of large photographs from the solar system to a soundtrack created by Brian Eno. The photographs were spectacular and made me wonder about all that beauty that is never experienced up close ... or is it?

The museum was super busy. I wandered around a bit but nothing really grabbed my attention other than the architecture of the building.

It was still only 3:30pm so I ventured on to the V&A. Unlike the Natural History Museum, I have been to the V&A before. This time I was interested in an exhibition of photos by Paul Strand, a pioneer of modern photography. Some of his work dates back to 1910 and it was enlightening to see photography in that age being used as an artistic medium rather than just a documentary medium or gimmick. The book shop had a couple more books I'd really like but I decided to wait until I come back to London at the end of May. Then I can load my luggage up for the final flight home if need be.

I was going to leave but I noticed the medieval/Renaissance section and some amazing carved altar pieces in particular. The gilded, 3D works were gruesome but stunning.

By this time my feet had had enough. I decided to save them a little by catching the tube part way back to the hotel. After a little confusion over which line to catch I made it back to High Street, grabbed some dinner and stumbled back to the hotel.

I had planned to go out tonight for a bit of a dance at a place I know of, but my feet/legs have given up on me. I'm feeling very tired again and I think an early night is in order.

England and Scandinavia 2016Ian Barber25 April 2016England, Museums, Trains, London, UKComment

Wet Wednesday in Washington

It started raining shortly after I returned to the hotel last night. It continued all night and through most of the day. Luckily, today my plan was for an indoor activity. I just had to brave the rain to get to that activity.

The Udar-Hazy Centre is part of the Air and Space Museum. It's located at the edge of the Washington Dulles International Airport. That's the airport I arrived at on Monday and it's a fair way out of downtown Washington.

So the first challenge was to find out how to get there. Luckily they provided that information at the museum I visited yesterday. It would involve a train trip and a connecting bus. After assessing the options I decided to get a SmartTrip card which is like Oyster in London or the new MetroCard in Adelaide. It would just make the trip simpler.

The metro station was only a couple of blocks away but it was raining constantly. When I got there I found a machine to dispense SmartTrip cards but it didn't accept $20 notes which were all I had. For some reason it wouldn't accept my MasterCard or Travel Card either. Oh well, I was craving a coffee so I left the station to find some coffee and break the $20. Silver lining moment? I returned to the station a bit later armed with two $5 notes and, after some user error moments, I soon had my card. The rest of the trip went smoothly, but it did take nearly 2 hours.

I knew what the draw cards of the museum were for me were. This museum was my reason for visiting Washington in the first place. I THOUGHT I knew what to expect. But when I walked in to this view (which is only part of the museum) I nearly wet myself with excitement!

I spent hours wandering around the various exhibits. There was too much to describe here in detail but I'd like to share some highlights. And they're highlights for a variety of reasons.

In the space section was the space shuttle Discovery! Amazing! I still remember being glued to my TV as a kid when the very first shuttle lifted off. Now I was seeing one "in the flesh" .

I had to get a close up of some of the tiles on the underside. You can see how they're individually numbered.

Another highlight was seeing a Concorde.

And a more sobering, but still significant highlight was seeing this plane - the Enola Gay. This was the actual plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It was chilling listening to the guide speak about it. But he also spoke about the B-29 itself: some of the stories behind its development and innovations that we now take for granted in our planes. There wasn't a discussion about the morality behind the use of the atomic bomb, just an account of what happened.

Then this plane got my attention. Although this particular one was only a prototype for the 707, the moment was still significant because my family flew in a 707 when we emigrated from the UK in 1969. I can remember many things about the plane and the trip, including getting to visit the cockpit at the same time as we were being escorted by US fighter jets somewhere near Vietnam.

There was a Gemini space capsule that made me realise just how cramped the interior was, and just how scary it must have been to fly through space in that tiny tin can.

Speaking of cramped, this is another way to fly. But you'll never get me in one!

And for something completely different there was the actual model of the mother ship used in filming Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The last part was a visit to an observation desk where you could see Washingron Dulles airport, the runways and flights landing.

Then the reverse trip home. A great day. And a great trip. I wish I had another full day in Washington DC. But I do still have tomorrow morning, so I'm hopefully going to get a chance to visit one of the art galleries before my train trip to NYC.

North America 2014Ian Barber23 October 2014Washington DC, Airplanes, Space, USA, MuseumsComment

Last day in London

Yesterday (Thursday) was my last full day in London. There were a couple of things left on my "to see" list, so after a bit of research I headed out. My legs have been sore so I took the tube.

First stop was the Imperial War Museum. When I was here last year most of it was closed due to renovations for this year's centenary of the start of WWI. The new main area is quite impressive.

Naturally, the main event at the moment is the WWI exhibition. It was superb and packed with people. I learnt a few facts I'd not realised.

The other exhibitions were good, but not as indepth as I'd expected. I guess there are other museums in London that tell the story of WWII in more detail.

My other main destination was the design museum. On the way to the tube station I encountered streets of these buildings.

Then, quite unintentionally, I stumbled across The Shard while looking for a place to eat my lunch. Foreboding like a 21st century pyramid.

The design museum had some interesting exhibitions including one on Louis Kahn, a famous architect. Overall though, I was a little disappointed. I expected more exhibits. This is the sign on the wall of the museum.

I decided to walk back to the apartment to maximise my last experience of London (this time around) and hopefully find one or two photo ops.

I love how in London you can turn a corner and suddenly an iconic building peeks out from between the ordinary office blocks.

Last discovery of the day was this old church ruin now a public garden.

Spent the evening tidying, packing and planning my trip to the airport in the morning. Looks like the baggage handler strike is going ahead so the airline has advised getting there early.

Before the DawnIan Barber12 September 2014UK, Cityscapes, London, MuseumsComment

Digital forest

I forgot to mention something from the Digital Revolution exhibition I attended on Monday.

The final part of the exhibition involved a dark room with lasers and movement sensors attached to the ceiling. If you moved your hand towards a laser it would send out individual shafts and ribbons of light that you could then coax and control, like veils of ultra fine silk. It took a little getting used to, but then became quite hypnotic.

Before the DawnIan Barber10 September 2014Museums, London, UKComment

A beautiful day in London

The weather today has been superb; clear blue skies and warm. I awoke early after a broken sleep feeling the steam roller effects of jet lag. All the same, it was too nice to stay in bed so I got myself organised and fed and out the door. The plan was to walk to the Thames and visit a couple of places on my "to see" list.

Down the stairs first.

Marchmont Street is near the apartment. The buildings caught my attention.

The roads to the Thames were still familiar from my trip last year and before long I was there. I've walked under Blackfriars Bridge before, but today I really noticed the geometry.

One destination was the Design Museum. But when I got there they told me that some floors were closed until Wednesday. I decided to come back later in the week. Along the way I paused to take in more buildings.

And it seemed like everywhere I went, The Shard was just hiding around the corner.

Another destination on my list was The Tower of London to see the poppy installation to commemorate the start of WWI. I'd seen some pictures but it was still breathtaking and moving. Each is a ceramic poppy mounted on a metal stake. There will be over 800,000 representing the British soldiers killed in the war. Such a fitting way to remember.

After some lunch the last stop was the Barbican to attend the Digital Revolution exhibition. It contained examples of digital art and entertainment from the very beginnings to some amazing new projects and installations.

From an old legend ...

To a new rendering of me (taking the photo) ...

To an amazing space where people's movement triggered some fantastic real time graphics.

After all that I was exhausted and took the tube back to the apartment. Had diner in the apartment so I can grab an early night. Tomorrow night is Kate date #1 and I want to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Before the DawnIan Barber9 September 2014Castles, UK, Cityscapes, Museums, London, Monuments Comment

Day 33 (part 2): A carrot cake kind of day

Well I figured out that I could "jettison" nearly 5kg of luggage that I either don't need or can easily replace back home. That gave me the justification I needed to get the Mars book. So first off today I made my way back to the Science Museum. I went via Regent Street so I could take some pictures.

Also, after many failed attempts over the last few days I finally got a decent picture of the Christmas decorations in Oxford street.

I got to the museum at opening time when there was no-one else in the shop and made my purchase (plus some unplanned extras). The book is heavy so I went back to the hotel to drop it off. On the way back I walked down The Strand and saw the topiary on this building. It looked real, but I don't know if it was.

Next on my hit list was a visit to the Museum of London. I took the tube to St Paul's. It was another fascinating and beautifully presented museum. It started pre-history. As an Australian the history of London seems so long that I forgot that there would be artifacts and relics from even before London was founded.

Em and Ash, I saw the following in a display for the Radio Times.

The museum is at a part of London called London Wall. I had no idea there had been a wall. It was original built by the Romans.

By this time was ready for lunch. There was a Pret-a-Manger nearby (as there nearly always is) so I went there. Never disappointed.

After a grey and drizzly start to the day the skies were clearing. What a nice way to end the holiday. I decided it was a perfect opportunity to catch one of the sight seeing boats. I made my way to the Tower of London. On the way I saw this reflection in the glass and stopped to take a pic.

I bought a ticket for one of the sight seeing boats to take me to Westminster. One must have only just left which meant I could wait near the start of the queue for the next one which was less than 30 min away. I sat up top and had a perfect view. Though, it was pretty fresh up there. One of the crew gave us a running commentary in a very broad English accent, but it was really quite fun.

From there I walked back to the hotel for dinner and a rest. The walk only took about 30 minutes. On the way I passed Green Park. I had to take the obligatory cute squirrel pic.

I also took this pic of more Christmas street decorations. Christmas feels so much more authentic here.

As its still fine, tonight I'm going to head back to the Thames one last time and see if I can get some shots of the city lights.

Oh, and as for the title of this post ... I haven't eaten much in the way of cakes and sweets while away but today I did and it just seemed like carrot cake would hit the spot nicely ... twice!

Europe 2013Ian Barber24 October 2013London, Cruises, Thames, Museums, UK, CityscapesComment

Day 32: A day of exceeded expectations

This morning I was woken abruptly by a random phone call from Australia. It was earlier than I'd expected to wake up and I thought about trying to go back to sleep. But then I realized I should get up so I don't waste too much of the morning. After a light breakfast I headed out. It was going to be a drizzly day so I decided it was a day for indoor activities. The plan was to visit the National Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. They're located next to each other so it would be easy. I was going to walk but it had already started to rain so I caught the Northern Line to Leicester Square then the Picadilly Line to South Kensington.

The main reason for going to the science museum was to see an exhibition we had seen advertised when I had Sunday lunch with Bec, Brock, Emma and Sibs a few weeks back. Other than that I was a little worried it would be all "hands-on science investigator centre". But when I got there I was immediately impressed. Masses of school kids took a bit of navigating around but for the most part I could ignore them.

On the ground floor there were rows of cabinets containing carefully organized devices and inventions throughout the ages. Really well set out.

Somewhere along the line I came across this handy "pocket" alchemy book.

What was really impressive were the number of major original artifacts. Like an actual capsule from one of the Apollo missions prior to the landing on the moon.

The computing section had prototypes of some original mechanical devices.

Of course the music section interested me too. It was great to see one of these. I used to own a TR-505 which was the drum machine cousin.

And this is the closest I'll ever get to an authentic Fairlight.

I made it to the exhibition that had led me to the museum. It was called "Only In England" and was a number of collections of black and white photographs from the late 60s and 70s by Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr. Both had a talent for choosing people and settings with poignance and humor in a typically eccentric and uniquely English way.

It was the photos from Tony Ray-Jones taken 1966-1967 that particularly resonated with me. The feelings I got from the photos were so familiar. They reminded me of photos in my parents albums - not artistically but because of the settings and people and fashion. Beaches, holiday camps, street scenes. I would still have been living in England at that time and some photos had kids around the same age I would have been. I could imagine being in those photos. I looked for a book but they had sold out.

In the museum shop I found a beautiful book of around 200 full page photos from a 2005 probe to Mars. They were black and white but in great detail. What was so intriguing was the variety of landscapes. The book had notes at the back that explained about each picture. I was very tempted to get it but I resisted. I'm sure the weight would tip my already swollen luggage over my 30 kg limit and I'm not sure where I'd store the book in my cases anyway ... it was big.

So in the end the museum finished up being far more interesting than I expected and I found myself wandering around like a big kid.

I left to find some lunch then went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. This had been on my to-do list but I can't remember if there was a specific reason. There was one thing I'd seen an article about recently but I wasn't sure if I'd be all the interested in anything else.

I head read about this installation on the Internet. It's made up from masses of paper windmills. It's very effective en-masse but strangely looked a bit tacky close up I thought.

After wandering around a bit I was about to leave when I stumbled into this room and was taken back by the scale of the castings and artifacts. Quite awe inspiring.

By this time my feet were sore so it was back to the hotel for a rest before meeting Emma and Sibs for dinner. This is the entrance to the hotel.

And the obligatory pic of my room. As I said in my post yesterday, it's small but very well appointed.

Emma had booked us into a lovely Moroccan restaurant about 15 min walk from my hotel. On the way I came across Carnaby Street which had some great shops. Then I encountered Regent Street. Wow! At night it looks so impressive. The lighting on the buildings creates such presence. I'll come back tomorrow with my camera in hope of capturing some of that feeling.

Dinner was lovely with great company. I'm so grateful to Emma for organizing. I look forward to seeing them when they visit Australia later in the year. After dinner we navigated the rain to a nearby pub for one last drink. It was a week night for those two and I was pretty tired too.

I had visions of getting out and about tonight, after all, I'm staying in Soho with lots of options. But ... I'm tired and I would only be going out to tick a box. Heading to bed instead so I can fit as much as I can into my final full day overseas (insert sadder than sad face here).

Europe 2013Ian Barber23 October 2013UK, London, Museums Comments

Day 21 (part 2): The missing piece

Today has been my last full day in Berlin. Tomorrow I catch the train to Krakow via Warsaw. I decided to make a last attempt to get to the information centre for the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. So I headed out early. The weather was better today. Still overcast but dry, so I walked in. On the way I stumbled across another set of monumental buildings.

I got to the memorial 20 minutes before opening and secured myself a space near the front of the queue. And it was so worth the effort. The centre is brilliant in both design and content. I took the audio guide and meditated on the horror and futility of what happened. These pictures are from inside. One of the design elements in the information centre is the continuation of the blocks above into the ceiling and other spaces below.

I spent a long time wandering though the centre, taking it all in.

Afterwards I headed towards another site I had read about. One of the churches that was bombed in the war has been kept in that state as a memorial and reminder. What I now realise is that the church is located in what must have been the hub of west Berlin and all this time I have only really seen what was east Berlin. So there were two things to see.

Unfortunately for me, the church is undergoing maintenance and is shrouded by a scaffolding and covering, all you can see is a little of the steeple poking out of the top. But as soon as I looked around I saw the more conventional western city that was missing from the Berlin I had seen so far. This was the missing piece of the puzzle. It all made sense now. Mind you, I wouldn't say I prefer one over the over. The two sides of Berlin are quite different but both beautiful in their own way.

An added bonus of visiting this side of Berlin was making it to the Berlin museum which chronicles the history of Berlin. It was another well presented museum, but I think I might be getting museum-ed out. However, the added attraction of this one was that you were taken on a tour of a real nuclear fall out shelter constructed in the early 70s. It was eerie, and if you think about what might have happened, it was quite horrific. The shelter was built to accommodate 3,600 people which is mind blowing in itself, but you have to question whether people really could have survived in these conditions.

Europe 2013Ian Barber12 October 2013Germany, Museums, Monuments, Berlin Comment

Day 20 (part 2): Or where did that day go?

It rained for quite a while last night. When I got up, all I could see of the TV tower was the mast above the observation dome due to the low cloud. By 9:00 it had started to rain again. Today was a bit of a "mop up" day. I've done all the big ticket items off my to-do list so it was a matter of deciding which of the "lesser" things I felt like. Also, I had been leaving some of the indoor activities until later in case of wet weather, so here was my opportunity.

Walking all the way into the city wasn't going to be an option today so I took the now familiar route to my nearest u-bahn (underground) station. The U2 takes me all the way to Potsdamer Platz which is where I decided to start.

When I visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe I only saw the memorial itself and not the information centre below it. There had been a small line up so I decided to come back. Might have been a bad move as when I returned to try today the queue was 6 times longer and not moving. A couple from NZ arrived in the line behind me so I struck up a conversation. I must say it was therapeutic to have a prolonged, comfortable English conversation. When it was clear the line wasn't going anywhere in a hurry I decided to bail and move on to my next stop instead.

My next stop was the Deutsche Kinematik, a museum of German film located in the Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz. The first part of the museum was an introductory space that masterfully used mirrors to create infinite reflections in just about every direction! It was pretty amazing. Unfortunately my snaps don't do it justice, and just after the second shot I was politely told that photography was not allowed ... oops.

The museum was really interesting and chronicled the German film industry from when it was quite ground breaking to the present time. I spent about an hour and a half wandering through. One of my favourite parts was information about Metropolis, which I saw at the Adelaide film festival a few years back. Fritz Lang employed 3,600 extras through the course of filming!

After that museum I wanted to head to the Deutsches Historiches Museum which is a German history museum. On the way I checked the queue back at the memorial and it was just as long if not longer. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

I also wanted to drop into one of the shops that exclusively sell merchandise modeled on Berlin's version of the "walk" sign - Ampelmännchen. He's not the almost androgynous version we have in Australia. He has a very distinct appearance and swagger. Apparently he was an East German invention and has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. There's a good Wikipedia article if you're interested. Unfortunately the stores didn't sell anything I really wanted so I left empty handed.

The German history museum was to the east of the city near the other museums. I got there about 1:45 thinking I'd spend a couple of hours. It was really well laid out taking you right from the beginning to present time. I know quite a lot about 20th century Germany so I was most interested in learning about the beginnings from the time of the Roman Empire and later how Germany finally formed. When I finished, I checked my phone thinking it would be about 3:00. It was 5:15! How time flies.

From there it was just back to the apartment. So, not many photos today. I'm not big for taking photos in museums and art galleries and there wasn't anything else today that I haven't already shared ... other than the rain. I'd thought about going out to check some of the other Festival of Light installations tonight but it's still too wet. Tomorrow's forecast is for dryer conditions so I might try then.

Europe 2013Ian Barber10 October 2013Germany, Museums, Berlin, Monuments Comment

Day 19 (part 1): Not a dry eye in the house

The only thing I don't like about cold weather is that it makes my eyes water. So for the first part of the day I constantly appeared as if I was crying as I walked towards the city centre. When I got there I visited two monuments and this time I was crying for real. Quite an emotional morning. But I'll back track and start from the beginning. Today's plan was to head toward Potsdamer Platz and then later in the day visit the Reichstag. I walked a different way and it was nice to take in the shops along the way. All the time I was walking I was drying my eyes from the cold air which became quite annoying.

One place that Em may have been interested in was this museum of surreal industrial objects. Unfortunately it was closed at the time.

Nearby was some more street art. One of my purchases has been a book of Berlin street art as that's something that has really resonated with me.

I hadn't planned to visit today but I found myself at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. I've read about it and seen pictures but neither had prepared me. On approach it just appears like a sea of stone blocks.

What you don't realize is that once you start walking into it, the ground "sinks" and before you know you disappear beneath the tops of the blocks. You get a feeling of being overwhelmed and of drowning in this sea of humanity. I don't know if that was the intention but that was how I felt.

It was an extremely emotional experience to wander and meditate on the tragedy. I think it is a fitting memorial.

Nearby is a Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted Under the Nazi Regime. While not as striking in appearance this memorial and the stories behind it also moved me, for obvious reasons, and I have to admit it pushed me over the edge.

I needed some time to pull myself together before I wanted to be seen in public again.

After a little break I made my way to Potsdamer Platz. It's incredible to think that this area was more or less a wasteland divided by the wall just over 20 years ago. The Sony centre is amazing.

From there I decided to go walking in the outskirts of the city again. This time to the south west. On my way I stumbled across the Bauhaus Museum so I went in and had a look. There was an incredible porcelain exhibition, but we weren't allowed to take photos.

I needed to be back to the Reichstag by 3:00 for my booking to go up to the dome. Security was very tight but it was well worth the effort. A truly magnificent piece of architecture to top off such a historic building.

I caught the underground U2 back to the station nearest mine. I'm starting to get the hang of the lines and stations.

After being overcast and threatening all day blue sky finally poked through for the first time since I've been here.

I had some dinner to re-group before the opening of the festival of lights (coming in part 2).

Europe 2013Ian Barber10 October 2013Germany, Museums, Berlin, Cityscapes, Monuments Comment