Showing posts with label london. Show all posts
Showing posts with label london. Show all posts
[163/365] Wimbledon Championships from Henman Hill, All England Club, Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom
[63/365] London Eye & Big Ben, London, United Kingdom
Last summer, I was in London for the first time since my study abroad back in 2005. It was great revisiting and seeing London as a woman in the working world (and with a better camera!). I think it made me realize that while I'm older, I'm still the same person that loves exploring the world. I don't think that will ever go away. :)Anyway, thank you for the suggestions on photo ideas...keep 'em coming! Comment on my previous post to suggest ideas!
Window, Liverpool Train Station, London, United Kingdom
From within the Liverpool Train Station, the wide glass windows brought views of downtown buildings. That day, I walked around the station, taking photos of the tourists exploring the area and the locals on their way to work. The design of this window stood out.
Houses along the way to Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom
:) Don't feel like writing much today, except to say that these were some of the cute, quaint houses we passed as we walked to Wimbledon!
Interior of the LSE Library, London, United Kingdom
Through the doors of the library at the London School of Economics are floors and floors of books and studying students. I was even able to get a visitor library ID card while I was there (ID with my picture and everything!). Going through the center of the library is the circular architecture of stairs. It was my chance to be a pretend student for a bit, although all I did was take pictures...
Wimbledon Tennis Courts, London, United Kingdom
This was another photo from the beautiful grounds of Wimbledon right after the Andy Murray vs. Andy Roddick game ended. Spectators cleared Henmen Hill and dispersed into the Wimbledon store and off of the grounds. As we descended from the Hill, we could see one of the tennis courts used during the championships.
[day 6] Liverpool Street Train Station, London, United Kingdom
Europe is known for their elaborate train stations and this one was no exception. I've always been impressed by the excellent rail system that connects most points throughout Europe. This was a station close by Wendy's new flat that was a hub for both the Underground and the long distance trains. This Liverpool Street station is the third busiest station in London. It was built on the original site of the Bethlem Royal Hospital and became operational in February of 1874, replacing the original terminal, Bishopsgate. There were a mix of business professionals rushing to work as well as travelers with their luggage. Signs were everywhere directing you where to go.
Since this was my second time around for London (I was there 4 years ago for study abroad), I got to experience it less rushed and less with a need to see all the most famous tourist destinations that I had already seen in the past. It was more about exploring new areas and living as a Londoner. I stayed with Wendy and met a lot of her friends and I was able to get a feel for how it is living there. The weather was great the whole time I was there, and there was a lot going on throughout the city!
[day 5] London by Night, London, United Kingdon
No trip to London can be complete without a stroll through the city by night. The sights in London light up and create reflections in the River Thames, the second longest river in the United Kingdom. In this photo, you can see the London Eye, a huge ferris wheel, as well as the Houses of Parliament with the clock tower, the Big Ben. The moon was full and was shining bright that night.
[day 4] Michael Jackson Memorial, London, United Kingdom
In London, where Michael Jackson's 50 concert tour dates was set to begin soon, news of his death rippled throughout the city. At the Lyric Theatre, the Thriller Live show was originally created and performed to celebrate the accomplishments and musical influence of Michael Jackson, and it has now become a tribute to his life. The executive producer was a long time associate of Michael and the show still went on, even with the tragic news of his death. As expected, many Londoners likely had tickets to go see him at the O2 arena and this theatre was a fitting memorial site for fans to leave flowers, photos, notes and newspaper articles.
I never realized how much a fan I was of the man and his music, but with the shocking news of his death, I went to my itunes and played his songs and remembered just how much of an impact it had in my life. I can remember listening to it ever since I was young, and listening to the music really made me realize just how great it was. Saddened that he can't continue to make music and make the comeback that was all planned out for him. Despite all the controversy surrounding his life, nothing can take away from his music and his impact worldwide. RIP Michael Jackson.
[day 3] Henman Hill, Wimbledon Tennis Championships, London, United Kingdom
Since I'm back in the states now, I'm going to still chronicle my trip, day by day. Lots of catching up to do!
We were lucky enough to be in the UK during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. We paid for admission to the tennis grounds which were located in a suburb of London, where we were surrounded by courts, and the prestigious Centre Court that the actual men's singles semi final between Andy Roddick and Andy Murray was going on at. Even though we were watching on a big screen TV, it was still exciting to be there amongst tennis enthusiasts on Henman Hill, officially named the Aorangi Terrance. It is popularly known Henman Hill because it was named after the British tennis player, Tim Henman. Viewers were sitting on the hill, many with picnics prepared and sheets to relax out in the sunny London day. Roddick went on to beat Murray, the British player, unfortunately for most of the crowd who were fittingly rooting for Murray.
The Wimbledon grounds were beautiful with green structures and purple flowers throughout. Exciting time to be in London!
[day 1] London School of Economics (LSE), London, United Kingdon
After a long flight and some delays, I finally arrived in London this morning. It's 8 hours ahead of LA time over here. A ride on the tube to the Russell Park station and a short walk later, I met up with Wendy! It's been a while since I've seen her! Anyway, we had a little picnic at the Lincoln Fields Inn park on the beautiful, sunny London day and then took a stroll to her school, the London School of Economics. Since it's summer, it was more empty than usual.
After that, we went to Hyde Park and hung out on the grass with some of her friends. There were so many people lying out on the grass, typical of a sunny day in London. Right before the last call, we rented a paddle boat and paddled around the Hyde Park lake. By dinnertime, we went to eat in Chinatown and walked around London by night - took some photos of the London Eye and Big Ben and the Westminster Abbey.
Long, but eventful day. Brought back so many memories of being in London four years ago for study abroad. We even passed by the Citadines Aparthotel we stayed at last time!
Great Court, British Museum, London, England
The Great Court surrounds the original Reading Room of the British Museum. Once closed to the public, the reading room was only open for serious researchers and among them, well known figures (Mark Twain, Mahatma Ghandi, Karl Marx, George Orwell). It has now been transformed to an area with a collection of books on travel, art, history and anything else relevant to the collections housed in the museum. The upper ceilings surrounding the room are made from steel and glass and created reflections onto the cylindrical building in the middle. This area was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 and is officially called the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court. It is the largest covered square in Europe.
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