Life is a patchwork of experiences
Each year the official Christmas tree in London is displayed at Trafalgar Square. The tree is a Norwegian Spruce from Norway that is 50 to 60 years old and is donated by the city of Oslo. This tradition started in 1947 as a show of gratitude for Britain’s help to Norway during WWII.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
One of the fun holiday events I observed in London was the Great Christmas Pudding Race at Covent Garden. To raise money for Cancer Research, teams dressed up in costume raced around an obstacle course while trying to hold on to a Christmas Pudding. In the UK a Christmas pudding is a steamed cake, which does wobble a bit but not quite as much as an American pudding would.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Along with Big Ben and the Tower Bridge, the London Eye has become an iconic structure that immediately identifies the city which is ironic because it was initially built for only a five year run to celebrate the millennium. This Christmas tree is one of many that I saw throughout London on my visit this December.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
This statue of two time British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stands in Parliament Square Garden in London and has him looking directly toward the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. It’s almost as if he is standing guard and keeping an eye on the Houses of Parliament across the street.
One of my favorite department stores in London is Fortnum and Mason. It started as a grocery store in the early 1700’s and continues to be a purveyor of fine food and drink to this day. I especially love having afternoon tea at the store’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Room. For the Christmas Holidays, Fortnum and Mason went all out decorating both inside and outside the store.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
It seems that London goes all out for Christmas. Hanging over the shopping streets of Regent Str. Oxford Str. and Bond Str. were miles of huge light installations that blinked and put on a continuous show.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
I love the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly, so I could not resist seeing the Chihuly glass exhibit at Kew Gardens in London.
I admit it-I have an obsession with all things made by master glass artist Dale Chihuly. I love the vibrant colors, the movement, and yes, the engineering and science that it takes to make his towering art installations.
Throughout my travels, I go out of my way to see his work if it is on display nearby. So, when I was in London the summer of 2019, I made it a point to have a date with the Chihuly glass exhibit at Kew Gardens.
Continue reading “A Date With a Chihuly Glass Exhibit at Kew Gardens”
To commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, 10,000 flames were lit nightly for eight nights in the moat surrounding the Tower of London. Beyond the Deepening Shadow is a public project designed to commemorate the lives of the fallen. A moving choral sound track also accompanied the flames and provided a somber setting as London residents walked the full circle of the tower in order to take it all in.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row…
The first two lines of a poem by John McCrae remember the many lives lost in WWI. Since then, the poppy has become a symbol of veteran remembrance, especially in the UK. Continue reading “PhotoPOSTcard: Remembering With Poppies”
Built in the late 1800’s, London’s iconic Tower Bridge is busy at all hours of the day and night. In advance of the 2012 London Olympics, the bridge received a new face lift as all the old paint was removed and the bridge was repainted in shades of blue and white. The Tower Bridge is near the Tower of London and both can be visited together.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
