Photo story in 5 pictures

Ms. Penny went to Hampton Court today and had herself quite the adventure. Please do not worry about Ms. Penny as cats do have 9 lives. Follow Ms. Penny's 8th life here at Kat's blog.

Flowers don't suck

Walking through Regent's Park was so beautiful. I must have walked 7 miles today. We walked all the way to Primrose Hill where I flew a kite (ala Mary Poppins)! I haven't done that for 25 years since my dad used to take me. We got the kite up very high...much better than today's attempt. :) Thanks dad! Anyway, my Mr. Frog kite barely got up and when it did it dive bombed innocent people beneath. I felt it was better if I just wached everyone else for the good of the public.

Relaxing at Regent's Park

The calm of this pretty white flower before the storm. It cleared up quickly though!

At 3 Abbey Road, former studio of the Beatles and site of the famous album cover. Yes, I have a semi-recreation of the photo like a good little tourist.

Whee! Kite flying!!!

London Dungeon Podcast

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Tourist traps

July 4th passed like any other day here in London of course. It was my mom's birthday though and that is very special!

Today I met up with the girls at the Tower of London and walked to the London Dungeon tour. Pretty much a huge tourist trap, but fun none-the-less. The tour takes you through underground "caverns" where an actor tells of the history in full character. One room illustrates torture devices, another shows the story of Jack the Ripper while another simulates what it was like to be hung (sans the noose). Photos were prohibited but I recorded audio which I will be using for a podcast to follow.

I did get a nice shot of the restrooms which gives you an idea of the touristiness of the place. The other photo is an employee relaxing outside the dungeon.



I did have a bit of a scare as I was waiting outside the Tower of London for the girls. A huge amount of smoke began billowing from afar and I started thinking of the worst. Turned out to be just a regular fire I'm assuming.

History, oh wonderful history!

Jen and I took the tube to the Tower of London which was really great if you are into Henry VIII. I saw a wonderful exhibit called "Dressed to Kill" (no, not the Eddie Izzard version). The exhibit showcased the Kings armory and weaponry. The striking issue was the large "codpiece" that was fitted into his battle armor (sorry, photos were prohibited).
Photos of me at The Tower of London enjoying morbid things.

I really didn't observe much of British culture today as I spent my time doing purely "touristy" things. I finished the day at The British Museum which, of course, is spectacular. Don't judge, but I did not see the Rosetta Stone. I almost wanted to just take a picture of the duplicate at the gift shop.
My favorite object so far at The British Museum.

Well, I am really missing my puppy "Early" and Max (as mentioned in my first post). I can't believe it's over a week so far. Not feeling "homesick" per say, but just wish I could at least talk easier as 9 hrs. is a big time difference to hit.

A good day of sightseeing for the librarians...

I know there is a mix of people reading this blog, but a good majority will be librarians. Today was packed full of sights of particular interest to anyone in the profession.

Today was spent at Oxford, a place ripe with location shooting from the Harry Potter series of films, as well as a myriad of others. Of special interest was The Bodleian Library. Photos are not allowed in the actual library, so I cannot reproduce the magnificence for you here but you can watch the movies.

In an attempt to pick up any creative remnants that might exist in the ethereal plane I ate at The Eagle & Child pub. J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis would meet here weekly to eat, drink and discuss writing. Below is a small peek inside.


Here is Ms. Penny posing next to the Eagle & Child menu for me.

Lastly I visited The Kilns, home to C.S. Lewis in Headington, just outside Oxford. The home has been restored thanks to the C.S. Lewis Foundation's hard work and voluntary hours. The gardens are magnificent and, while the home seems small from the outside, the floor plan seems to be a maze of bedrooms, studies, etc.

This photo was taken of the replacement wardrobe thought to be the inspiration behind Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Framed on the wall is a photo of the supposed original.

Dear Costa Mesa planning committee

Dear Costa Mesa, CA planning committee:
Please endear our great city with parks where the residence are free to smile, play and enjoy life without the assault of police questioning or drug pushing. The end.

That is what I thought of as Jen, Merle and I spent a pleasant evening in the Russell Square park. Kids splash in fountains while lovers embrace, athletes prance and co-workers lazily mingle on the lawn. That was the end to another wonderful day of seeing sites I could only dream to see in a lifetime (let alone condensed into 14 short days).

Today went from seeing a hockey game in Trafalgar Square to the geometric staircase of St. Paul's Cathedral as shown in Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Askaban. Finally topped off with a relaxing evening in the park as aforementioned.

All the while I tried to focus on the photo project at hand which was to capture motion of transportation. I hope to warn all pedistrians who dare to cross against the red man with this. Yes kids, the invisible man will run you down with his sports car if you don't look left.