Monday, June 30, 2014

June Scavenger Hunt: London, UK


Happy summer, everyone!
This June Terry and I had the good fortune to spend two weeks 
in Terry's sister's and brother-in-law's flat in Notting Hill, London.



London Skyline
The Old and the New



View From Our Flat in Notting Hill




Junes's List

1.  B is for ?
London Double Decker Buses

B is for … Buses
and so many iconic London things:  
Beefeaters, Buckingham Palace, street buskers, the British Museum, 
bobbies, telephone booths, Big Ben, Anne Boleyn, bearskin hats, 
and Barbour stores (iconic for me ~ I'm a Barbour).  
I could do a whole post on Bs!


Beefeater ~ Yeoman Warder in Daily Uniform
 Tower of London



B is for … Beefeater
and we had a fascinating yeoman warder as our guide.
Their official duties include looking after Tower prisoners, 
safeguarding the crown jewels, and guarding the Tower of London.

Today they also act as tour guides
and are tourist attractions themselves.
The yeoman warders were formed by Henry VII in 1845,
but their origins can be traced back to the eleventh century
when the Tower of London was constructed.

Two interesting things I learned from our guide
were that the yeoman warders 
must live in the Tower of London
and that one of them guards the Tower ravens,
because legend has it that the tower and monarchy will fall
if the ravens ever leave the tower grounds.
Source:  britannica.com


A Barbour in Her New Barbour Trench Coat
 Trafalgar Square
(This is for Kezzie!  My favorite London Fashionista!)






2.   10 a.m.
10:00 Hour in the Morning on Portobello Road



Sewing Supplies on Portobello Road
(10:00 a.m. London Time ~ 4:00 a.m. Colorado Time) 



A Very Famous Clock Tower
Nicknamed Big Ben
(Technically, Big Ben is the bell inside Elizabeth Tower)




3. Spoon
Silver Spoons ~ Portobello Road




4.   Puppet
King Henry VI
Source:  Wikimedia

King Henry VI was the last Lancastrian king,
reigning from 1422-1461 and from 1470-1471.
His mental instability and his gentle, pious personality 
led in part to the Wars of the Roses.
Henry VI was deposed and imprisoned in 1461.
Nine years later he was restored to the throne as a puppet king. 
He was murdered in the Tower of London 
on the night of May 21st/22nd, 1471.
Source:  englishmonarchs  



The Chapel Where Tradition Says
That Henry VI Was Murdered





                         
This is one event in the Tower of London's Bloody History



5. You Again
The E-P Suffering from Museum Overload


You Again!  Poor Terry ~ I found him waiting for me,
yet again, while I visited the magnificent 
Assyrian Lion Hunts Gallery (You Again!)
one more time (this day). 




King Ashurbanipal Hunts Lions
Narrative Panels
North Palace, Ninevah
668-627 B.C. 


6.   Water
Cygnets Swim in the Serpentine
Hyde Park, London




Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
Hyde Park, London




7.   Habitat
The Long Water Reed Beds and the Serpentine Bridge
Kensington Park, London 


This beautiful habitat, the Long Water Reed Beds, 
was established in 2010 to improve 
the water quality and the biodiversity potential 
of the Long Water in Kensington Garden.
Reed beds are found at the margins of many waterbodies.
They stabilize banks and act as natural water filters.
The UK lost about 40% of its reed beds between 1945 and 1990.
Source:  Sign by the Reed Beds in the Park




8.   Soccer

Pringles' Giant 'Lucky' Football Boot




Soccer Balls
in a Poundland Window
on Portobello Road




 
England was gearing
up for the World Cup
while we were in London.





9.   Calm

The Geological Society
is a calm oasis near 
busy Piccadilly Circus




The Geological Society, London

Terry walks past William Smith's famous 
1815 Geological Map of Britain.
A bust of Smith, the Father of English Geology, is in front of Terry.




10.   Man Made
Blaschka Radiolarian Model
Natural History Museum
Treasures in the Cadogan Gallery


Out all the man made marvels in London,
I chose this extremely fragile glass model 
of a radiolarian (Aulosphaera elegantissima).
It was crafted by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka in the 19th century. 
The techniques they used were lost when they died. 

The model is displayed in the Cadogan Gallery 
which contains some of the Natural History Museum's 
most important artifacts chosen for their 
scientific, historical, aesthetic and cultural significance. 



11.   Open
Mounted Sentries at Horse Guards


The Household Cavalry guards the official entrance 
to St James's Palace and Buckingham Palace 
outside Horse Guards in Whitehall.

The mounted sentry in back is relieving the sentry in front
by riding through the open door at the back of the guard box.



12.  Steam
Steam Rises as This Crepe Cooks on the Griddle
Portobello Road


July's List
C is for?,  9pm,  Stem,  Pool,  Dough,  Liquid,  Lever,  On the wall,
Together,  In your bag,  Your view of today,  and Sweet

Thanks to Jill (Greenthumb) 
and her Made with Love blog 
for setting up the scavenger hunt.

43 comments:

  1. Looks like an awesome time!
    Is that shoe really made entirely of Pringles cans? Whoa...
    And since they snipped all their wings, the ravens will never leave.

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  2. Hey Alex! We had so much fun in London! And yes, the shoe is made of 1,500 Pringles cans. That shoe went by me when I was on the bridge by Big Ben. WTF is that? was my thought, so I took pictures. I found out once I got back to Colorado that it was a lucky football boot for England's soccer team. Well, maybe not so lucky! I'm rooting for Costa Rica! Yep, the ravens wings are clipped so the future of the tower and monarchy look good! Take care!

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  3. There is always so much to learn from your photo scavenger hunts! I enjoyed both photos and information very much.

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    1. Thank you, Christina! I do have fun with the Scavenger Hunt, and I'm glad that you enjoyed my post this month! Take care!

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  4. I enjoyed all these photos! Oh, how I long to be in London again! Maybe next year I'll get there for an extended stay? Or the year after that, but soon!

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    1. Thanks, Debra! Isn't London wonderful? I had to wait 42 years between trips. I love to go right back. I hope you get there very soon!

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  5. What a great collection of photos, it looks like you enjoyed your trip! You've seen far more of London than I have and I live in England!

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    1. We had the best fun, Louise! It definitely helped to be able to stay in my SIL's flat! But I feel like I barely scratched the surface of what there is to see in London!

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  6. OMG! You've just made this Anglophile swoon with jealousy! Thank you for these brilliant photos! I feel like I was right there with you!

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    1. Thank you for your encouraging comment, MCC! I can't wait to go back to London again! Have a good one!

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    2. Hi Maricel! I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your Scavenger Hunt photos, and the post on faith. I'm challenged with computers though, and I couldn't figure out how to leave a comment on your actual page!

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  7. I love that view from your flat - it's fantastic :) and I've always been intrigued by those red buses. I can't wait to visit London someday :-)

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    1. I hope you get there soon, Keith. You should be within striking distance before long! I think they have a fabulous transportation system in London, and I love those iconic buses! I couldn't believe where my SIL's flat is! But they may move. :( Have a great day!

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  8. lol wow, I guess pringle cans are good for more than just holding cat crap hahaha looks like an awesome time.

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  9. Wow! How fun is this! I can't believe all the wonderful things you saw. What a fabulous trip.

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    1. Thanks Terry! I just want to turn around and go right back!

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  10. What a fun and lovely series of photos!!!

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    1. Thanks, Linda! I'm still playing catchup, but I'm getting closer! Have a good one!

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  11. Thanks so much for taking part in months scavenger hunt, so many great photos. I really like B, spoons puppet and you again is just great. Greenthumb

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    1. Thanks Jill! Every time I see "You Again" I have to laugh! I really have a wonderful guy!

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  12. Such brilliant photos! You make me want to vist London soon even though I lived there for several years (I actually used to work in Notting Hill and had a stall on Portobello!). I don't even think I can pick just onne favourite, they're all so good! Maybe 10am - if I had to choose :)

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    1. Thanks, Petra! You worked hard if you had a stall on Portobello Road! I loved Portobello Road! Take care!

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  13. Awesome photos! What a wonderful collection. And it looks like you had a fantastic time. So much to see and do!

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    1. Thanks, Martha! I had the best time! But this introvert had to retreat into her cave and recoup after getting home! But Now I'm counting the days to Nova Scotia! I cannot believe that it's been fifty years since Ron and I were in Grade 8 together! Yikes! I hope that you have been enjoying Canada Day!

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  14. Looks like you had a fantastic time.Great photos.
    Gillx

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  15. I love London, so thanks for sharing your photos with us. The crepes look very yummy - did you try one?

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    1. Thanks, Eileen! That was my crepe on the griddle, and, oh did it taste yummy!

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  16. Yes Louise. what a fantastic trip for you both!! really enjoyed this tour of one of the most historical and beautiful cities in the world. Thanks so much for sharing this.
    Looking forward to your Nova Scotia visit in a few weeks!!

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    1. You would love London, Jim! Although there are mobs of people everywhere! There is so much I still haven't seen! See you soon! :)

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  17. Loved seeing your London photo's, especially the Portobello Rd clock....stunning! I only live an hour away and haven't seen half of these places. A Notting Hill base...lucky you.

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    1. Thank you, Fiona! I had to pinch myself almost daily to believe I was in Notting Hill! And London! Lucky you to live so close! Take care!

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  18. I always find your photos and imagination and lateral thinking absolutely incredible!!!! Bravo on the clever pics! That pringle boot!!!!! Ha, I've had one of their crepes! The click shot was so clever! Oh and thankyou for the shot for me!!! He hee, fashionista, not sure I'm that, I just like clothes!!! X

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    1. Thank you, Kezzie! I couldn't believe it when I saw that Pringles boot go by. You can see the most amazing things in London! I've had a number of students over the years that you remind me of. I loved their enthusiasm, creativity, and imagination when it came to clothes. I hope that you are enjoying your summer!

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  19. Wow, this is awesome that you got to spend two weeks in your SIL's flat! Thank you for all the amazing pictures you shared with us, London is such a fantastic place. It's been a while since I was there, I can't wait to visit it with Keith, hopefully some time soon :) Thank you so much for your wonderful comment on my last post! I hope you're having an amazing week!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Beate! I hope that you and Keith get to visit lots of wonderful places together, including London! You have a great week too!

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  20. How exciting! Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us. Love the photos. They make me want to visit - perhaps someday we'll get to go. :)

    Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. It's great to see you. Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thank you, Karen! I do hope that you get to go. London is just an amazing place, history seeping from every nook and cranny. Enjoy your week!

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  21. What a great set of photos, and informative too! Henry VI a puppet king eh, I didn't know that.

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  22. Hi Little Blue Mouse! Thank you for the encouraging comment! I was fascinated to relearn that Henry VI was the king of both England and France before he reached his first birthday! I relearned lots of things that I had forgotten from those long ago school years. Having been in the Tower of London really brings all these people alive to me. I hope that you are enjoying your weekend!

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  23. looks like you had a grand time. more and more, i'm wanting to visit England and Wales.

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  24. We did, Michelle! I do hope you get to go! Thanks for visiting and following my blog!

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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.