Travels with Em - "Blenheim Palace - The Marlborough Maze"

Palace mazes were originally places where couples could find a little privacy, if they could lose their chaperones. For the children in our group, it was a chance to run off some energy and have a little competition. The children had no problem finding their way through - several times! We adults tried to keep up at first, then gave in and waited at the only exit.

Travels with Em - "Portobello Market"

The sign tells us we have found the right area.

The produce is beautiful.

Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but cow horn bangles will have to do in the meantime.

Does this mean we should keep away from the flowers?

I had been anticipating the famed "Portobello Road Market" for years, but I was very disappointed. There were lots of permanent shops, several produce vendors, and a few people with their wares from home, but it was nothing like the literature reports. Where were the family heirlooms, the junque, and the crowds? We were there about 9:30 AM, so maybe we were too late? We had stumbled on a busy market in Greenwich a couple of days earlier, but I was holding out for Portobello. Well, I don't like crowds anyway and the dollar is in deep depression overseas, so maybe it was just as well.

Wordless Wednesday - "The Little Black Dress"

1998 Evening Dress by
Franco Moschino(1950-94) - Milan

After working as an illustrator, Franco Moschino started a clothing business in 1983. His irreverent designs have often ridiculedthe seriousness of the fashion industry. Constructed from a petticoat and 20 bras, this example is a cheeky take on the little black dress. Cotton and polyester

NOTE: I wonder if he just didn't like women.

Travels with Em - "Public Transportation"

One of the best moves I made prior to leaving for England was to buy a London Pass Travel Card. I only wish I had known that children 10 and under could travel for free and I could have saved the price of Em's ticket. Nevertheless, it allowed us to travel by public transportation - all bus, underground, and Dockland Rail (DLR) within zones 1-6. I think Em would have been happy riding the rails all day, everyday. We caught on quickly to the tube map which explained the travel routes of the underground. We even had strangers asking US for directions. This clip from Samantha Brown's travel show talks about the underground system.

The underground was not always this calm and sedate. We ended up in transit at rush hour a couple of times. Once, Em was so squashed in between all the much taller passengers that she did not even have to hold on.

"I am held up by all these people," she said. All I could see was a head with a laughing face. We got off at the next stop and waited for a less congested train while we shared a good laugh.

Travel by DLR was much easier. Perhaps there were not so many people going that far at the hours we were traveling. The only time we ran into a problem, was getting to a bus from the train station to get to our next objective. Chislehurst Caves was within walking distance of the train, but catching the bus to Hampton Court Palace would have taxed both of us to the limit. Fortunately, a very nice lady drove us to the bus stop when we stopped to ask for directions. It was not far by car, but would have been a fair distance by shank's mare.

Travels with Em - "Two Towers"

Em was a real trooper as we walked and walked and walked some more. We covered 5-10 miles every day we were in London. I know that is true because I had a pedometer. We climbed a lot of stairs in Oxford.

...and some of the narrowest stairs. I wonder if people were that much smaller or if they just didn't all climb to the top of the tower.

I wonder if past generations would be surprised to discover that Carfax Tower is right downtown.

All promised the best views of the city and all the offerings were very good, but one set of these stairs would have been sufficient. Still, I had to wonder as I was climbing, how many feet had gone before me over the centuries. How long did it take to make a wide groove into the center of the step as each person wore away a small amount of the stone with his passing? Surely it was men who climbed these steps, not often women in their long gowns. The views have changed dramatically, but buildings were constructed to last.

Of course, there were no building regulations, so the original stairs were of different heights and widths, proceeding in a tight spiral to the top. Often the top is a tight squeeze as well. I wonder how they shot their arrows from such small spaces.

Em and friend clamber up these newer stairs of Carfax Tower, while I rest on the premise of taking a photo.

We both enjoy the views from the top of Carfax.

Odd Shot Monday "Pizzeria"

More Odd Shots at Katney's Kaboodle

Travels With Em - "Chislehurst Caves"

We headed out of London proper on the train today. Went all the way to the Chislehurst Caves on a series of underground and rail connections. Supposedly associated with Druids, murders, and other atrocities, we discovered the story is not nearly so sordid nor ancient. No Druids, No Romans, No known murders. More importantly, it served as an air raid shelter and temporary home to 15,000 people during the war. You had to pay your way.

A gas mask for baby.

Food was rationed. This was a week's ration for ONE person.

Healthcare was difficult.

Vignettes of past life provide some idea of the circumstances the people endured.

It is totally black inside except for light brought in. We were given kerosene lanterns to carry with us - one for every 2-4 persons. Sanitary facilities were primitive at best when the masses first arrived. They had individual receptacles which were emptied into centrally located barrels, which were then carried out, sloshing, by wagon. The men had to be at work early in the morning, so children HAD to be quiet by an early hour.The caves were actually miles and miles of man-made tunnels which had been mined for chalk from the late 1800's. They were used to grow mushrooms in the 1920' and 30's,

storage for ammunition during the war, hosted bands and dancing in the 1970's. Now they are a tourist attraction. This was one time Em followed me closely and held on tightly to my backpack strap.

All cave guides get great delight in turning out the lights so everyone can get a real sense of the dark. Ours was no exception. He added sound effects which must have been like hearing bomb raid during the war. It was a moment's insight into what the people must have gone through.
More recently, an artist was granted leave to carve a design area. I wonder if one day theat information will be lost and someone will claim that the Mayans were there. It might be difficult to make that claim since the atist put some contemporary items in the design.