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    • I loved York. I'm a sucker for cathedral climbs. Didn't do york, but climbed the domes in Vatican and Florence recently. We were told that the base of the York walls were actually Roman and you could see where the transition was because the Roman construction was extremely good and the medieval stonework was sucky.

    • Wednesday the 31st was my first full day in London.



      There is nothing that can prepare a visitor to the absolute crush if humanity on the Tube during peak travel. I learned quickly that you can't be polite, you've got to be aggressive and jump right in there.

      First stop on the grand tour would be Hampton Court Palace -- home to the Tudors, Staurts and William & Mary.

      The entry gate into Hampton Court



      And standing in the gate looking into the courtyard and towards the Royal apartments

      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • People think me odd for taking photos of old toilets. In Greece and Italy we saw Roman, Greek, and Minoan loos. And in Springfield IL you can see Lincoln's outhouse. It was a three seater so Abe, Mary, and Tad could all go together when it was cold. There was a nice early medieval john in the Tower of London. I suppose,some king went there. Saw Napoleon's bathtub in Florence.

    • So for my trip to Hampton Court I packed a lunch with some fruit and these thingys --



      A breaded minced pork ball with an apple sauce center. Mmm it was pretty good...

      And who woulda thought that Brits were really southerners at heart?



      Later in the evening I found a stall near Euston Station operated by The Rib Man...





      Dang it was good. Almost but not quite on par with eastern Carolina, but far and above anything out of Texas, Kansas or Memphis! :evil: :saint:
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • Tuckahoe wrote:

      So for my trip to Hampton Court I packed a lunch with some fruit and these thingys --



      A breaded minced pork ball with an apple sauce center. Mmm it was pretty good...

      And who woulda thought that Brits were really southerners at heart?



      Later in the evening I found a stall near Euston Station operated by The Rib Man...





      Dang it was good. Almost but not quite on par with eastern Carolina, but far and above anything out of Texas, Kansas or Memphis! :evil: :saint:
      Nuphin' beats great street food.

    • Tuckahoe wrote:

      So for my trip to Hampton Court I packed a lunch with some fruit and these thingys --



      A breaded minced pork ball with an apple sauce center. Mmm it was pretty good...

      And who woulda thought that Brits were really southerners at heart?



      Later in the evening I found a stall near Euston Station operated by The Rib Man...





      Dang it was good. Almost but not quite on par with eastern Carolina, but far and above anything out of Texas, Kansas or Memphis! :evil: :saint:
      Having sampled numerous portions of Eastern Carolina BBQ, I suggest these folks do pork well. However I prefer overnight smoked brisket from nearly any roadside BBQ joint. And I mean roadside.

      We used to travel on I-35W to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (formly known as Carswell AFB) outside of Fort Worth. Just to the North of the Hillsboro exit we would detect the smokey aroma of BBQ. The first time the smoke was detected, we exited the freeway and attempted to locate the restaurant but to no avail. Upon returning to the entrance ramp, one of the guys noted a trailer mounted smoker in operation parked on the shoulder. While talking to the older gentleman, we learned he set up the smoker under the freeway nearly every weekend. He smoked brisket and ribs to order, thus he had nothing to sell to us. However he asked when we planned to return and promised to have a brisket and ribs awaiting our arrival. The deal was struck and two weeks later we picked up the meat.

      As we could hardly resist the aroma, we shopped for paper plates and a few adult beverages and went after the meal.


      Needless to say, each time we traveled this route, we called him and placed an order.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • I remember an old school bar-be-que place down I-35 from where I grew up. The place closed years ago when the owner died. He had a huge concrete and cinder block smoker in the back. It could hold 2 sides of beef and 4 hogs. Half of that at each end.

      He would serve from one end, beef and 2 hogs, while the beef and 2 hogs smoked on the other end.

      Served on brown butcher paper: meat, the cole slaw, bisquit, ice tea, and potato salad were free. He served it hot out of the smoker. Someone stayed there all night basting it with home made barbeque sauce.

      The pretend barbeque I've been eating since I moved up here is invariably served cold, or slightly warm, like they heated it in a microwave. We did go to one fairly good place, its hot when we get it. And none of them cook the sauce into the meat. Urf.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • LIhikers wrote:

      Way back in 1980 Kathy, me, and our oldest son got to live in the country of Holland for 6 months as I was there as part of a contract my company had. It's amazing to see things that are really old as compared to what we in the USA consider old.
      The difference between Europeans and Americans is that Americans think a hundred years is a long time, while Europeans think a hundred miles is a long distance.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • LIhikers wrote:

      Way back in 1980 Kathy, me, and our oldest son got to live in the country of Holland for 6 months as I was there as part of a contract my company had. It's amazing to see things that are really old as compared to what we in the USA consider old.
      what part of The Neitherlands were you located?

      I spent a few months at Soesterberg AB outside of Utrecht.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • Dan76 wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Way back in 1980 Kathy, me, and our oldest son got to live in the country of Holland for 6 months as I was there as part of a contract my company had. It's amazing to see things that are really old as compared to what we in the USA consider old.
      what part of The Neitherlands were you located?
      I spent a few months at Soesterberg AB outside of Utrecht.
      I worked at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and we lived in a small town about a 30 minute drive north of there.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Way back in 1980 Kathy, me, and our oldest son got to live in the country of Holland for 6 months as I was there as part of a contract my company had. It's amazing to see things that are really old as compared to what we in the USA consider old.
      The difference between Europeans and Americans is that Americans think a hundred years is a long time, while Europeans think a hundred miles is a long distance.

      Actually make that 50 miles and you're spot on -- Brits think 50 miles is a far piece to travel.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • Thursday September 1 was supposed to be my Tower of London visit, but as I got off the tube at the Tower Hill station, this knuckle head realized he'd forgotten to get his ticket out if his document folder.

      So I changed plans and headed to St Paul's Cathedral. Absolutely amazing! Photography is not permitted inside, but it was awe-inspiring to see the burial place of the Duke of Wellington, Lord Nelson and Sir Christopher Wren. Especially the grave of Wren.

      Like York Minster, there was a tower climb reaching the Whispering Gallery, the Stone Gallery, and the Golden Gallery, eventually reaching 365 feet.


      Looking west out over the city towards Westminster, from the Stone Gallery.



      Looking down through a window in the spiral ladder to the Cathedral floor


      And again towards Westminster from the Golden Gallery.


      A view of St Paul's from street level


      And from the south side of the Thames.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • LIhikers wrote:

      Dan76 wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Way back in 1980 Kathy, me, and our oldest son got to live in the country of Holland for 6 months as I was there as part of a contract my company had. It's amazing to see things that are really old as compared to what we in the USA consider old.
      what part of The Neitherlands were you located?I spent a few months at Soesterberg AB outside of Utrecht.
      I worked at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and we lived in a small town about a 30 minute drive north of there.
      I had multiple layovers at the Amsterdam airport. Remember getting out of the airport and seeing lots of tulips.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • So after St Paul's I walked across the Millennium Footbridge to the south side of the Thames and wandered around just to see where is end up and found Borough Market... Oh WOW! And I'll cover that later.

      Then it was off to the British Museum...

      For Viking burials and treasure hordes



      Roman iron cooking grates



      And Cleopatra's mummy
      Images

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      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • Then Friday it was the Tower of London.
      I usually headed out early to beat the crowds and I'd heard there could be long lines to get in.

      Tower Bridge


      The southwest corner if the Tower


      And a panoramic


      I was on site early enough to get in to see the Crown Jewels without waiting in line. No pictures, but truly incredible! But I did take a picture if one if the soldiers guarding them.


      I caught a Yeoman Warder's tour... And again no pictures, but it included the chapel where Anne Boleyn is buried.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      The difference between Europeans and Americans is that Americans think a hundred years is a long time, while Europeans think a hundred miles is a long distance.
      Good one. I've experienced both.

      I've notice when taking tours, the Americans (especially me) are always obsessed with how old everything is. We were touring Dunfermline Abbey in Scotland. The guide was pointing out the nice bronze plaque over the tomb of Robert the Bruce (which is what most people come to see). I asked about the tombs of the earlier kings from the 11th century that were mentioned in my guidebook. The tour guide, acting rather disinterested pointed toward the right transept and said "I don't know. They are buried somewhere under the gift shop".

      We were touring a wildlife rescue facility in the far northern part of the Netherlands. On the way out I was buying something from the gift shop. The cashier started to suggest other interesting things to see in the area. I said we had to be leaving as it was about 1 PM and we had to drive to our friend's house in Brussels that afternoon. The cashier had this look of shock on her face and said "you can't drive to Brussels in one day!" I assured her it was no problem. It's about 220 miles and we were there by 5 PM (near-death experiences on the highway in Antwerp not withstanding).

    • Tuckahoe wrote:

      Like York Minster, there was a tower climb reaching the Whispering Gallery, the Stone Gallery, and the Golden Gallery, eventually reaching 365 feet.

      Have you noticed that both spiral stair pics you posted have left handed helices (you rotate counter clockwise as you go down). We were told they were always built this way for defense. An attacker coming up the stairs would have his sword on the inside of the stairs (assuming he is right handed). The defenders coming down would have more room to swing a sword on the outside of the helix.

    • JimBlue wrote:

      The cod pieces were usually an ego thing. Not factual.
      The ones in armor also had some practical value. The dome shape would help turn a blow aside so that the wearer wouldn't have the suit cave in right over the family jewels. The ones that you wore with doublet and hose, well, they were for fashion. They often also were cut at quite a saucy angle, as if the wearer were really, really interested in whatever wench was sauntering by at the time.

      [IMG:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Giovanni_Battista_Moroni_009.jpg]

      I think I'm done boning up on Elizabethan fashion for the moment.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • Well as I write this I'm sitting here in Dublin Airport at the gate waiting to board my flight home.

      After visiting the Tower I crossed the river to visit the HMS Belfast, a light cruiser commissioned in 1939. It was damaged by a mine early in its service then the North Sea and Arctic supply routes to the Soviet Union. Participated in the D-Day landing, and then sent to the far East as the war came to a close.


      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • By Saturday, I was beginning to suffer museum fatigue, and Saturday was originally going to be a day off if sorts. I was going to slip in the Churchill War Rooms but that would be all... And something about best laid plans and all that.

      I did head over to Borough Market for breakfast and then off to the War Rooms. I didn't get any photos there. But here I was in Westminster! Toured the War Rooms, and net another couple from Williamsburg.

      And afterwards took lunch again at BK, then headed back to Westminster. And while there found myself witnessing a march if Euro crybabies...




      During the protest someone stole Eddie Izzard's pink beret Cof124

      Any way while witness the mass of the unwashed I noticed I banner announcing that Westminster Palace was open for tours; I'd not expected thus as the website said it would be closed during my trip... I'm in!! Again couldn't take pictures, but I did get one in Westminster Hall.





      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • Sunday was a sort of pilgrimage for me, and one that every Virginian should make -- I made the trip out to St George's Church, in Gravesend, Kent. The burial site of Pocahontas after her death in 1617.

      She was reportedly buried within the church, however in the early 18th century the church burned and was rebuilt. During WW2 the church was severely damaged again. As a result where are one is buried is unknown.

      The various grave markers are all lined up against the church yard walls.


      And the statue of Pocahontas. A copy of the one at Historic Jamedtown, and a gift from the Governor of Virginia.


      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • After the trip to Gravesend, I headed off to the Victoria and Albert Museum, a museum covering decorative arts. There was going to be way too much to see so if course I was going to limit myself to just wrought iron work... There was ssssoooo much iron Worthy Worthy

      All I did was take pictures. Far away and up close and all the details I could.






      You get the idea!



      There was even a lot hook with a blacksmith in it.


      The V and W was my last museum if the trip, but Westminster would be the last thing to see in London. Once again no pictures, but just stunning to be in the burial place of Elizabeth I and so many other English Monarchs, including Edward the Confessor. And then to stand at the room of the United Kingdom's Tomb of the Unknown. Truly breath taking to be in a place of such history.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.