Snazzy Snaps & Travel Tales
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Looking Back at London
I loved London. Maybe it's because it felt 'safe' after 4 months in South America? Or, maybe it's because I'm a Sherwood, and my ancestors are British? But, I loved it, and felt quite at home there. Sadly, I did not spend much time there, as I did 3 weekend side trips. But, the time I was there was lovely and here's a long overdue recap of some of the highlights!
I loved London! Maybe it's because it felt 'safe' after 4 months in South America? Or, maybe it's because I'm a Sherwood, and my ancestors are British? Either way, I loved it and felt quite at home there. Sadly, I wasn't there much, as I did 3 weekend side trips (Wales, Paris, Edinburgh). But, the time I was there was lovely. So, here's a long overdue recap of some of the highlights!
Looking back, I did not do much sightseeing and the majority of my time in London was spent in the Tube (aka London’s public train system). I traveled during the weekends but during the week, I commuted into the RY co-working space: the Collective: Bedford.
The workspace was really cool, and I dug the vibe. It was right by the British Museum in a cool area of London, not far from SoHo. I would usually get off the Tube one stop early, (Oxford Street) because I liked the vibe of Ox St! It must have been the flags and banners.
Or, maybe it was the cool street performers doing my favorite Justin Bieber song?
The commute to the office was ~50 - 55 minutes. The London Tube is the most intricate train system I've seen, although probably not as crazy as NYC. Thank God for the CityMapper app! Here is a video of us walking the Tube hallways on my birthday:
And, us riding the Tube on my birthday:
Lots of time spent at Tube stations:
Lots of views like this:
And people like this:
One night, I was craving wings. I found a BBQ joint named Bodean's. Not only did they have fantastic wings, but the ribs, brisket, burnt tips, etc, were top notch! Great to find a strong BBQ place.
London has one of the best geotag filters on Snapchat. Love this teacup one:
I've already written about my experience at the Tate Modern Museum, but here is a video of the awesome views from the top floor:
My last night in London was amazing. Finally met up with one of my friends from LA, (formerly LA, she has been living in London for almost a year), Jena Mihalovic.
Jena picked the restaurant, this trendy spot called the "Sketch Gallery". Sketch has multiple rooms, and each one is decorated uniquely by the British artist David Shrigley. We dined in The Gallery, which was incredibly cool. Love the sketch drawings on the walls and the tall ceilings.
The food was fantastically weird. Most of the dishes had ice cream with it. But, it would be a small scoop of mushroom ice cream or some strange concoction. I loved everything!
One funny feature of Sketch is the uber-hip bathroom setup, featuring futuristic "pods" to do your business in. It's funny to see so many people taking photos in the bathroom. I was one of them.
That was a perfect final night for a fun month. Thanks to Jena for picking the perfect place and sending me off right!
I'd love to go back to London and spend more quality time there! I'm sure I'll be back.
Side note: I’m way behind on photos and blogging. I’ve been working hard all summer and have had a hard time keeping up with balancing work and sharing my travel experience! But I am trying to catch up. I just posted the best of my London pics to Facebook. Check em out here.
Stay tuned for more! I will catch up!
London: Tate Modern Museum
Jumping back in time: Even though I was barely in London, I saw some stuff. Only visited one museum besides the British Museum, and it was a standout. I'd be remissed if I didn't mention the magnificent Tate Modern museum.
Every hour, this sculpture is rearranged by Museum workers. Constantly evolving, kinetic sculpture.
Even though I was barely in London, I saw some stuff. Only visited one museum besides the British Museum, and it was a standout. I'd be remissed if I didn't mention the magnificent Tate Modern museum.
I love museums and galleries just as much for the space itself, as the art collections. The architectural aesthetic is an equal player in the experience of viewing art. A museum is one big installation.
The Tate Modern is ginormous and I think I only saw ~30% before work called. The museum is free, except for the special exhibits.
The special exhibits were: Mona Hatoum (Palestinean installation and video artist who lived in England most of her life); Bhupen Khakar (modern, provocative Indian painter); and Georgia O’Keeffe (Flower painter). I decided on Mona Hatoum, whose work seemed the most interesting.
My decision to choose Mona Hatoum was the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.
Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But, my artistic taste buds were tickled. Everyone is lining up to see Georgia O’Keefe and barely anyone for Mona. Suckers! Sorry, Georgia, your flowers are pretty. But, Mona is operating on a different frequency that my brain is completely tuned into.
I'm not the only one who was starstruck by this exhibition: See article: "One of the shows of the year"
In one installation called "Homebound", there are numerous kitchen utensils sitting on table top counters and on the floor in in a huge space. They are connected by live wires, and an electrical current is pulsating through the space. You can hear and feel the electricity from two rooms away! I was spellbound.
Image taken from the Tate Modern website.
Mona's work reminded me a little of Jorge Macchi, abstract Argentinean artist that I saw and reviewed in an earlier post at the MALBA in Buenos Aires. She even did a few pieces of art where she deconstructed city maps, similar to Jorge.
I was not able to take any pics in the Mona Hatoum exhibit, but her work is electrifying, intriguing, unnerving, nerving, exciting, and fresh. More. I want more! I did buy some postcards though:
After the Mona exhibit, I didn't want or need to see anything else. My brain was fully satisfied and I had to go back to work.
But, before I left, I squeezed into the packed elevators to visit the top floor of the museum and check out the 360 views of the city. Spectacular!
And, back into the tube to head to work.
Two big big thumbs up for the Tate Modern!
A Little Fairy Tale City, Edinburgh - Pt 2
Wandering through the city of Edinburgh is definitely the way to go. So many hidden gems, and cute little shops with punny names: "Thistle Do Nicely", "Procaffeination", etc. We came upon this cemetery called Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, which was visually stunning and weirdly warm and welcoming.
Wandering through the city of Edinburgh is definitely the way to go. So many hidden gems, and cute little shops with punny names: "Thistle Do Nicely", "Procaffeination", etc.
We came upon this cemetery called Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, which was visually stunning and weirdly warm and welcoming. Love this skull and cross bones tombstone.
Walking from Old Town to New Town, we saw this local band playing near the Scottish National Gallery. #bagpipes
My last night in Edinburgh, I was walking home and heard some soulful music coming out of this pub called the Royal Oak. And, I was drawn in to hear this incredible song by Martin Bowland and company. I don't know the name of it, and I wish I started recording from the beginning. But, I'm glad I was able to capture at least the latter part. Love the women dancing so merrily!
We spent some time at the National Museum of Scotland, which features art, history, science and technology. They had a special exhibit on Celtic art, that was well worth the special ticket price but there was no photography allowed inside. You'll just have to trust me---Celtic art is cool.
And, no visit to Edinburgh is complete without a trip to the Edinburgh Castle.
The line to get in was about 40 minutes long and £16.50, (aka $21.50 USD) may be a touch steep, but then again, I did not take advantage of all the Castle had to offer.
I didn't have enough time to see the Stone of Destiny, or the Renaissance Ladies, or the Great Hall. But, the National War Memorial was amazingly impressive.
The National War Memorial houses some of the best stained glass artwork I have ever seen! No photography allowed inside though.
This pic is from the Edinburgh Castle Website. STUNNING STAINED GLASS!
The rounded triangular patch (pictured below) was a dog cemetery for the highest ranking regimental officers. So cute that they gave their K-9s such a ceremonial spot!
The views from the Castle are just incredible.
3 days had me hooked. Edinburgh IS a gorgeous little fairy tale city.
Multiple times during the weekend, I got soaking wet walking around in the rain...but I didn't even mind. Because the city is just charming.
And they have some of the classiest toilets I've seen. I think we need to bring wood back.
The last thing I’ll mention about Edinburgh is that there is a really strong pub culture. If you like drinking pints, and tasting fine whiskey, this is the place for you.
Just don’t end up like this guy.
Bye bye, Edinburgh. Back to London on the train...beautiful Scottish countryside!
The Sloandog Millionaire Two Peaks Challenge for Remotes that Want to Hike Good (and Do Other Things Good, Too)
The weekend was originally supposed to be the Three Peaks Challenge: hike the 3 tallest peaks in the UK in 24 hours. Snowdon (Wales); Scafell Pike (England); & Ben Nevis (Scotland). DJ Jeff Sloan was the organizer but due to last minute logistics, we ran the option play, and were presented with The Sloandog Millionaire Two Peaks Challenge for Remotes that Want to Hike Good (and Do Other Things Good, Too).
A brook in Scafell Pike, England
The weekend was originally supposed to be the Three Peaks Challenge: hike the 3 tallest peaks in the UK in 24 hours. Snowdon in Wales; Scafell Pike in England; and Ben Nevis in Scotland. DJ Jeff Sloan was the organizer but due to last minute logistics, we ran the option play and were presented with The Sloandog Millionaire Two Peaks Challenge for Remotes that Want to Hike Good (and Do Other Things Good, Too).
Two for three ain't bad!
The Sloandog Millionaire, really strong beard game
or some reason, I/we did not research hiking climate conditions in the UK in July. I think we were just overly exuberant to go on an excursion.
The Challenge Competitors: L to R: Kelly, Jeff, Paige, JP (Bottom), Me, Miranda & Johnson
IMPORTANT NOTE: Just because it is warm in London, does not mean it will be warm in the mountains.
Too much rain, so I could not take photos with my good camera. It's a shame, because Wales is gorgeous!
One exciting thing is that I got to drive on the opposite side of the car / road! This was scary. And exciting. And weird. I hit 5 curbs in about 4.5 hours of driving. The roads in Wales are super narrow, and the curbs are not steep...they were more like speed bumps. LOL
I didn't feel so bad, because Miranda hit 4 curbs and Sloandog hit ~4 in much less driving time. My curb to drive time ratio was actually pretty solid comparatively.
We drove down to Wales to hike their highest peak (Snowdon, aka Snowdonia) and the weather was so fierce that the staff could not make their way up to the peak to man the shack. That’s how crazy the rain, wind, sleet and freezing cold weather was. It was like a white out on a ski slope. I did not prepare for said elements. I thought we’d be hiking in warm weather. Rookie mistake. Moronic. Paid for it.
Us preparing for the hike. Are we really going to do this!?
I was completely soaking wet within 10 minutes of hiking. But, I powered through, because I’m a champ and, it's The Sloandog Millionaire Two Peaks Challenge for Remotes that Want to Hike Good (and Do Other Things Good, Too).
Paige, trying not to get blown over by the fierce winds.
When we got to the peak, we saw two Brits dressed in proper cold weather hiking attire. One said to us, "It's Wales in July, what did you expect?" Well, Mr. Smarty Pants. I've never been to Wales in July, so I guess I did not know what to expect.
No, it's my bad for not doing research. I own it.
Paige and I approaching the peak, up to the right.
The peak!
Yup, that's what I was wearing. At least I had a cold weather Patagonia long sleeve underneath.
Still having a blast, level 3 fun!
After drying off, and a nice warm meal in Wales, we headed north up to Scafell Pike, in Keswick, England. On the way up, we saw some gorgeous views of the countryside and the best rainbow I've ever seen, outside of Iguazu Falls.
We got some rest at a hotel in Morecambe Bay, England, just outside of Lancaster. It's a coastal town, and looks very New England-y...but I guess that's a weird thing to say, since it is definitively Old England-y.
The hotel did not have dryers for us to deal with our soaking clothes. We tried 3 or 4 hotels and we almooost got one hotel owner to bite. Until he saw that we had 7 peoples' clothes to dry and he angrily bailed with the quickness.
The next day, at Scafell Pike, our clothes were still pretty damp and cold, but our spirits were warm and fuzzy! The Sloandog Millionaire Two Peaks Challenge for Remotes that Want to Hike Good (and Do Other Things Good, Too) was in reach and we intended to finish it.
The weather at Scafell Pike was less fierce, but still fierce. There was much less rain than Snowdon, thankfully! But, winds were WHIPPING.
Whipping so hard that my poncho only lasted about 1 hour before it got ripped off my body. Mother nature was laughing at us again!
Me in the red / pink poncho.
We hiked up for ~3 hours, and almoooost made it to the peak. We easily could have summited, but timing was not on our side. We had to get back to England at a reasonable hour, and turned back an hour from the top.
It did not matter, because the hike was GORGEOUS. A lot of the fog cleared on the way back down.
This weekend classified as Level 3 Fun. Level 1 fun is the normal things you do in life, and you don't even think about them. Going to the movies. Seeing a show. Playing games.
Level 2 fun is planned fun. Going on a trip, and doing extraordinary things that you don't often do. Rare moments. Great memories.
Level 3 fun is when the unexpected happens! Like when you go on a hiking trip, and you're totally unprepared for the elements...but you embrace the ridiculous experience! This weekend was totally Level 3. None of us knew how nuts the road trip would get and how crazy the weather would be. But it all makes for an awesome story and unforgettable memories.
When we got back to the rental car place, my group surprised me with a birthday card. I was stunned, and feeling all sorts of good vibes. Definitely did not expect it!
They called me "Dad" because I was the oldest in the group and I was the first driver to start the trip!
What a phenomenal group of travel mates. We had so many laughs and so many good times! It was the first time I had traveled with a bunch of them, and it’s refreshing to get to know people in the group that I had previously not known well. Much love to the Challenge Competitors!
Weekend 1 was wondrous.
Weekend 2, is PARIS. Leaving on a train in a little bit...
London Week 1 Recap
After 4 months in South America, we arrived in London last Sunday for 4 months in Europe. It’s my first time in the UK and I love it! I’m a Sherwood & I feel at home with my people. And, Brexit or not, clouds or not, there’s incredible vibrant energy in this city.
London Landmark Twofer - The London Eye and Big Ben
After 4 months in South America, we arrived in London last Sunday for 4 months in Europe. It’s my first time in the UK and I love it! I’m a Sherwood & I feel at home with my people. And, Brexit or not, clouds or not, there’s incredible vibrant energy in this city.
Our first day in town was the Fourth of July and I chilled with friends in Richmond Park during the day.
It was really nice to see Tanya, our fellow Remote who is now traveling on her own! She seems happy. :]
The deer seem pretty happy in the park too.
As do the birds.
And the people.
At night on the Fourth, we had our Remote Year Welcome Party. Started off on a double decker tour bus, with a cheeky British tour guide named Gary who had us in stitches as we rolled around the city and he pointed out landmarks. I was enthralled hearing all the cool historical facts about London!
The tour ended at the Blues Kitchen, where they were hosting a Fourth party for us ex-pats. They have an annual hot dog eating contest, because that’s what we Americans do on the Fourth...I think? (Personally, I’m a little anti-competitive eating, kinda feel like food is meant to be savored not inhaled) A few of my friends competed, but no one could beat the girl who threw back 13 dogs in 30 mins. Gross.
Abby honorable mention, 3.5 dogs and Charles...well, not sure why he competed.
My man, Mike Sholars represented with 7 dogs!!!
SamTom!
JP!
A rare smiling Kois, Natalie and JSloan in the back.
After the hot dog eating contest, there was a whole lot of laughs and some sweet blues music.
During the rest of the week, I fought off jet lag with a few well timed naps, worked a lot, visited the British Museum and prepared for an epic weekend hiking trip. And, by preparing I really mean, NOT preparing. Stay tuned for that story coming in the next blog post.
Outside the British Museum with DCarter, fellow Remote photog enthusiast
The British Museum, main rotunda
The British Museum houses many historical artifacts from ancient times (Greece, Egypt, Rome, Asia, etc). One of the most notable pieces is the Rosetta Stone, which was more crowded than the bus line for Machu Picchu. I'll have to go back at a non-peak hour. I couldn't even get near the thing without people stepping in front of me. Where's that British politeness? Guess they're all tourists.
Cool thing---museums in London are FREE, just like Washington DC! And the good thing is, the British Museum is right next to our co-working space.
I plan on returning because the museum is ginormous and I didn't get to see all the exhibits.
And, hopefully, I can do a better job of boxing out so I can actually get close to the Rosetta Stone.
That's week one in London --- well, actually, just the week --- the weekend story is much more rich! Stay tuned...