Tuesday, 6 June 2023

Cruising the Moselle: Bernkastel-Kus to Traben-Trarbach, Germany

Today is my third day on the Avalon Imagery II river cruise as she sails down the Moselle from Remich in Luxembourg to Koblenz in Germany, where the Moselle meets the Rhein. I have been very busy and it has taken me a while to figure out how to use the computer on board while the ship moves from town to town--but I think I have succeeded. So I am hoping to be a little more regular in my blogging. But first I have to catch up with London and Paris. So this blog will cover all three days in London very quickly.

Monday-Wednesday, 29-31 May 2023

London

I didn't do that much during my short time in London. I was tired (yes, me, I was actually tired) from all the walking in Le Havre and Dover, as well as the full day of traveling from Rotterdam to Amsterdam to here, just yesterday. Also, although the sun was shining every day, the weather in London was very cool and blustery; not very pleasant to be a tourist. Although when I look at my photos, I did cover a fair amount of territory.

The Wilde Apartment Hotel is a very new hotel in a very newly-developed section of London, just behind Paddington Station:  Merchant Square. It is built around the canal that leads to Little Venice and has easy access to the station and to several Underground lines. The area is filled with brand-new high-rise residences and offices, with ground-level shops and cafes. Each small suite in the hotel has a small kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, electric stove, and all the necessary equipment for a meal, including a dishwasher (it comes with dishes and silverware, too). There is a picture of the hotel exterior in the previous blog.

My first chore on Monday morning is to find a barber for a better and less expensive haircut than the service on the Zuiderdam. Although I went in just for a simple haircut, I come out after about one hour and a complete facial. Unfortunately, it's still the same old face, but my hair is short again.

To keep out of the cold winds I thought it would be fun to visit some of the older Underground stations that have kept their original forms (at least in part). What I forgot from my many visits to London over the last fifty years is how long the walks are once you enter a station, how few escalators or lifts there are, and how many miles you have to trek underground to change from one line to another. So this project was short-lived.

For culture I visit the Tate British Museum, which is most known for its collection of Turner's and Constable's works. The collections have recently been reorganized, giving some fresh critical perspective on these two opposing giants. Other parts of the British painting division have also been updated to put more emphasis on women and indigenous artists from around the British Empire. There is also a nice cafe, where I have lunch.

Without any particular tourist agenda, from the Tate I walk up Millbank to Westminster, site of the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

Sloane Square, anchored by the Peter Jones Department Store, is the location of other trendy shops and restaurants, as well as important religious and cultural institutions. 

Church of the Holy Trinity

The magnificent window in the Holy Trinity, above, presents forty-eight figures of Apostles, Patriarchs, Kings, Prophets, and Saints. The Tracery above shows Angels, works of charity; the Fall, Crucifixion, and Anunnciation; and at the top, the Nativity. This is the largest window ever made by the William Morris firm and designed by Edward Burne-Jones in 1890. It contains the largest number of single figures and subjects.

Cadogan Hall for Lectures and Concerts

The Royal Court Theatre, Home of the Angry Young
Playwrights of the 1950's and '60's

Near Victoria Station one can see striking examples of new contemporary architecture at odds with the more traditional, utilitarian architecture of the 19th century.

Nowadays every point of interest in London demands an on-line timed advance ticket. So don't plan on visiting Westminster Abbey or other popular sites without a ticket and, sometimes, a hefty admission fee; the Abbey charges just under $25.00 for one adult ticket. The Sky Garden, in the East End near the Tower of London, requires advance tickets for entry to their roof terraces overlooking the city and the Thames. But at least the tickets are free.

The Sky Garden Overlooking the East End and Surrounding Areas

View of the Tower of London (above)
and Tower Bridge (below)

I have collected lots of photos of London over the years and I will be happy to share them with my readers. But for now I must move on to Paris and the Avalon river cruise.