rashbre central
fun going forward
Wednesday 25 September 2024
Isle and Empires, Stephan Roman
Tuesday 24 September 2024
Mer means Meh.
Friday 20 September 2024
Sublime - Will Young
Like we had a concert in our lounge.
Wednesday 18 September 2024
Henged
Seeing as I was right by Stonehenge a few days ago, I thought I'd pay it another visit. I'd been staying in the nearby hotel which I also used as a car booster charge.
My recollection was of a long walk from the visitor centre to the actual stones. I wasn't disappointed and the route was across some fields with n'er a sighting of the stones until very close. I guess it was about 2 miles.
You can just make out the stones in the middle of this picture, some distance away.
As always, there was a large group of people walking around the monoliths, but I was surprised to see that the photo guides to the stones have been modernised and offer suggestions about the best selfies and quirky pictures to take. I found this slightly disappointing, considering we were marvelling at 4,000 years of history.
I also felt that I was kept further back from the stones now. I seem to remember almost being able to drift through them, but I suppose it's my unreliable memory playing tricks. This time I was a long way from the stones, aided by my iPhone's zoom lens.
The most uncomfortable part of the experience was the lengthy delay to buy a ticket and get into the visitor centre. It took ages; maybe it is done to manage the flow of people to the monuments? Once past the queue, I was able to find the museum and walk through it to get some sense of the history of all the henges.
Then the walk to the actual stones. There's a full account of them here: http://www.stonesofstonehenge.org.uk/search/label/Slaughter%20Stone
and it includes putting the record straight on a few, such as the 'Slaughter Stone'.
And here's a look back after the experience. Quite a line of people. Soon they will all be in the rather packed gifte shoppe.
And maybe, back in the day, there were even more people attending the special ceremonies at Stonehenge? Was it for funerals? Spiritual matters? astronomical observance, or perhaps to recreate stories from the past, handed down as word of mouth and as re-enactments.Sunday 1 September 2024
Creation Lake - before*
Some may recollect I started a journey around the UK in April, visiting friends before heading for the island of Rhodes and then catching an ocean-going liner to New York.
At the start I was recommended a bookshop in Frome, where I was unsuccessful in obtaining Slouching Towards Bethlehem, although I did get to hear the story of Joan Didion's smokin' banana yellow Corvette.
Saturday 24 August 2024
A Chorus Line
We decided to see A Chorus Line once more. It's a simple premise as the potential cast for a chorus line are assembled and divulge their back-stories, hopes and aspirations.
No need to worry about attendance. This is still a hot ticket!
Tuesday 6 August 2024
Points, prizes, and elephants
Then I branched out to a few other venues. The Waldorf Astoria, when I still had points make prizes, and I could get invited out of the checkin line to the special checkin with champagne service. Sadly the Waldorf looks like a building site at present - undergoing renovations, which include reducing the number of rooms. Sounds expensive.
Then there's the Pierre, up by Central Park. Another old-school ritzy type of venue, where I was fortunate enough to be placed in the spacious Presidential Suite - with its own manned elevator. I was fronting a group of high rollers on that occasion, but came out as the top banana. I still remember hiring a ballroom and the $38,000 bill (not just for me, I hasten to add). I asked for the bill to be printed and received about a foot of fan-folded paper (which had certain blackmail potential).
Subsequent visits have been more modest but I was still able to stay at (for example) The Soho Grand, which is like an all-night party.
And this time still spiffy on the 10th floor in Chelsea.
So back to Times Square. I've stayed at The Sheraton, The Marquis and the W, from each of which one can tip out onto the bustle of -er- tourists in Manhattan. My stay at any of them would be courtesy of cashing in loyalty points.
We decided to see a show on Broadway and the criteria was a musical not already in London.
We picked Water for Elephants. which was playing along the busy part adjacent to Broadway, yet is reminiscent of a building site. London's West End is certainly tidier.
Monday 5 August 2024
Oculus
Peek inside and it's a transport hub underground, with a massive Westfield shopping mall at a convenient shopping level, complete with all the usual suspects.
Sunday 4 August 2024
High Line ramble
The High Line is quite an attraction, leading along the old train tracks from Chelsea Village up into midtown.
At various places the original tracks are still visible, where freight trains used to chug along the edge of the Hudson River, until the the line was closed and then saved from piecemeal redevelopment.
The midtown end settles close to W 34th Street, which flourishes Penn Street Station, Madison Gardens, Macy's and the Empire State Building. Decidedly walkable with the wild flowers contriving to make it seem not a lot slower than a taxi.
Industrial heritage becomes mindful.
Saturday 3 August 2024
Friday 2 August 2024
Skew
Thursday 1 August 2024
Constitutional
I can't really believe we did it all in a single day, but somehow, we did.
Nowadays we'd do some of those sights in depth and take a whole day, like on this trip we did my first ever trip to the Statue of Liberty and to Ellis Island. I've flown around them in a helicopter previously. Both are interesting, although they don't really tell you about the very long queues to get the ferries. And we were queueing in a New York heat wave.
I've hidden the 4th July proclamation being held up in Liberty's other arm. I'm not sure how well it is stacks up at present.
As PJ Harvey's soundtrack says: