Michael Temlin

Memories of London and Paris, 2001

In October of 2001, just a few weeks after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I left for a week's holiday in London.  Can I pick the time to travel, or what?

Below are some links to photos.  Rather than do a boring day-by-day travelogue, I've organized the photos  into subject categories.  I hope you enjoy.

All of the links below connect directly to photos.  Photos average 50K - 150K in size.

Parliament

It was a great day to take pictures of the Houses of Parliament, with the great Westminster Clock dominating.  Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the clock tower.
bulletParliament from Waterloo Bridge
bulletYet another view of Parliament from Waterloo Bridge
bulletStill another
bulletNear the main entrance; I'm standing in Parliament Square
bulletAnother view

The Tower of London

What can I say?  It's the spookiest, gloomiest, most wonderful place in London.  Everywhere you look is history, tradition . . . and perfect examples of the best and worst manifestations of the human condition.
bulletThe spot where Henry VIII's henchmen wielded their hatchets
bulletThe chapel in the White Tower
bulletThere are actually several structures at the Tower; here's a shot of the courtyard -- charming
bulletGuarding the Crown Jewels in the traditional manner -- with very modern side arms
bulletThe ravens are everywhere!  The guards know them all by name.
bulletThe view of the Tower as seen by the condemned as they arrived via boat

Paris

On Saturday, I took the Eurostar bullet train from Waterloo Station in London to Gare du Nord station in Paris -- a three-hour train ride via the Channel Tunnel.  Being whisked through the French countryside at over 150 MPH is definitely no way to see France, but I only had one day to see the City of Lights.
bulletThe Eiffel Tower, as seen from the Arc de Triomphe
bulletAnother view from the top of Arc de Triomphe.  The big hollow square in the distance is in an area called La Defensé, a new modern business district.
bulletGuess where I am?   
bulletThe Left Bank
bulletA hurdy-gurdy man on the steps of the Basilique du Sacré Coeur in Montmartre
bulletStreet performer at Montmartre 
bulletThe cathedral at Notre Dame
bulletThe new Renault, as seen in the showroom on Les Champs Elysées
bulletTour boats on the Seine

Various Sights Around London

A few morsels:
bulletCovent Garden
bulletThe Theater Royal at Drury Lane -- the best place in the world to see "My Fair Lady" (it was great!!)
bulletThis is as close as one can get to 10 Downing Street without risking one's life
bulletBuckingham Palace
bulletThe Queen's Horse Guards
bulletGower Street, City of Westminster.  My hotel is in the middle of the block.
bulletThe National Theater
bulletThe Old Bailey
bulletTrafalgar Square
bulletTrafalgar Square; the church is St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
bulletMe standing at the very top of the spire of St. Paul's Cathedral
bulletA view of St. Paul's from the south bank of the Thames
bulletThe Thames from Waterloo Bridge
bulletWaterloo Train Station
bulletThe stage of Shakespeare's Globe Theater
bulletThe ceiling of Shakespeare's Globe Theater
bulletLondon office of Actor's Equity

This page last updated Monday, October 13, 2008