Holland Park: Colors

This was one of the most pleasurable walks I've taken since coming to London. The walk from Palace Court to Holland Park is peaceful, adorable, and colorful. While it is still extremely close to busy London, it serves as an oasis from city life for those that are lucky (and wealthy) enough to live there. On the crisp, surprisingly warm autumn day that Anna and I took this walk, I was struck by the beautiful colors in the area. As such, my theme is Colors in the various forms they took here from the 1920s housing to vehicles to autumn in Holland park.


"Colors of Notting Hill"
As Arthur Bassett says in this walk, these are some of the most coveted properties in London. I know I covet them. They were originally built during World War I to provide cheaper housing. They can now cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Each building was painted a different color, providing the inspiration for the rainbow of pictures that I took.


"Silver"
This is a cafe just off of Notting Hill Gate Road, facing the colorful houses pictured above. It was surprisingly deserted, lending to the peaceful nature of the area.

"Autumn Colored"
There are so many colors that are associated with autumn, and this ivy-covered building housed them all: brilliant oranges, reds, yellows, and pinks.




"Green"
This house was painted one of my favorite colors of green and had a flower box still trying to bloom and hold its lively green color against the coming winter weather



"Brown"
So many browns in one place. This flat illustrated the depth and color that brown, a reputed dull color, can have.



"Black and White"
Though it is debatable whether white or black are actually colors, the contrast is always striking.


"Blue"
The friendly, easygoing atmosphere of this area is so appropriate for bike-riding. We passed a number of parked bikes with baskets, ready to go to the market or tube station. This bike was a particularly brilliant blue.


"Yellow and Red"
The Kyoto Peace Gardens in Holland Park were literally breathtaking. Each tree was a different color but not at all faded or dull despite winter quickly creeping up on autumn. The grass was still brilliantly green, and these trees in particular were bold representations of their colors; they gave a fantastic final bow out into their hibernation of winter.

Seats of Power, Whitehall and the Mall: London Icons

This walk took us through the part of London that houses the administrative government, both the ceremonial heads of government and those with real power. Not only does this section of the city provide an introduction to the administration and the rich tradition and history behind its government, it also was a convenient walk for seeing so many of London's famous icons in one place. My time in London is nearing its end, and I thought it would be appropriate to take this opportunity to make my theme "London Icons" and capture a few of London's icons located in this Whitehall area. Not surprisingly, most of these icons do relate to these Seats of Power, so it all comes together.



"Big Ben and Parliament"
One of the first things that anyone thinks of when London is mentioned is Big Ben. Honestly, until I came here I did not know that it was attached to the building that houses Parliament. There it is looking regal, London-y, and powerful.


"Oh, the Eye"
An interesting icon, the London Eye. It certainly looks powerful, due to its massive size. Real Londoners know that this is a tourist trap. It's ridiculously expensive for a view of the city, when a climb to the top of St. Paul's gives a very compelling view for much less. However, the Eye is still an iconic part of the London skyline.



"A Representation of Scotland Yard"
Another London icon is the distinctive police uniforms and hats. This walk gave a history of Scotland Yard and how the police force in London came to be known as such. The street sign pictured above alludes to the former Scottish palace that stood in this area, later replaced by Henry VIII's palace grounds which became known as Scotland Yard. The police in London were given an office here in the nineteenth century, giving it its name. I did not find an actual policeman in this area, so this street sign and all that it represents will have to do for that particular icon.



"Horse Guard"
As Holli said when we were taking this walk, "You can't throw a rock and not hit a palace in this country." True. And along with those palaces or other royal areas comes the need for royal guards in their various attire keeping a straight face while being mobbed by tourists and their cameras. These guards were guarding what used to be the location of Henry VIII's tennis courts. Arthur Bassett, author of our walks, informs us that they are one of the most photographed icons in London.



"Remembrance"
Throughout the beginning of November, a great number of London citizens can be seen sporting paper poppies on their overcoats in remembrance of both the Great War and World War II. Though this may not be an obvious icon, it is one for anyone who has visited London around November 11. This is a World War I memorial where the Queen comes every remembrance Sunday to lay a wreath of poppies.




"White Hall"
There is Whitehall itself, which leads from Parliament to Trafalgar Square, two very important London icons. This street contains the Prime Minister's residence and a number of War Memorials.



"Admiralty Arch"
This is an icon of the traditional administrative power, the Royal Family. These arches mark the beginning of the ceremonial route to Buckingham palace. The road is red, like a red carpet deepening the sense of tradition and respect for this London icon.



"Buckingham Silhouette"
A fairly awful picture of Buckingham palace, one of the most famous London icons around the world. Though the Queen and Royal Family hold no real power in the government today, they are still an important and romantic icon of tradition.

South Kensington Museums: FALLin' for Autumn in South Kensington

On this particular overcast autumn day, we decided to do this walk backwards and start walking through Kensington Gardens. It was there among the beautiful trees that I received my inspiration for my theme: "FALLin' for Autumn in South Kensington," or simply, Autumn. This area is very academic, an autumn thing to be, as it houses the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, and Royal Albert Hall, among other places of intellectual enlightenment. This season inspires one to pursue intellectual things, and the following photos are different representations of fall in all of its beauty in this area of London.

"Autumn Stroll"
This is the long stretch from Bayswater to Kensington Road. At this time of year, multi-colored trees line the path, making an ideal environment for autumn strolling philosophizing, and contemplating the beauty that this season has to offer.


"Take a Seat, Take a Ponder"
This pathway is also lined with inviting benches roofed by the autumn trees. These benches are ideal for reading and people watching, two very intellectual things to do.


"To School!"
To most of us, the biggest indicator of autumn is back-to-school time. Though school has been in session for a couple of months now, it is still fitting to see school children on their way to school to expand their minds. It's especially autumn-y to see British children in adorable uniforms going to amazing museums.


"One reason to not 'Go Green'"
When taking a walk such as this in autumn in London, one will often see leaf sweepers trying to rid the sidewalks of the delightful litter of crunchy leaves. However, it is nearly impossible to keep all of the pathways clear in Kensington Gardens due to the large number of trees. I'm grateful for this. Autumn has such pretty rubbish.


"Perspective"
I love the contrast between the black branches and their multi-colored bright leaves. Underneath the tree is a perspective we don't often get when walking through the park in autumn but I think it offers an interesting point-of-view.


"Bike Ride"
Though the weather gets colder around autumn, it is still pleasant to take a ride on a crisp autumn day, perhaps with fresh flowers in your basket and heavy books in your backpack riding from school to the V&A.





"Imperial Music"
This building is part of the Imperial College, and I believe it was the music building. This building represents both the academic part of fall and the autumn colors, with its deep red brick.


"FALLin' for The Museum of Natural History"
Literally. There was an ice-skating rink set up outside of the museum, and people were slipping and falling all over the place. This is also representative of the many museums located in this area, and going to a museum is a fantastic way to spend a cool autumn day.

A Walk Among the Superstars: Unlikely Superstars of Chelsea

This walk took us around Chelsea where many of London's best and most famous actors, writers, and musicians once lived. This list includes but is not limited to Laurence Olivier, Oscar Wilde, A.A. Milne, and Mick Jagger. This area is also where the punk movement began in the 1970s and where the charitable group the "Sloane Rangers" started in the 1980s. The photo theme that I chose for this walk was the "Unlikely Superstars" of Chelsea--those that may get overlooked in this star-studded part of London. Let's hear it for the underdog.




"Unknown Fighting Paparazzi"
This is my good friend Hailee Anderson in front of a street that bears her surname. Little did we know before embarking on this walk that Hailee was in fact a Superstar! In fact, I would go so far as to say that she was an Unknown Superstar. Of course all three of us had to try to capture this newfound celebrity in our midst, and Hailee became overwhelmed. It was much like how those known superstars must feel sometimes.



"Unexpected International Superstar"
For better or for worse, every American recognizes that Obama through his campaign and election has become a superstar. Since I've been in London, I've become very aware that the rest of the world views him as somewhat of a superstar as well. We took this walk on the day after the election, and newspapers such as this one were being handed out and sold all around Chelsea. Obama was not a Superstar i necessarily expected to encounter on this walk.


"Flying Dolphin Boy"
Arthur Basset sites this statue, Dolphin and Boy by David Wynne, as one of his favorites. Once I got past the surprised snicker when I first looked at it, I was truly amazed by this statue. It has incredible movement and the fact that that much bronze is freely floating in the air is amazing. This statue sits unassuming in front of a Mercedes-Benz dealership, and I think it deserves a great deal of recognition.


"The Real Superstars"
I've never seen a sign that gives special attention to the elderly. I did not expect Chelsea to give them so much attention. Though the sign is a bit degrading because they are so hunched over and both bald, it is still important to watch for the superstars of life as they cross the road.


"Snail Mail"
English mailboxes are so fantastic. This one has been in operation since the 1800s and bares the insignia of Queen Victoria. Post has suffered a blow with technology providing quicker, more convenient means of education. However this mailbox serves as an example of the stalwart nature of an Unlikely Superstar that has stood on this corner for almost two hundred years.

"SuperSTARbucks"
What would any area of London do without their Starbucks? Not much has to be said about this Unlikely Superstar of Chelsea, the fact that its presence can be seen every couple hundred meters. It is subconsciously a Superstar in nearly every city-dweller's mind.

"In England? Really?"
We encountered this display at a video store in the Chelsea area. Of all of the stars I expected to encounter, R2D2, C3pO and Darth Vader were not among them. Especially all together. They do not even fight on the same side.

"Michelin Immortalized"
This was a special treat. Here we have what once was the main office of the Michelin Tyre Company in the UK. It now houses upscale restaurants and offices, but the Michelin man, Bibendum, will never be forgotten in all of his stained-glass-marshmallow-man-glory. Although it is true that the Michelin man is actually a superstar, I never expected him to be depicted and immortalized in such a fantastic way.