London urban market

This market is in the heart of the central business district in London. It's owned by the City of London and is designed to accommodate the busy lives of office workers. Many of the people who work in this section put in 12 hour days and then have to make their way home. For those who live outside the city especially, other stores might be closed by the time they get there. This provides a solution - workers can stop off here right after work or on their lunch breaks and get anything they need. This is not bargain shopping by any means. The place is filled with expensive wine shops and other stores to cater to the needs of the upper class. It is beautiful inside though, which is why our professor took us through for a detour on our tour of Roman ruins in the city.

Church with American ties

The All Hallows-by-the-Tower Church is the oldest Church in the City of London and is located across the river from the Tower of London. It is full of history, having been founded in 675. The building itself was rebuilt multiple times between the 11th and 15th centuries. It's west tower was destroyed by an explosion in 1649 and almost burned in the Great Fire of London in 1666. William Penn Sr. (the father of the founder of Pennsylvania) had several buildings around the church demolished to create a fire break so the church could be saved from the flames. The Church was heavily damaged by German bombs in WWII and had to be partially reconstructed. The outer walls remain from the 15th century, and it retains a 7th century Saxon doorway that was part of the original building. Parts of a Roman building along with other artifacts have been discovered in the church crypt in 1926. Now for the American connection: President John Quincy Adams was married here in 1797 and William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was baptized here in 1644.

The Routemaster lives on

London is of course famous for its double decker buses, but one model in particular stands out as the iconic image of what one should look like. The AEC Routemaster was introduced in 1954 and was manufactured until 1968. Of the over 2,800 built, about 1,000 are still around. This model began continuous service in London in 1956. The Routemaster made its final run on a regular route on December 9th, 2005 - heavily delayed because crowds blocked the streets to see the last bus. The buses were decommissioned for a number of reasons: environmental concerns, handicapped accessability, and age (although the fleet had already be referbished with new engines and was in good condition). The Routemaster still has a presence in London through two specially designated "heritage routes" 9 and 15. It also lives on as the only bus depicted in postcards and on other tourist merchandise - a fitting tribute to the fleet that served London for nearly half a century.

London's modern architecture

Always having been a growing and changing city, there is an incredible variety of architecture here. These are examples of London's newest buildings and styles. They are all located in the central business district in the City of London proper. I took these pictures during a class walk of Roman ruins. My professor explained that under this oldest section of London, about 20 ft down, is the layer that contains the remains of the Roman city.

This creates a problem for new development. You can't get a permit to build unless you promise that if you hit something in the Roman layer (which always happens) you will call the British Museum. The museum sends out archeologists to the site and you have to pray that they don't find anything interesting. If they do, it can mean your project gets delayed for months or years. This is a country that actually cares about its heritage. On another note, the building in the picture below reminds me of R2D2 in Star Wars .

Hi-tech highway

This is the M4 near London's Heathrow Airport. I took this picture through the windshield of the bus on the way home from Salisbury. I have to say they have done a great job at making the highways around London efficient. There are dedicated lanes between the airport and the city only for buses, taxis, and motorcycles that keep high volumes of people moving quickly. Also, as you can see in the picture, there are digital road signs overhead that change the speed limit as conditions change. I'm willing to bet that big cities in the U.S. have something similar, but I thought it was pretty neat just the same.

Salisbury Cathedral

Last year, the Salisbury Cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration in 1258. It it unique in that the main body of the cathedral was built all in one period lasting 38 years - which for its time was remarkably fast for a structure so complex. Most Cathedrals in Britain were built in stages and have been added on to over the years, creating a mix of architectural styles.


The only major element added later on were the tower and spire. The spire is the highest in the UK, measuring 404 ft and weighing over 6,000 tons. Inside you can see the supporting pillars underneath it bending inward because of the weight. Over the centuries, extra supports in the form of buttresses, iron ties, and bracing arches have been added to prevent the spire from collapsing - the fate of many other spires. Because these steps were taken, it is now the tallest remaining pre-1400 spire in the world.


Although commonly referred to as Salisbury Cathedral, its official name is the Cathedral of Saint Mary. Several changes were made to the building in 1790, including the demolition of its bell tower - making it one of only three cathedrals in England without one.


The Cathedral houses one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta. Photographs were not allowed in that area, but it was pretty exciting to see an original copy of such a famous document. The Magna Carta itself wasn't one of the most effective documents, but its importance had more to do with the legal precident it set forward in putting limits on the power of the monarch.


This baptismal fountian is absolutely beautiful. It is a wide shallow basin with water pumped in from the bottom. The surface of the water remains nearly flat as the excess pours out of notched channels at the corners. From there, the water spouts continue into drains in the floor that have been muted so there is almost no sound at all. It is very impressive in person.


This clock, also housed in the Cathedral, is the oldest working medieval clock in the world. Built around 1386, it was originally the clock for the Cathedral's bell tower (which is why is has no face or hands - it wasn't meant to be seen, it just engaged the bells at the proper time). When the bell tower was torn down, it was put in storage until it was discovered in 1929. It was restored to working order in 1956 and again refurbished in 2007.

A sign of the times: Woolworths closes in UK

One of the many victims of the global economic crisis, Woolworths stores in the UK were unable to remain in business. The Woolworths stores division of the company entered administration (the UK version of chapter 11 bankruptcy) in November. It's parent company, Woolworths Group plc entered administration itself this week. By January 6th, all 807 Woolworths stores in the UK had closed, leaving 27,000 people without jobs. The picture above shows the vacant storefront left behind in Salisbury. While it was never the nicest it store - being a smaller and slightly tidier version of Wal-Mart - many people were sad to see it go, having memories of shopping there since they were a kid. I remember reading about one shopper commenting that it was a store that was just always there for whatever you needed. That's the same impression that I got when my dad and I stopped in a Woolworths in Warwick in 2000.

The Woolworths chain had a long past, beginning as a five and dive store in 1878. During the 20th century, the F.W. Woolworth Company became one of the largest retail chains in the world. It was headquartered in the landmark Woolworth Building in New York, which was the tallest building in the world when it opened in 1913. It remained so until 1930. But increased competition led to the gradial decline of the company. In 1982, the UK division was sold off to another company. In 1997, the last of the Woolworths stores in the US closed and the company changed its name and focused on sporting goods. After several other changes, what was once the F.W. Woolworth Company is now Foot Locker, a brand that was acquired in the 70s.

That's what makes the failure of the UK stores all the more sad. They might not have been the best, but they were a living reminder of the great American five-and-dime tradition. These were the stores that my grandparents frequented and that I too could experience. I'm glad now that I did stop at the Warwick location. I won't get that chance again unless I go to Germany, Austria, or Cyprus - the remaining places with Woolworths stores once associated with the American company.

A walk through Salisbury

After Stonehenge, we got back on the buses and continued down the road for another 15 minutes or so to Salisbury. It's a cute little city that was founded in 1220 AD. Their shop lined streets are typical of many cities this size, and on this Friday afternoon we saw many people bustling around during the lunch hour. This included the local school boys, on their way to and from lunch all dressed up with neckties and sweaters. We spent about an hour and a half walking around before going inside the Cathedral.


Jessica and I, along with a bunch of others on the trip, stopped here for lunch. It was a cute little place, and had a good mix of tourists and locals. They did have an interesting way of ordering your food that I thought was rather efficient. Instead of sitting down and having a waiter come to you, first you left your things at a table and then lined up at the counter. The menu was like a cafe - on a board behind the cashier. You placed your order and paid up front, told them your table number, and they would bring the food to you. Drinks were given to you at the counter. I can't say that I ever have seen this before. Usually if they do it this way, you get a buzzer and have to go back up to get the food yourself. Anyway, the important thing is the food was good and it was cheap!


This is just a nice example of an old English house, with a traditional hedge across the front, or back, I can't really tell. Those rooms with the big windows have a magnificent uninterrupted view of the Cathedral. There is something about this picture that I love - the way the sunlight hits the top of the buildings and the bright blue sky in the background.


A river or large creek runs through the middle of the city. There is a nice walkway all the way down on at least one side that many people were using for recreation - either walking, running, biking, or just simply having a seat on a bench and taking in the view.


On the same river, about a quarter of mile down the way, there was a (flock? I guess that's what you would call a group of them) of swans with people feeding them from the path. An interesting note about swans in England - a fact that I had once known but had forgotten until reminded by a tour guide - is that they all are property of the Queen. Hmm...and like Her Majesty, they can be quite mean looking sometimes! I remember a classmate of mine in high school was chased by one in Canada during a field trip to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.


Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop at this cute little side street pub, but it has such charm. It is amazing how many pubs there are in this country and almost everyone of them has is own distinct character and many have their own unique history. Not like in America where one bar looks like any other.


I put this picture in primarily because I like the lighting, but it also demonstrates how in these old cities the new and old are always interacting. These narrow streets and archways, built hundreds and hundreds of years ago - before the United States was even a dream - are now giving way to cars, trucks, and bikes along with the timeless foot traffic of locals heading to the shops.


This central green sits between the Cathedral and the developed portion of the city. Even after hundreds of years of occupation, the English have preserved public greens and gathering areas for the enjoyment of all. More American towns and cities could have taken a lesson from this example. Instead we are in such a hurry in some places to pave over every square inch in the name of "development" and "progress."


The Cathedral's spire is a prominent part of the city's skyline and can be seen for miles. Interestingly, it is what saved this city from bombing during WWII. The German pilots would use this spire as a guide point to tell them when to change direction and head for other British cities that they bombed instead. To avoid risking damage to the spire, the city was spared. There apparently is still almost a sense of guilt among the older residents here, knowing that they were left alone while others had to endure the German bombing.

The English countryside

There is something about the English countryside that's just mesmerizing. It's not the endless mass of boring hay and corn - not to say those can't be beautiful too - it's just that here everything is so green. A bright green when the sun hits it. It is almost entirely rural between London and Stonehenge, and endless fields surround the site itself (with the exception of the highway off to one side).


In the picture above, the little dots on the horizon are sheep. These animals were first introduced here by the Romans, who arrived in 43 AD. The wool trade would continue to be the largest economic force in Britain up to the industrial revolution. This field is right next to Stonehenge, which stands directly behind where I was standing when I took the picture.

A Visit to Stonehenge & Salisbury

I'm running a little behind here, this is from last Friday's visit to Stonehenge and Salisbury (pronounced: Salzbury). Stonehenge was one of the places that we stopped at in 2000, and I remembered being slightly...not disappointed, but surprised at at how small it is in person. Don't get me wrong, the stones are huge, but it always looks larger in person. That probably has something to do with the fact that most of the pictures you see don't have any people in them so there is no sense of scale. It was more exciting this time because our tour guide explained the history and the theories of what it was used for on the way. It certainly makes you have a better appreciation of the engineering involved. It is estimated that it was built around 3100 BC. For more information, go to the Stonehenge website.

London, the world looked on for America's big day

Inauguration day was a big deal in the UK as well, especially in London. The Faraday House - Syracuse University's London Campus - made sure that it was a special day for us. Professors were asked to end classes early at 4 pm and not start any classes until 6 pm (that's 11 am to 1 pm Eastern Time). During that time, students were encouraged to gather in the lounge in the basement where they had BBC coverage on a projection screen. They decorated the room with American and British flags, and had tons of food and drinks. I would say that there were at least 150 people watching in that room, and they had to open the room next door for people who wanted to watch in silence. So there we were, American students and British faculty looking on with the same awe and enthusiasm as President Obama was sworn in and gave his speech.

Sure that could be expected for an American institution, but the amazing thing was that Londoners were looking on in much the same way. I overheard one of my classmates saying that they had gone to a pub to celebrate and everyone inside was watching CNN. British media followed it extensively too, it was as if we were at home. The BBC News Channel was covering it all day, and BBC 1 - the British Broadcasting Corporation's flagship general entertainment channel - suspended normal programing at 4 pm to join BBC News' live coverage from Washington. Throughout the day, they were showing auditoriums in London filled with people watching projection screens of the coverage.

I noticed that media coverage at home rose to a new level as well. I was checking the websites of ABC News and the New York Times all day, and both had live streaming of the inauguration. I watched Dianne Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos anchor the abcnews.com coverage of the parade. They said that this was the first inauguration to be streamed online. It was great to be able to get both media perspectives and compare the BBC and ABC. Of course I preferred ABC, but BBC did a great job. I was certainly a big day no matter where you were, or where you were from.

Sunday's bus trip to Greenwich

We lined up 10:30 in the morning at the Faraday House (SU's home in London) to take a bus trip to Greenwich. On the way, we drove by many of the famous sites including Trafalgar Square, Big Ben (the name of the bell, not the tower) and the Houses of Parliament, The Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, and several others. Greenwich itself was a quaint little village, with shops, restaurants, and covered markets, and historic sites (see below). We arrived around noon and had two hours to roam around by ourselves before guided tours started. Jessica and I went to a nice little restaurant on the corner. It has a strange name...it was called "Beachcomer", but the food was good and the price was right. We thought that it might be too busy, but the owner saw us looking through the window and waved us in and pointed to an empty table for two.


We passed the Millennium Dome - now called the "O2" on the way to Greenwich. After the Millennium celebrations, no one knew what to do with the place. Now its an indoor entertainment district with movie theaters, restaurants, and shopping. It is also a large concert venue. Not far away from that is the site of the 2012 Olympics, where construction is underway. I'm kind of surprised that this picture came out - I took it while we were driving by on the bus.


One of our History Professors from the Faraday House served as one of the tour guides for the trip. Here we are across the Thames from Greenwich. The red brick building in the background is a circular stairwell that leads to a tunnel that goes under the river. Jess and I actually walked through the tunnel from the Greenwich side. It was neat to walk under such a huge river...although I think there are several of them around London. He also led our tour of the Painted Hall and the Chapel (see below).


Here is a view of the Old Royal Naval College from across the Thames. The Painted Hall is the tower on the right, and the Chapel is the tower on the left (see below). This complex was originally designed by Christopher Wren as the Greenwich Hospital, and was built on the site of the Tudor's Greenwich Palace. The complex and its surrounding buildings are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Greenwich and the Trinity College Music now occupy many of the buildings here. The Royal Observatory is also located here...on the hill in the background. It was this building that held the clock determining Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) until 1954, and its location also marked the Prime Meridian (the set marker that serves at the basis for longitude).


This is the Painted Hall of the Greenwich Hospital. All of the ceilings are masterfully painted, and are surrounded by extraordinary carved moldings. My telephoto lens was great for capturing the ceiling, unfortunately I was able to get a wide shot of the entire space. I plan to go back with my wider lens to get those shots as well. At the head of the room, there is a plaque stating that British naval hero Lord Nelson was laid in state in this room when he was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar. In 2000 when we were in the UK, we went on Nelson's ship - the HMS Victory - that's dry-docked at the naval yards in Portsmouth. The Victory was built between 1759 and 1765 and been restored and partially rebuilt numerous times since. I can't wait to make it down to Portsmouth to see her (ships are always referred to as "her" or "she") again.


This is inside the Chapel of the old Greenwich Hospital. It is directly across the courtyard from the Painted Hall


The Queen's House was built between 1614 and 1617 as a part of the old Tudor Greenwich Palace complex. It is significant in British architectural history because it was the first building in the classical style to be built in the country. Today, it is one of the only remaining parts of the Tudor complex in Greenwich. The palace fell into disrepair and was replaced in the 17th century with the Royal Hospital for Seamen, designed by Christopher Wren (and later used the Royal Naval College, hence its current name, the Old Royal Naval College). We did not go in because we didn't want to check our bags, but plan to go back during the semester. Instead, we went next door to the Royal Maritime Museum.

Saturday's walk to Covent Garden

When I first visited London in 2000, Covent Garden was one of my favorite places and I have eager to go back. So today, our first Saturday of the semester in London, Jessica, Kevin, Megan, and I took the semi-long walk over there from our flat. It is one of the more popular, and therefore touristy places, in London. It is anchored by a big public square that is full of street performers, shops, restuarants, and theaters. One of my favorite memories involving Covent Garden in 2000 was actually when we were walking to it. My Boy Scout troop was waiting on the sidewalk for the traffic signal to change. All of a sudden, we heard and saw at the same time, a fire truck headed straight for us coming from the other side of the round-about (also called a traffic circle in the US - they are very popular in the UK as evidenced in Natioanl Lampoon's European Vacation, and are becoming more common in the States). It veared around the concrete circular median in the middle of the round-about and came within feet of the sidewalk where we were standing until it whipped around and continued down the street. We all thought we were gonners, but luckily fire trucks over here (this one was made by Volvo) are shorter and sit higher than American ones, allowing them a better turning radius. I will never forget the look on one of my Scout leader's face, as he pushed one of the scouts he didn't like in front of him as a sort of buffer between him and the fire truck. Oh, good memories. Today's trip wasn't quite as eventfull, but we did get to spend more time poking around the shops and seeing everything that was there.


All throughout London, there is an incredible mix of the old and new. Being such a historic city, many of the buildings are very old. However, plunked down among them are examples of extremely modern architecture. The pedestrian bridge in the picture above is one. Although hard to see, the buildings it connects are old. I snapped the shot though more because I thought it would make a neat picture.


There are pubs and restaurants on every corner with shops in between. We had a late lunch that doubled as dinner at a fancier restaurant. Because there are several theaters in the area, as well as the Royal Opera House, many of the restaurants have special deals catering to people stopping in before or after a show. I decided to try a steak burger with fries (one of the few restaurants that refer to french fries as "fries" and not "chips". What we call "chips" in America are referred to as "crisps" in the UK. This burger was considerably better than the burger ball that I had in 2000 at a restaurant in Covent Garden. The thing looked like a meatball and oozed beef juice all over the place. It had been a cute place though...the pub was on the first floor and the restaurant was above it on the second. I looked for the place today when we were there, and think I found where it was, although it seems to be a different restaurant now.


Covent Garden is known for its street performers and musicians. Dozens of people gather round to watch. Performers are out until the sun sets, and the musicians play throughout the night. there are also palm readers sitting along the sidewalks as their customs kneel down to have their fortunes read. I remember some of the same acts from 8 years ago when I was here with Boy Scouts.


Completely covered in copper paint, this street performer stays perfectly still until someone comes up and rings his bike's bell. He then quickly changes position and waits for the next person to ring. It is amazing how still he stays.


We came across this on the way home and had to walk by. My roommate Kevin has been talking about going to see this and was really excited to see it. I'll let you know how it is...I'm sure at least one of us will see it. Sounds pretty good from what I hear - It's a murder mystery! It is the longest running play in history, with over 23,000 performances so far. There is supposed to be twist, making the ending a highlight of the plot. The worst thing you can do is to tell a tourist the ending, since they were probably planning on seeing it. I've heard that if you tick off a cabbie they tell you the ending.

"Our Choice" - London shows its love for Obama

This was a display at the front of Blackwell's Bookshop in central London. It is deeply symbolic of Obama's support around the world, and shows how many people are inspired by his promise of change. It should be interesting to see Londoners' reaction to his inauguration on Tuesday.

Greetings from London!

I kicked off my semester abroad in London on Tuesday after landing just after 7am London time. The journey started at 5am Monday morning when I arrived at the Rochester airport for my 6am Jetblue flight to JFK. I was sent off by the Midtown Plaza clock that now sits just beyond the security checkpoint (It's a Rochester thing). Landed at JFK 15 at 7:05 (15 minutes early), and stayed there until checking in at 3:45 for the Virgin Atlantic flight to London's Heathrow Airport. Once checked in, we waited until 6:45 to start boarding, and finally took off around 8. The flight was long and cramped, but the British flight attendants were extremely polite. The Boeing 747 is a lot more cramped than the 767 I took to London in 2000.

Once we landed, we got through customs and baggage claim without problems, and we were met by guides from the Faraday House (SU's London Center). We put our baggage in cargo vans and got on buses that took us to either our pre-arranged flats or a hotel for those people choosing to find their own housing. We got settled in and had to all meet at the hotel for a welcome dinner at 5. Afterwords we stopped at a convenience store, got some wine and other supplies and headed back to our flat...only to return to the hotel about an hour later to get some drinks at the bar. Naturally, I chose a pint of Guinness for my first night drink.

Since then we (myself and my friends/roommates Jessica, Kevin, and Megan) have been getting settled in. We have been making trips to the local groceries and shops to stock up on food and supplies to make our flat into our home. There have also been several orientation events at the Faraday House as well. Last night we went out to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant and then went out to a Pub. Tonight we ate in after Jessica and Kevin went shopping and made beef stir-fry. There are so many other things to mention, but that is an overview of the first couple of days. More posts will follow this weekend...and I will be sure to include pictures too!