Bruges Photographs

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I have also posted my holiday snaps from Bruges. Check out the set page.

Brussels Town Hall, Grand Place

I have posted my holiday snaps from Brussels. This is the beautiful town hall rising from the central plaza of Grand Place. The rest of the photos are on the set page.

London from Waterloo Bridge

Taken on Guy Fawkes Night, with the London Eye on the left and the Houses of Parliament at the rear right. The tall building at the rear, just left of centre, is Millbank Tower, an oft-maligned 60s office block. (I quite like it, actually.) Crossing the frame is Hungerford Bridge. It's actually a triplet of bridges: two pedestrian bridges located each side of a railway bridge terminating at Charing Cross station on the northern bank.

Guy Fawkes 2005

5 November 2005 was the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Each year on that date, the Brits celebrate Guy Fawkes' failure by setting off fireworks. I have more photographs on my set page.

Hampstead Heath

I ventured out to Hampstead Heath in mid-October, which is a huge park in North London. Unlike London's other parks, the Heath looks like it is rural wilderness when in fact it is a totally planned garden! This photograph was taken on Parliament Hill, which is used to launch and fly kites. There are more photographs on my Hampstead Heath set page.

Kenwood House is located at the park's northern limits, and has turned in several London-set films, like Notting Hill. Hampstead Heath also turns up in An American Werewolf In London as the setting for one of the werewolf's murders.

Royal Opera House Backstage Tour

The impressively-proportioned Royal Opera House dominates Covent Garden. Following a series of renovations and extensions it is now home to the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet companies. The Opera House is on Bow Street, across the road from my apartment complex. I still managed to arrive late for the backstage tour. Photographs can only be taken in the front of house areas. The few I took are in the set page.

Madrid Photographs

I visited Madrid with Doug the first weekend in September. Here is a link to my Madrid photo set page.

Brunel Tunnel, Wapping Station

I snapped this photograph at Wapping Underground Station during London Open House weekend. The tunnel visible in the background is Marc Isambard Brunel's Thames Tunnel, and is historically significant as it is the world's first tunnel bored under a navigable waterway. 162 years after its completion, it is still a working tunnel, used by Underground trains on the East London Line. There are more photos on my London Open House set page.