A bonus hike on a glorious day!
There are some days when the weather is so beautiful – and the calendar is so empty – that one simply must get up and go outside. Today was one of those days, with a forecast for full sun and nary a cloud. Today was the day to hop a train southeast and follow a classic track along the coast of the English Channel, south of London. I was well rewarded, indeed!
A gallery of photos from my wanderings.
As regular readers know, I like to wander. Even when I have a destination in mind, I often ignore the map and “follow my nose” by aiming in the right general direction and hoping some combination of left and right turns will lead me to my destination and new discoveries along the way. Today, I’m sharing a gallery of photos taken in London, in January or February. It’s quite a random collection – just things I found beautiful or interesting. None appear in my other blog-posted galleries. Enjoy!
Barely noticed by anyone passing by.
I have to admit, I’d never noticed them either. Hundreds of commuters pass over the Thames on Vauxhall Bridge every morning – on foot, on bike, on bus, or in a car – and they don’t notice them. These little-known sculptures are really meant to be seen from the water – from boats plying the swirling currents of the Thames – but they are nonetheless worth a look from the bridge. After all, they include Britain’s smallest cathedral.
A walk through northeast London (23rd consecutive weekend)
The three-day forecast for this weekend indicated today might have the best weather – or at least, little chance of rain – so I headed out for an afternoon walk along a rail trail (an abandoned railway converted into a pedestrian trail) between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace in northeast London. It was a grey and cloudy day, but the walk passes through parks and ancient woodlands where the birds are singing and the first flowers of spring are blooming.
Bicentennial exhibit at University College London.
During my London sabbatical I have visiting positions at both Imperial College and University College London. As it happens, UCL is celebrating its bicentenary this month, so I stopped by their main building and student center to view the exhibits. It is open to the public and is worth a visit.
a loving memory
Twice in the last week, on my rambles through London parks near our home, I’ve encountered a park bench covered in flowers. This afternoon, in a small Westminster park along the shore of the Thames, I found this bench. The two Happy Birthday balloons and the “15” balloons implied a 15th birthday for someone named “C”. Colorful and cheerful… but the dozen bouquets of flowers warned me of a sadder story behind this bench.
A lovely hike through The Weald region southeast of London.
I hopped an early train southeast out from London, hoping to enjoy a morning of cloudy-maybe-sunny weather that didn’t involve any precipitation. (Such weather has been scarce for the past month, as we’ve received some rain nearly every day.) My goal for this hike – my 22nd consecutive weekend hike – was a region of rolling hills, pastures, and small villages called The Weald, between the North and South Downs. It was lovely! and very, very muddy.
around the girdled earth we roamed…
Flashback to our visit to Paris in January: As I emerged from the boulangerie into dim, pre-dawn light, it began to snow lightly. I reached behind my back, where my hand slid instinctively into the side pocket of my camera’s sling bag, reaching for my trusty Dartmouth cap. This faded cap, which has been blessed by an elephant in India, which had beaten back the sun from Japan to Cyprus to New Zealand, which the wind once tossed into a puddle of penguin poop in the Antarctic, was just what I needed as I headed for the Bois de Vincennes for a sunrise hike. No luck. My cap was missing!
21st consecutive weekend of hiking!
It has rained nearly every day for two weeks, here in London. So when this morning broke sunny and clear, it was time to go hiking! I headed for Epping Forest, an extensive area of forests and meadows on the northeastern edge of London. The sunny (though chilly) weather inspired many other people to get outdoors – walking their dogs, riding their horses, strolling with friends, or jogging the muddy trails. Two weeks of rain + heavy foot traffic = muddy trails!
A delightful visit to an interesting country on the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf).
I’ve just returned from a fascinating visit to Kuwait. Although Dartmouth has a long-standing relationship with the American University of Kuwait (AUK), and I’ve hosted two AUK faculty for summer fellowships in my lab at Dartmouth, I’d never had the opportunity to visit. This was my first trip to AUK and Kuwait; indeed, my first trip to the Middle East. Although it was a short visit – just three days – it was fascinating and delightful.
David Kotz 