London Snow!

Location scouting

Went for a nice bike ride around Putney Bridge with Andy on Sunday, to look at some locations for Andy's next film (about a homeless kid).

Andy contemplating a nice underpass:

Can you spare some cutter, me brothers?

Tourists again

Caught up on some London sight-seeing this weekend, as part of a farewell for one of the York girls: went to Tower Bridge (which, to be honest, is more interesting from outside) , the London Dungeon (a bit lame, but fun for the kids), saw a few film locations (such as Bridget Jones' apartment), ate our first roasted chestnuts, did some beach-combing on a small stretch of Thames 'beach' and... fed a squirrel by hand!

A nice view of the Tower of London:

A London "beach":

Ratties in the London Dungeon:

And the piece de la resistance, my real-time video of the opening of London Bridge (snore):

Dublin - Day 2

Started the day with a tram ride out to Kilmainham Gaol, which is a little off the beaten track. The Gaol provides a fascinating insight into Dublin’s social history and Ireland’s political history…

First built in 1796, it served as an often-over-crowded prison for all kinds of lawbreakers, including children arrested for petty theft. It was a major processing point for deportation to Australia, and later held many of the most famous people involved in the campaign for Irish independence. The leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held and executed here, and the last prisoner was Eamon de Valera:

The main entrance, above which were performed hundreds of public hangings

Where the Easter Rising prisoners were held

Used in a million films, including In the Name of the Father

Where the Easter Rising prisoners were executed by firing squad

The Four Courts, location of the Supreme Court, High Court, and Central Criminal Court of the Republic of Ireland. Seized during the Easter Rising in 1916, they survived the bombardment by British artillery but were gutted in the Irish Civil War 1922.

Christ Church Cathedral (The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity), the elder of the city's two mediæval cathedrals.

Dating back to 1198, The Brazen Head is Ireland's oldest pub and a favourite haunt for James Joyce (yeah, that guy). Went and had a nice lunch and a few drinks. Tried Guinness with blackcurrant (nice, but be careful not to overdo it or it’ll become sickly) and had a Jameson’s while watching a traditional Irish folk band.

The Spire of Dublin, known locally as the Millennium Spire. Standing at 120 metres high, this spike of burnished steel has a base only 3 metres wide and narrows to a point at the top. The site is considered the centre of Dublin and was occupied by a statue of Nelson – until it was blown up by the IRA in 1966.

Dublin - Day 1

Our whirlwind weekend tour of Dublin began with an evening flight on Ryanair – Ireland’s budget airline. I have to say it was horrible – not the budget aspect, but the fact that throughout the flight the staff relentlessly shilled for money (buy food, drinks, duty free, lotto cards, bus tickets blah blah blah!) via an over-loud and shrill overhead speaker.

Stepped out of the plane into the same weather we had in London – cold, very windy, and a touch drizzly. Guess the Irish Sea doesn’t make that big a difference. Caught a bus to our hostel and checked in.

Got up bright and early the next morning – had our complimentary muffin and cup of tea – and struck out on foot for a day of sight-seeing:

Custom House - architecturally the most important building in Dublin – which was gutted by the IRA during the Irish Civil War of 1921-1922.

The River Liffey

Random graffiti (there is a whole lot of it about – mostly political)

Trinity College is a large walled off area in the centre of the city. After entering through a small cloister, it opens up into a wonderful courtyard surrounded by grey stone buildings of vintage appearance. We enjoyed a visit to the Library museum that houses the Book of Kells (a lavishly ornate illustrated manuscript from AD 800) and the breathtaking Long Room (a 65m long double height library of 200,000 antique books). The Long Room is truly the Mecca for secular humanists, and I only wish I could have taken photos there because it was very moving. Instead you’ll just have to enjoy a couple of pictures from the surrounding grounds:

Parliament Square

The Pomodoro sculpture in front of the Berkeley library

Next we struck out for the National Museum of Archaeology. It was a little disappointing, but we got a nice overview of the early history of Ireland – Neolithic, Celtic, Viking, Norman etc (with a random Egyptology section thrown in!). Circumnavigating the block we passed the National Gallery, Government Buildings, Oscar Wilde memorial and Huguenot cemetery – but alas could not find Bram Stoker’s house.

Had a nice little lunch – Shamrock-shaped ciabattas – then ambled through St Stephens Green and down Grafton Street (the main shopping drag), past the impressive Bank of Ireland, through the Temple Bar area and ending up at Dublin Castle:

Grafton Street

Molly Malone statue by Jeanne Rynhart. Known colloquially as The Tart With The Cart, The Dish With The Fish, The Dolly with the Trolley, The Flirt in the Skirt or The Trollop With The Scallops.!

In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive alive oh!"

More graffiti. Well... not really.

Dublin Castle was the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. Most of the building dates from eighteenth century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John (indeed we visited a damp medieval excavation under one of the towers).

My Goodness My Guinness! The Guinness Storehouse exhibition at the St James’s Gate Brewery.

Lovesong

Anna and I went and saw a new play called “Love Song” at the lovely New Ambassadors Theatre, starring Neve Campbell (Party of Five), Kristen Johnston (3^rd Rock from the Sun), Michael McKean (Short Circuit 2) and Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later). Delightful, with many good laughs plus an emotional and unexpected ending.

Beane is an exile from life - an oddball. His well-meaning sister Joan and brother-in-law Harry try and make time for him in their busy lives, but no one can get through. Following a burglary at his apartment, Joan is baffled to find her brother blissfully happy and tries to unravel the story behind Beane's mysterious new love Molly. Funny, theatrically playful and moving, John Kolvenbach's new romantic comedy explores the infectious effects of love and the redemptive power of hope.

Newcastle

We had a lovely stay in Newcastle with some of Anna's relatives, Peggy and Tommy Beaumont. They very kindly put us up, fed us and drove us around the countryside so that we could see the sights. We also met their lovely dog, Pippy, their daughter Gillian and her children. It was great to put the brakes on a bit, and enjoy an authentic English lifestyle - drinking Newcastle Brown ("nukie brun" in the Geordie accent), walks in the bracing winter air, watching the Two Ronnies on television, and reading the Sunday Post.

We'd like to thank them all for their hospitality and generosity and look forward to either returning, or returning the favour.

Central Newcastle, with Lord Earl Grey's monument:

The new castle in Newcastle (not so new anymore):

The Millenium Bridge, Baltic art gallery and music centre:

Close-up of the Millenium Bridge. It opens like an eye so that ships can pass beneath:

Newcastle-upon-Tyne:

Abbey ruins:

Newcastle-upon-Tyne - St Mary's island and light house:

Morpeth and its castle:

Stockholm

We spent the first half of our Christmas holidays in Stockholm. It was extremely cold (mostly due to the wind), but no real snow to speak of. Funnily enough, the city was a ghost town - that is, until the Boxing Day sales began! Then there were big queues outside all the shops in town.

Day 1 (23 Dec): Arrived, checked into our hotel (very nice) and had a walk through Gamla Stan. This is the Old Town, and was on an island, as seems to be de rigeur in Europe. We had a great dinner at the Glenfiddich restaurant. The food was much more authentic than the name, with a great deal of pickled herring. Surprisingly yum. Our waiter had a Geordie accent, having learned his English from a Newcastle resident!

Day 2 (Dec 24): Walked through the city...

...and ended up at Gamla Stan again. Saw the guards at the Palace and had a hot chocolate at a cafe, which had been converted from a prison (where they held Gustav III's assassin).

Went to the oldest church in Stockholm, the Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Saint Nicolaus Church), most commonly known as Storkyrkan (The Great Church). Admired their nativity scene and the gorgeous 1489 wood-carved St George and the Dragon.

Watched the ceremony for the closing of the Christmas markets. Had some tasty gingerbread, and some horrible mulled wine (Glögg):

More Stockholm:

Day 3 (25 Dec): Spent Christmas day at the open-air Skansen museum, where they recreate traditional Scandinavian country living. Had good luck with the animals - saw a red squirrel, plus wolves, a fox, wolverines, reindeer, and mooses (meese?). Spent the evening watching The Lord of the Rings on telly.

Day 4 (26 Dec): More museums on Boxing Day. The Vasamuseet (houses an intact 17th Century ship)...

...and the National Museum:

Spent our last evening at the Absolut Icebar Stockholm which was actually in our hotel. Everything, including the glasses and furniture, is made out of ice. The temperature inside is -5° C!