London/Stonehenge 27. + 28. 8 2010
A short weekend holiday in London. Journey on Thirsday evening, Friday Madame Tussaudīs and Sightseeing in London, Saturday Stonehenge, as well as London Eye and Covent Garden market in the evening. Marvellous experiences, but rather strenuous.
In the morning it it raining; so we make up for Madame Tussaudīs. When leaving it, it had stopped raining, and we enter one of the many sightseeing buses, circulating through the city on different routes, where we enjoy the view to the city from the outside upper deck and get information in German headphones.
St. Paulīs Cathedral. We get out here, but we donīt visit the church: 30 pounds for the family is estimated exorbitant.
Tower Bridge, as seen from London Bridge.
We are going to cross the Tower Bridge with our bus.
Panoramic pivture of the Tower, where we leave the bus.
The kids are hungry, so we buy some Fish&Chips, which we can eat here outside under a shed roof. This young song thrush hopes for some of the rests.
We now enter an excursion boat for a short journey up the Thames (included in our bus ticket) going up till Westminster Bridge.
The Tower in partly restauration.
A short gimpse to the "The Monument" - a monument to the great fire of 1666
Milleniumīs bridge and St. Paulīs Cathedral
Big Eye
Houses of Parliament with Big Ben - here near the Westminster Bridge we leave the boat.
Big Ben
The houses of Parliament - in a "normally exposed"picture ...
... and in an HDR - photography.
The "backside" if the parliament
Westminster Abbey - in a panoramic shot
We now walk through St. Jamesīs Park heading for Buckingham Palace
Many animals near the water
Numerous squirrels ...
... being very curious ...
... about the rests of Klaraīs breakfast muffin.
"Would you please wait for a moment, I quickly have to eat up"
Wie are approaching Buckingham - Palace
Buckingham Palace (HDR)
If you put your camera lenses between the lattice bars and join 5 high format exposures to this panorama, you get a good picture without the annoying fence.
We reenter our tourist bus and ride a bit farer to Hyde Park.
The Serpentine - the big pond in Hyde Park.
The serpentine (HDR)
ducks
The Serpentine (HDR)
28.8.2010: Peter Burgess from the OFC has offered to drive us to Stonehenge in his 19 years old Landrover
Yesterdayīs tour was rather strenuous, and the journey will last for about 2 hours ...
Arrived at the parking space at last, after an additional half hour in a traffic jam.
Grassland with sheep pastures in the surrounding, and a few forests.
Incredible lots of people despite itīs being morning still.
The stone circle is surrounded by rests of a circular fosse.
Stonehenge (HDR)
Originally, the whole circle was covered with stone plates on the perpendicular stones additionally stabilizing the system
Only a few reminders are there today.
Motise and tenon joints of the kind carpenters are using till nowadays.
Another HDR - picture.
A "normal" jpg this time
and one more.
and this too. The sun comes out now for a few moments making up for a much improved view.
The so called heel stone, far outside the circle.
HDR
Peter shows us some other prehistoric monuments in the surrounding - Woodhenge
The places of the wooden pilots are marked with concrete, as only their holes were found.
Near Woodhenge, we found a table with to benches for a fine picknick even including a fresh brewed tea in an outdoor - kettle with a fire chimney inside - a must seemingly, when you are in England!
We drive further through the lovely hilly countryside of Wiltshire. Here, in many places, the flat grass has been removed to expose the white chalk in the form of a horse.
We drive further to West Kennet Long Barrow, close to the huge artificial - Silbury Hill.
West Kennet Long Barrow is a neolithic artificial tomb which has been partly restored and made accessible to the public.
View from West Kennet Long Barrow to Silbury Hill.
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On the way back to London we make a very short halt at Avebury Stone Circle, the larges of all over England - in its centre are parts of the little village of Avebury.
Back in London - Peter has dropped us near Big Eye After half an hourīs queuing we enter the huge wheel. This picture and the following all are HDRīs sorry that the plexi glass cover of the cabin makes up for some reflections.
The houses of Parliament with Big Ben
Charing Cross railway station.
Parliament - seen from the highest point. We are looking down on Big Ben.
Showers on the northwestern horizon.
Parliament
View the Thamse upstream ...
... and zooming in.
We will leave soon.
For a nice evening, we take the tube to the Covent Garden Market, have a nice dinner in an Italian restaurant, and a short look at the market. Here a stand with selfmade soaps. Exhausted, we arrive at our hotel after more than 12 hours.