Mission Europe

Just wanted to let yous know that the Validator and I will be spending the next two weeks on Assignment Leisure in London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Paris and Versailles. It's not that dangerous a job, but it will likely include some adventures like traversing Camden Locke and scaling the Eiffel Tower.

I'll be leaving the daily operations of the Society of Surrogate Superheroes to The Azure Squirrel while we're gone. I know you're up to the task, Squirrel. Do us all proud.

Oh, and I'm going to try and replenish my utility belt at Taylor's or Truefitt & Hill if I can. Wish us luck!

X

have fun X !!!

cya soon,

Nenad

Bon Voyage!

James.

Have a good trip.

Stratford upon Avon is about an hours drive from me, there are no shaving meccas there as far as I know though. There should be lots of antique* shops there seeing as they get lots of tourists in that area, what with the connection with Shakespeare (he's buried in the church there and you can visit the house he lived in). You might be able to find the odd straight razor there, but must likely it'll be overpriced junk aimed at rich tourists.

If you're in London, be sure to check out Trumpers and the other T's. :)

I will certainly hold down the fort here X. You can count on me.

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Originally Posted by xman

...It's not that dangerous a job, but it will likely include some adventures like traversing Camden Locke and scaling the Eiffel Tower...
X

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So humble, if they all only knew what you were really up against over there. Our hopes are riding on you X. Do the Society proud.

Azure Squirrel out!

Have a good trip, X!

...and do report on the trip upon your return.

-Lou

well, I got back a couple of days ago and it seems like I still need a couple of days of sleep. We were pretty much go, go, go from the landing, not letting fatigue or sore feet get in our way at all. Up and out by 8:30 every morning and not back till after midnight some nights. Boy did we get a lot done. Here's the brief:
After an overnight, daylight flight over the pole which was quite disorienting, amounting to a single 40 hour day;

Day 1. Landed in London on Thursday for a pint at The Anchor, a pre 1666 Southwark pub close to the Globe where Shakespeare may have drank. Tool around the neighbourhood sites a bit and then on to the New Globe for a show. Lucky us landed £32 tickets to Othello for £5 each from a pair of school teachers with two to spare.

Day 2. Walked around west London for many of the Sites like Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Dropped in T&H for some 1805 and then down to the Tate Britain Gallery.

Day 3 was a train to Stratford-Upon-Avon for many of the Birthplace Trust Shakespeare houses and Anton Chekov's The Seagull, before a pint at The Black Swan (AKA The Dirty Duck) and off to bed.

Day 4 was the remainder of the Birthplace houses and a trip out to Hoy Trinity church to see the final resting place of the man himself. A very special experience for us. High tea, then the train back to London.

Day 5 Off to the Tower of London for the day and then a Jack-the-Ripper walking tour of old Whitechappel to be followed by a pint at The George. Reconstruction of the original tavern. The very spot where Chaucer's pilgrim's set out on their trip to Canterbury. Dickens drank here and maybe the Bard as well.

Day 6 To Paris and the Eiffel Tower for sunset over Paris.

Day 7 We met our Friends at Bertillon a famous Paris ice cream shop for morning coffee. A walk through the islands and Cathedral Notre Dame, then a trip out to the Bois du Bulogne (wooded park on the perimeter of downtown Paris) for a Moliere show which was inexplicably cancelled so I broke into the outdoor venue and took some pictures of the space :cool: ... Then another show, Shakespeare's The Tempest in four different languages (none of which I can speak). Good thing I know the show well.

Day 8 To Versailles to see the palaces and then back to Paris for Jazz at le Caveau.

Day 9 We walked all over the Latin quarter seeing the Pantheon and much more, then took the Metro to see the old Paris Opera and a dozen other fabulous sights on the way to Musée de l'Orangerie. Then another dozen fabulous sights along the Champs Élisée to the Arc de Triumph. A pissing rain storm scared most of the tourists away which left us a clear view, when it cleared of the best view of the city.

Day 10 The Louvre early, before it turned into too much of a mad house and then a walk through the Palais Royal before going up to Montmartre for the afternoon. Evening
dinner and live folk music at Cafe au Limonaire which was quite magical.

Day 11 Pere Lachaise cemetery to see some of the heroes including Moliere himself. Afernoon at Musée d'Orsay for some more great art. Caught the end of an early evening concert at St. Sulpice and managed to hear the oldest functioning pipe organ in France. A walk around medieval Marais quarter before dinner at a nice French vegetarian restaurant.

Man oh man, Paris is beautiful!

The flight back gave us a somewhat less disorienting 32 hour day and I'm still waiting for the jet lag to leave me. I'll post a few pics when I get them downloaded and sized properly.

X

Wow! I am in awe at the amount you squeezed in during your visit. It looks like you did most of the important literary stuff anyway.

The Anchor is great for a drink. Sometimes I like to play at being a London tourist and walk the length of the South Bank from Waterloo Bridge down to the Globe. On a sunny day it's the best London walk in my opinion.

The new Globe is incredibly impressive, especially given how faithful they stayed to its construction. They used only the authentic building materials of the time, and I think I remember being told that the only metal in the entire structure are some iron nails in the doors! When you consider its size and the number of people who were squeezed in during perfomances, that's pretty impressive!

And yes, Paris is beautiful. Paris' beauty is equal to London's filth! Sometimes that depresses the hell out of me.

Thanks for such an enjoyable write-up. Any chance of seeing some photos?

Good to have you back!
M.

Hi X, welcome back.

Yes Paris is truly a beautiful city, and I have some very vivid memories of that particular city.

You see I celebrated my 21 first birthday in Paris, and it will be a time and celebration which will stay with me forever. But at the time I was very culturally unaware and rather naive to the finer things in life and culture. The nightclubs like Folies Bergère and Moulin Rouge certainly got a lot of my attention at the time I seem to remember.

I did of course see all the rest of the usual things one sees in Paris including the Mona Lisa which from memory was not behind glass in those days, well at least not the way it is today, so that was a bonus. But to a young 21 yr old, Paris at the time was just another city.

Now fast forward 25 yrs and once more I find myself in Paris again. Wow what a difference 25yrs makes to your outlook on life both culturally and a lot of other ways. I just could not get enough of Paris, and I really embraced the feel and thoughts for such a great city.

I am so glad to be able to say that I have seen it at two very different stages of my life, and that culturally I was able to grow and also appreciate the finer things in life. Sorry for my rave about Paris as this really is your story. :)

Cheers
John

Shakespeare, schmakespeare.....what about SHAVING stuff, man?....two weeks in London and Paris and all you got was a stinkin' bottle of '1805'????



....what a waste of time!





Seriously, glad you had a fun trip and it certainly sounds like you saw the things that were important to you - it was certainly a busy schedule.

Welcome back, X...looking forward to seeing the pics.

-whatever

-Lou

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Originally Posted by scarface

Shakespeare, schmakespeare.....

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Since you mention it ...
The first pic is me at the site of the original Globe Theatre.
The next is me at the New Globe a few hours later.
After that is me at the site of the Blackfriars playhouse where Shakespeare also played. (Now a pub called the Cock Pit. Damned place was closed after the show of course)
Next Pic is the next day at Middle Temple Hall, a law school where Comedy of Errors premièred.
Lastly there's me another day later at the Birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

More to come, but that's it for the bard. :D

X

Nice pics, X....and I must admit, you certainly dress the part! LOOKIN' GOOD, my man! Looks like a fabulous trip...


...MORE PICSES....we loves picses!

-whatever

-Lou

Right then, more tourist shots.

First here is The Validator and I at the Tower Bridge in London
Next is me the next day, turning into night.
Then there's Val feeding the sparrows on Isle de la Cité.
After that we're atop the Pantheon looking out at the Tower and the gold dome of Place des Invalides.
Last is the same day on Pont Alexandre III. An arms length shot showing the same dome.

More coming, art shots next.

X

Sweeeet -

...love the pic of the Tower just gettin' it's glow on....

...and the one of the pigeons gettin' Validated...nice stuff...


good pics, X...

...thanks for shaing!

-whatever

-Lou

I can't believe how many shots I took. Sifting through them is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I've got a few tasties to share with you.

I call this first lot Travel to London

1. Mount Seymour in Washington state as seen from the air just after takeoff.
2. Midnight over the North Pole.
3. Picadilly Circus
4. The Waterloo Block of the Tower of London where the crown jewels are kept.

X

This block is in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

1. Chives growing on the Arden Farm
2. Lanner Falcon feeding on the Arden Farm
3. The old front of St Michael's School where Will Shakespeare learned to read with the Stratford Guild Hall behind, where his father was Alderman and almost certainly where he played.
4. Just part of the extensive gardens where Shakespeare's New Place once stood. The Guild Hall can be seen in the upper left.
5. Swans on the river Avon

X

This group is called Looking Up Paris.

1. The fountain at Place St-Michel showing Archangel Michael defeating Statan.
2. The dome of the Pantheon.
3. One of the many stunning statues in Paris. this one is on the South East corner of Le Grand Palais in the Champs Élisée.
4. Within the Arc de Triumph.
5. The northern end of the Sully wing of the Louvre as seen from Coeur de Napoleon.

X

A few pictures of Paris at Night.

1. A composite shot of dancers and the band at Caveau Jazz.
2. Flickering lights on the Eiffel Tower as seen from ... well, the Eiffel Tower, second level.
3. Place du Champ de Mars and l'École Militaire from the Eiffel tower.
4. Cathedral Notre Dame with the lights on at night.

X

A Final Look at Paris.

1. Sacré Coeur from the North West corner.
2. One of the many stepped streets in the beautiful Montmartre neighbourhood.
3. Graves in the Cimetière Père Lachaise
4. Musée d'Orsay from within.
5. Looking up the Sunshine Coast before landing in Vancouver.

I've literally taken hundreds more photos, but these are some of the very best I think.

I have one more set of fun shots for you coming so wait for it ...

X

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Originally Posted by xman

A few pictures of Paris at Night.
......X

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...aaahhh...Paris at night.....reminds me of...er-r-r....well......ahem.....


-whatever

-Lou

(...mon Cherie'.....mon Cherie'....)

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Originally Posted by scarface

(...mon Cherie'.....mon Cherie'....)

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Please Lou, don't start that one again. I have a delicate constitution! :cry:

Great pics, X! Really enjoyed them

1. Allow me to introduce our travelling sidekick, Wilfred P.J. (Pierre Jackson) Macdonald. Wilfred loves to travel and has come with us to many place from Ottawa to New York and many places in between. He of course, insisted on coming to Europe with us.

2. Wilfred also enjoys a good pint and as you can see, he quite liked the Bombardier ale at The Anchor.

3. Wilfred really enjoyed Paris. He gets caught up in the excitement of new places.

4. He also really liked being at the Arc de Triumph, before the rain started that is.A fter that he complained for hours.

5. What an outstanding cup of coffee we had at Café Isaac in the Latin Quarter. Thanks for the suggestion Wilfred!

The only thing better than fun places is good company.

X