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- Friday, May 19, 2023 at 6:11 PM
- ☀️ 26 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
United StatesKiowea Beach Park21°5’49” N 157°2’40” W
The day before
May 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
The day before. My neighbor gave me a mohair shawl and hat she crocheted because she saw online that London in summer is 20 deg F colder than here! They are so warm and super-soft.
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- Day 1
- Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 1:34 PM
- ⛅ 28 °C
- Altitude: 121 m
- United StatesWailuku Civic Center Historic District20°53’15” N 156°30’19” W
MKK to Maui
May 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
I overnighted on Maui, staying in a hostel in the old part of Wailuku. While waiting for check-in time, I discovered that a local youth dance school was putting on an end-of-semester recital at theRead more
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- Day 2
- Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 10:00 PM
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- United StatesLos Angeles International Airport33°56’32” N 118°25’17” W
LAX
May 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
My flight from Maui arrived at 10pm and the flight to Heathrow left at 11:22pm, which had me anxious about making it to the departure gate on time. However, there is a tunnel between the terminals andRead more
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- Day 3
- Monday, May 22, 2023 at 6:04 PM
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 12 m
EnglandHeathrow Terminal 351°28’4” N 0°27’32” W
Heathrow
May 22, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Arrived at 6pm to be greeted by my nephew, and had my first ride in a modern London Black Cab.
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- Day 4
- Tuesday, May 23, 2023
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
- EnglandChiswick51°29’32” N 0°15’50” W
Chiswick
May 23, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
I spent my first day just checking out the neighborhood.
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"Dirty chips" and coffee at the pub opposite the Gunnersbury Tube station near where I was staying. I asked for a cheese toasted sandwich but they don't do those. The cheese sauce was spicy hot and very tasty.
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I never did get to visit Chiswick House and its big gardens, but I thought this kid's illustration on the wall of a building site near where I was staying was really cute!
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The single most useful photo I took! I often struggled with the steps at Tube stations so the bus was my preferred mode of transport. This bus stop was near where I stayed and being able to refer to this photo to know which bus would take me home was a wonderful time-saver. I had the Transport for London app on my phone, which was also a big help, but using apps chewed through battery time.
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- Day 5
- Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 2:00 PM
- ⛅ 21 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- EnglandCentral London51°31’25” N 0°6’20” W
Clerkenwell
May 24, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
I met up with a friend from high school and we visited some of the (mostly furniture) design stores participating in Clerkenwell Design Week. One company was exhibiting in the St John's museum, whichRead more
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My ID card. The QR code was scanned by vendors at the various locations so they could bombard me with emails. LOL One vendor, in his 50s, commented laughingly on "Student". "I guess you're a student of life," he quipped, seeming to think I'd chosen that category as a joke. Ageism is alive and well!
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- Day 5
- Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 6:31 PM
- ⛅ 21 °C
- Altitude: 38 m
- EnglandSoho Square51°30’48” N 0°7’49” W
The Three Greyhounds
May 24, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
After the Clerkenwell outing, I took the Tube into the theatre district to meet up with my nephew and a couple of his friends for dinner and a show--the first London performance of Spitting Image: TheRead more
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Bangers and mash at The Three Greyhounds. The nicely burned sausages are seated on a platform of creamy mashed potatoes. I hadn't expected to see so much gravy, but it was all very delicious!
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- Day 6
- Thursday, May 25, 2023
- ⛅ 19 °C
- Altitude: 36 m
- EnglandRichmond Station51°27’41” N 0°18’12” W
Bus trip to Richmond
May 25, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
I took the bus down to Richmond to get my hair cut and do some shopping at Marks & Spencers. You get to see much more and meet lovely folk on the bus. Brits are not nearly as reserved as theirRead more
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Hair salon mural. The salon owners' son had to have two kidney transplants--one from each of his parents--and they do a lot of fundraising for kidney transplant recipients.
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- Day 7
- Friday, May 26, 2023 at 10:00 AM
- ☀️ 14 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- EnglandCorporation Island51°27’32” N 0°18’28” W
Chiswick
May 26, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
In the morning, I stopped at "The Italians" deli/cafe for a coffee on my way to the supermarket down the street. The deck chair and DIY side table fitted onto a bollard were in the alleyway leading toRead more
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- Day 7
- Friday, May 26, 2023 at 6:00 PM
- ☀️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 12 m
- EnglandCorporation Island51°27’32” N 0°18’30” W
White Cross, Richmond
May 26, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
In the evening we met up for drinks at the White Cross, which is a famous riverside pub on the Thames. It was a wonderfully warm evening with no room for us in the garden or even outside on theRead more
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- Day 7
- Friday, May 26, 2023 at 7:35 PM
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: 14 m
- EnglandCorporation Island51°27’28” N 0°18’19” W
The Fat Badger, Richmond
May 26, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Then we strolled along the river and up to the Richmond town area to go for dinner at The Fat Badger. If you've every watched Ted Lasso, the exterior shots of the pub that is a feature of the show isRead more
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- Day 8
- Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 9:03 AM
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
- EnglandChiswick51°29’32” N 0°15’50” W
Chiswick
May 27, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Saturday morning, I took care of dirty business--my laundry. While it was having a whirl, I had coffee at a nearby cafe and found myself in the midst of a promotional video shoot for a sports teamRead more
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- Day 8
- Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 1:14 PM
- ☀️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- EnglandKew Gardens51°28’42” N 0°17’49” W
Kew Gardens
May 27, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
In the afternoon, I met up again with my high school friend at Kew Gardens station. We walked to the National Archives for a look at an exhibition of fun invention copyrights, and then back under theRead more
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- Day 9
- Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 2:17 PM
- ☁️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 30 m
- EnglandHammersmith51°29’31” N 0°13’25” W
Hammersmith
May 28, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Sunday, I decided to take the bus to its last stop in Hammersmith. On December 23, 1973, I saw Elton John and Kiki Dee's first performance together at what is now the Eventim Apollo but was thenRead more
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- Day 10
- Monday, May 29, 2023
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
- EnglandChiswick51°29’32” N 0°15’50” W
Chiswick
May 29, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Heaven only knows what I did on Monday. No photos to remind me! It was probably just a rest and recovery day.
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- Day 11
- Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 1:59 PM
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Altitude: 14 m
- EnglandKew Bridge Railway Station51°29’20” N 0°17’25” W
Bus trip
May 30, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
I took the wrong bus to go back to Kew Gardens but decided to stay on it until I saw something of interest.
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- Day 12
- Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 1:25 PM
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- EnglandKensington51°29’60” N 0°12’1” W
Kensington Design Museum
May 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Met up again with my high school friend and went to the Design Museum in Kensington.
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- Day 12
- Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 2:38 PM
- ⛅ 19 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- EnglandKensington51°29’60” N 0°12’1” W
Ai Weiwei exhibit
May 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
The Design Museum had a special exhibit of Ai Weiwei's work. It was called "Making Sense" and the catalogue described it as "a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values. ...Read more
Traveler
One of a series of prints from 2022, entitled "Study of Perspective." In the series, he flips the bird at culturally iconic architecture and objects around the world.
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Water Lilies #1, 2022. Made of thousands of Lego bricks, it's a recreation of Monet's work.
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- Day 12
- Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 4:22 PM
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 45 m
- EnglandKensington Square Garden51°30’5” N 0°11’30” W
Japan House
May 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Japan House is also on Kensington High Street and features items from Japanese companies. Downstairs, they have a library and an exhibition space, which held a collection of intricately patterned silkRead more
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- Day 13
- Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 11:46 AM
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- EnglandKew Gardens51°28’42” N 0°17’49” W
Kew Gardens redux
June 1, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
This time, I caught the right bus and could make the change to the one that goes by Kew Gardens!
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- Day 14
- Friday, June 2, 2023 at 10:17 AM
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 16 m
WalesCardiff Millenium Stadium51°28’54” N 3°10’45” W
Cardiff
June 2, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
I had two reasons to go to Cardiff for the weekend. One was that I'd been watching a Welsh TV series set in the parliament there and it is such an amazing building. And the other was that a NeilRead more
Traveler
To get to Paddington, I took the Tube to Earl's Court. Loved this ad in the train carriage. I was supposed to change at Earl's Court, but as I stepped off the train an announcement came over the station's PA system saying that everyone had to evacuate the station because of "an emergency." I stepped back into the train and continued a couple more stops to transfer to the Circle Line.
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I had tried to buy my ticket online a few days before, but there was a strike planned for June 2 and 3, so they weren't accepting online reservations. Instead, I bought it in the Great Western Railway ticket office on the platform at Paddington Station. The station is huge and apparently has a statue of Paddington Bear, but I didn't have time to look around. Really nice modern train! The strike reduced the number of trains running and meant there was no refreshment service on the train but, other than that, I think everything was the same as usual.
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- Day 15
- Saturday, June 3, 2023
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- WalesRoath Basin51°27’50” N 3°9’51” W
Cardiff Bay
June 3, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
My one full day in Cardiff was spent at Cardiff Bay, which has a fascinating history. It was developed as docklands--supplying iron and coal from South Wales to the rest of Great Britain and theRead more
Traveler
The Pierhead, Millennium Centre in the distance, and the glass-enclosed Senedd Cymru. The sculpture is the Merchant Seaman's Memorial, made using the traditional shipbuilding method of riveting metal plates together. Not seen from this angle is the bottom of the hull, which is shaped like a sleeping face. It commemorates local merchant seamen lost during times of war.
Traveler
In the late 19th century and early to mid-20th, the area was known as Tiger Bay. Post-WWII, the demand for coal and steel faded and the area fell into disrepair. From the '90s onward, much of it was redeveloped into a tourist destination called Mermaid Quay.
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- Day 15
- Saturday, June 3, 2023
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 12 m
- WalesRoath Basin51°27’49” N 3°9’45” W
Senedd Cymru
June 3, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
The TV show that inspired my visit to Cardiff was called "Living A Lie" and it centered on the politicians, newsgatherers, spin doctors, etc., in the Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cyrmru). For me, the starRead more
Traveler
Wales did not have its own National Assembly until 1999, and it continued being governed from Westminster. I love the "Independant Tropical Wales" graffiti on the wall behind Her Majesty, Prince Phillip and Prince Charles as they were driven to the official opening. At that time, the Assembly met in The Pierhead building. Tropical?
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The interior is really intriguing because the debating chamber is circular and there is a circular public gallery above it. The building was officially opened on St. David's Day, 2006.
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- Day 15
- Saturday, June 3, 2023
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 8 m
- WalesCardiff Bay Railway Station51°27’55” N 3°9’50” W
Millennium Centre
June 3, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
This was the final day of performances of the play based on Neil Gaiman's book "The Ocean At The End Of The Lane." I attended the matinee and arrived in the theatre quite early. It is an absolutelyRead more
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- Day 16
- Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 9:28 AM
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 17 m
- WalesCardiff Castle51°28’56” N 3°10’52” W
Cardiff Castle
June 4, 2023 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
TravelerCardiff Castle was just a short walk from my hotel and I visited it after checking out early in the morning.
TravelerThis is beautiful, what a lovely thing to do.