This is another in the series of London city walks by Craig Taylor. I started this walk from Old Street Tube Station.
Leaving from exit 4 I was greeted with bright sunshine. Making my way up City Road I came across the Wesley Chapel and Museum dedicated to John Wesley the founder of Methodism. Being a Sunday morning the museum was not open. I managed to sneak in a few photos while the congregation were making their way to the service.
Statue of John Wesley
Crossing the road I made my way toward Bunhill Fields, an graveyard that is no longer in use. It is the final resting place to the John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and William Blake.
Daniel DefoeWilliam Blake
After leaving the graveyard I made my way down towards Chiswell Street. I was now in the heart of the city of London. It was quieter than normal. A right turn took me into Finsbury Pavement. Crossing the road it took me into Finsbury Circus. A pretty garden the standout feature is the magnificent looking bandstand.
Finsbury Garden
I left via Bloomfield Street and carried on until I reached New Broad Street. Crossing over I entered Bishopsgate Church Yard. I walked past the church hall of St. Botolph's.
St. Botolph's Church Hall
Once I left St. Botolph's I was on Liverpool Street. I followed until I reached Liverpool Street Station where the walk finished.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
The Schönbrunn Palace is one of the most visited attractions in Vienna. In 2011 it attracted over 2½ million visitors. Schönbrunn literally means ‘beautiful spring’. The palace was the summer residence of the Habsburgs.
Schönbrunn Palace
My visit took place in March but I could why it is so popular. There were plenty of visitors from all around the world. Visiting on a Sunday meant it felt full and there was some queuing involved. A visit to the Schönbrunn consists of two areas. The palace itself and the gardens.
The Entrance to the Palace.
When touring the palace be aware that you may be hearing the information through the audio guide as you heard in the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg. Also you are unable to take any photographs. In fact you are not allowed to take any bags into the palace. The tour itself was fascinating and there were some interesting exhibits. However, I felt it do not last too long and was value for money.
My mood changed when I went into the gardens. This is the real attraction of the Schönbrunn. Despite it being March and weather was a little chilly the gardens looked magnificent. I must have spent at least three exploring. There were paths leading off to the zoo and woods. When you climb the hill towards the Gloriette you are treated to splendid views. I found myself taking plenty of photographs.
View of Schönbrunn from the GlorietteThe Gardens
I made my way up to the Gloriette. Maybe it is just me but I was disappointed to see it used as a cafe.
The Gloriette
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to the Schönbrunn Palace, especially the gardens. Sure they would look better in the summer but I feel that it could be too crowded to enjoy. I was glad that I visited in March.
Vienna is renowned for its parks. One of my favourites was the Stadtpark. Dating from the 19th Century it is popular with both locals and tourists.
Inside the park there are monuments to the composers Johann Strauss, Franz Schubert and Robert Stolz amongst others. In fact the Stadtpark is home to the largest number of sculptures and monuments than anywhere else in Vienna.
There are plenty of chances to admire the plants in the park throughout the year. However, visiting in March meant there was little to see in regards to flowers. There were plenty of birds swimming in the lake. It always relaxing to see them swimming carefree.
Stadtpark is the perfect place to visit if you are looking to escape the bustle of Vienna. I would suggest an ideal spot to have a picnic lunch when the weather is warm.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
You may remember that I was going to carry out 50 city walks of London. This was based on the walks put together by Craig Taylor. Last October I managed to complete the Greenwich walk. Due to Christmas and my recent trip away I had been unable to complete another walk until now.
This walk was around Hoxton which is in the borough of Hackney. I started from Old Street tube station made my way down Old Street until a left turn took me into Rufus Street. This took me to Hoxton Square. It is an area that is home to art galleries and bars. The area gave off that arty vibe. The square itself is typical of the squares that are dotted around London. Somewhere to escape from the bustle of Old Street.
Drinking Fountain in Hoxton Square
After returning to Old Street I carried on down until I reached Kingsland Street. This took me into the Shoreditch district of London. I made my way up the street until I reached the Geffrye Museum. Free to enter the museum traces the history of domestic living rooms dating from the 17th century until the modern-day. It is popular with families and there is plenty for children to do. Looking at the website it encourages educational visits.
The Geffrye Museum18th Century Parlour Room from Geffrye Museum.
I was lucky that the Herb Garden had reopened for the summer. The weather was good and it did remind me that spring was making its way after the long winter months.
The Herb Garden
While walking up Kingsland Road I passed St. Leonard’s Hospital. There is a brown plague dedicated to Edith Cavell. She was a nurse at the hospital. She is famous for being executed in World War One.
To complete my walk I made my way back down Kingsland Road looking for somewhere to eat. There were plenty of Vietnamese restaurants but I did not fancy anything too spicy. I did come across an establishment that looked like an American Diner. The Love Shake calls itself a media cafe and seats 35 people. It must because it offers free wi-fi. Always a plus in my eyes. I decided to order a hot dog with fries and a chocolate milk shake. On their website it states that milkshakes are made with either organic or soya milk. It tasted delicious. Somewhere I would definitely recommend it to you. It was a great way to end the walk.
After such a good day yesterday I wondered if today could match it. We all agreed that we would meet up in the hostel reception before going somewhere else for breakfast. Myself and Marion were there on time but no Ceylan. Neither of us could remember her room number so Marion asked reception and to my amazement they gave it to her. Ceylan was still asleep but said she would meet us over the road.
It is good to have something else to eat for breakfast than cereal and cold meat. The ham and eggs tasted good. Ceylan came over and we sat and planned our day ahead. We were going to meet up with others from the walking tour at the Central Market Hall.
The Central Market Hall
The weather felt colder today but was still acceptable. Yet again I was offered a chance to purchase a Iphone. Again I declined but I had heard that somebody had their phone stolen at the Szimpla Bar last night.
We met up with Bree and Martin. It was a good opportunity to buy some souvenirs. The prices seemed cheaper in here and I ended up buying some paprika. Downstairs was home to the food section. Ceylan and Marion suggested that we purchased some food to have for a picnic later. I agreed that it was a good idea. Upstairs was where you could purchase other souvenirs. More importantly there were cafes and bars. These were where the locals would meet up. One piece of travel advice I always take is eat where the locals eat. There was a wide range of food available to eat. I chose to eat a langos. It is sort of pizza base that can be eaten sweet or savoury. Indulging my sweet tooth I chose to have mine with vanilla. It was really filling and delicious.
Langos with Vanilla
We had to say goodbye to Bree who was leaving today. Martin had also disappeared by then. The rest of us agreed that we should aim for the Opera House. The weather was improving so the walk was good. We reached the Opera House but while we could go inside there were no tours until further in the afternoon.
Inside the Opera House
The one place we wanted to visit was the House of Terror. It is a museum that was once the headquarters of both the Hungarian Nazis and Communists. Before you enter the museum you see photos of the people who were executed during the period. It is a chilling place to visit. The fact that nobody said anything during the visit was enough for me.
House of Terror
After a cup of coffee our spirits returned and we made our way towards Heroes’ Square. This was an impressive place to see. There were not many people there but I could imagine during the summer would be full of people. To the back of the square there is a small park, an ideal spot to have a picnic. I had brought myself some smoked sausage, ham, pork and some fruit. It was good to relax. Eating al-fresco is something I could get used to.
My picnic
In the evening Marion and I said we would meet up with Ceylan later. We had gone to the Kiedo bar and restaurant for something to eat. It was full, that is always a good sign. We both chose Goulash soup followed by Duck Breast with Honey Mustard Gnocchi. I love it but Marion could not finish hers. As usual I washed it down with beer.
Duck Breast with Honey Mustard Gnocchi
We met up with Ceylan at the Instants Ruin Bar. An unusual place you could not enter until you had to pay to leave your coat in the cloakroom. Back home it is optional and you take it into the bar at your own risk. Ceylan brought along a friend she had met. I think his name was Alex. He was a good laugh. I enjoyed the night again. There was a little sadness in the air as it was Ceylan’s last night in Budapest. Tomorrow she leaves for Vienna. I hope she wakes up in time.
Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
My final day in Vienna and the batteries in my camera were starting to die. As it was a Sunday I noticed that no supermarkets were open. Being from the UK I found this unusual but I felt glad of this. It is important that people have rest from work. If the batteries give up I have the camera on my I-Phone as a backup. So I was not unduly worried.
My clothes needed freshening up so before I ventured outside it was off to the laundry. This gave me the opportunity to decide where next to visit. In the end I chose to visit the Schonbrunn Palace (Schloss Schonbrunn). According to Trip Advisor this is Austria’s most visited tourist attraction. By the time I left the Schonbrunn U-Bahn station I could see why. There were a lot of coaches parked and people queuing to get inside. There appeared a lot of coach parties from Russia and Serbia.
Once inside the palace grounds you see how magnificent it all looked. From the buildings to the gardens there is a majestic appearance that befits a royal palace.
I started off inside the palace on the Grand Tour. Like most museums in Vienna you are not allowed to take photographs. In fact you have to all your bags and coats in the cloakroom at no charge. You also get a free audio guide. The tour itself was alright however, I do feel that some of the information given did repeat from the Hofberg.
After leaving the Palace I made my way towards the gardens and for me this was the highlight of the visit. There are a few paths to walk to reach the end of the garden but once at the top you are rewarded with an impressive view of the city of Vienna.
This was the perfect opportunity for everybody to ask to take photos of each other using their camera. I must admit that I was nervous using better cameras than mine but everybody seemed happy with the results. One Japanese man was so impressed with my photography he asked me twice to take a photo. Making my way back down to the palace I walked through the woods. I had to stop while I saw this man feeding a squirrel. It was one of those moments where you had to stop and take a photo.
By mid-afternoon I decided that I needed to leave and make my way towards the Voltsplatz and explore the area around parliament. Also I was feeling hungary and I wanted to eat a Bratwurst. In the end I just wanted to walk through the city centre back to my hostel.
Tomorrow I leave for Budapest. It will be a new destination and I am looking forward to this.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
One of the most surprising delights of Paris is the Musée Rodin. Set in the outskirts of Paris the museum is based at the Villa des Brilliants which was Rodin’s old home.
When you enter the grounds you are confronted by Rodin’s sculpture of the ‘Gates of Hell’ based on Dante’s inferno. What struck me was the magnificence of the piece. There is so much detail going on and sitting at the top is a figure who I will come back to later.
Gates of Hell
Inside the museum you are given the life story of Rodin. More importantly there are on display some of Rodin’s sculptures. The most popular would be ‘The Kiss’. However, every time I view it I cannot stop thinking of Monty Python and Terry Gilliam’s animation.
The Kiss
An added bonus to the museum is a walk around the gardens. It was place that allowed me to contemplate about my visit to Paris. To be in the heart of the city yet find a spot that was so tranquil was something to enjoy.
Finally the highlight of the visit is the giant statue of ‘The Thinker’. This is probably Rodin’s most famous work. It is the perfect photo opportunity.
The Thinker (Guess which one)
I believe that any visit to Paris should include a visit to the Musée Rodin. If only to escape the bustle of the main sights of Paris.
Musée Rodin, 79, rue de Varenne – 75007 Paris
Nearest Metro Stops : Varenne (Line 13) or Invalides (Line 13 or Line 8)
Admission €9, 18-25 years (Non EU) €5, 18-25 years (EU Citizens) Free
Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
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