Globetrotter Postcards: Parliament house

14 August 2012

The end of the London 2012 Olympics

I'm not a huge sports fan. I don't go out of my way to watch sports or follow any teams or sports persons. The thing about the Olympics is that if you don't leave the city or switch off the TV, you cant escape it. But being caught up in it can be quite fun...

Londoners were moaning about all the tourists and the impact it would have on the city and its transport systems leading up to the Olympics but once it was here, they found that they actually were enjoying themselves. The city was abuzz and it was great to be a part of it. I didn't get tickets but as you might have seen from my previous post, i did get to see a bit of the Olympics Torch Relay. Also, on my doorstep there was the Men's Cycling which i got to see over the first Olympics weekend. I also saw a bunch of events on TV, seeing Jessica Innes win her Gold medal was great, and i was screaming at my TV as everyone in the stadium shouted their support her.

People lining the streets for the cycling on the 29th July - London 2012 Olympics

People lining the streets for the Cycling on the 29th July - London 2012 Olympics

Just walking around London was great, one night after visiting Casa Brazil (one of the many Olympic houses in London) at Somerset house, i took a walk along the Thames towards Parliament House which had a brilliant Olympics installation. About 6 or 8 projectors were screening Olympics moments across the entire Parliament House accompanied by some narration over loudspeakers. It was really something special to watch.

Pretty spectacular don't you think?

Being an Aussie, i loved seeing Cathy Freeman projected onto Parliament House :)

For the closing ceremony last night i took a trip out to Blackheath Common. One of the very few places that had a big screen - and possibly the only place that didn't charge for entry! It was amazing. The whole green was full of people and once the ceremony got going, the vibe was electric! Everyone was on their feet singing along or cheering. Absolutely marvellous and a night to remember. Here are a couple of pics and short video of everyone singing along to Wonderwall by Oasis.

Blackheath Common Big Screen - London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony

I hope that you enjoyed a bit of the Olympics too :)

10 July 2011

London Deja Vu

Hearing: Westminster Abbey and the Big Ben chimes, traffic going past on Broad Sanctuary/Victoria Street

London in the summer has this smell. Nothing unpleasant, its quite nice actually but i cant describe it properly. It smells like summer, fresh, floral, sweet, but something more...

National Gallery and St Martin-in-the-Fields

After landing into Heathrow yesterday and hopping on the tube it hit me like a forgotten memory. It was bright and sunny and a great welcome for the start of my holiday. the only "downers"were that there was trackwork on the the Piccadilly line so it was hop-off, bus it, and hop back on. And when i checked into my accommodation i found that it was a lower ground room that looked out on to a cement wall a metre away. The trackwork thing couldn't be helped, the room however has put a dint into my expectations. Unfortunately the place is full and i was advised to speak with the office on Monday to see if there is anything they can do. I'm not one to usuallymake a f uss but there is one thing i loathe to put up with, its a room with no natural light, anything else, small bed/room/ensuite/no ensuite etc i don't care. But i digress, the place overall is pretty good not to mention the fantastic location.

My view during lunch

2012 Olympics Countdown Clock

After dumping my stuff i headed out for a wander and in search of a grocery store. Lots of people were out and about. I found a Waitrose, picked up some stuff and headed back to my room. I would like to say that i toughed it out and stayed up to fight jet lag but i couldn't. Over 30 hours of travel was just too much and i was sound asleep by 8pm. It did bite me in the butt though. I woke up around 5.30am for a moment not realising where i was & was not able to go back to bed. I bummed around the room, ate strawberries id picked up yesterday, did my usual internet stuff (the place has free internet!) and then headed for breakfast.

Don't know if this is a new installment in Trafalgar Square but I've never noticed it before

Soon enough i was out and about, not walking, but bounding down the street on my way to Piccadilly Circus. I did intend to take Tottenhamcourt Road but ended up on Oxford St which was fine by me. All the stores had sales and i couldn't help popping into a few. I was good though and managed to walk away without spending anything. I think the trick is that i was hungry so food took a priority. I bought myself a sandwich from Pret-A-Manger and polished it off fairly quickly once i got to Trafalgar Square.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Crowds near the London Eye

London is BUSY! There are tourist groups everywhere. Ive never seen so many. Maybe its because its the weekend or maybe its just because its summer. I'll find out soon enough. There was a countdown clock placed in Trafalgar Square counting down the 326 days, hours, minutes and seconds to the 2012 Olympics in front of which people were taking photos.

Two London icons, the London Eye and Big Ben

Did i mention i got asked for directions? i LOVE it when that happens. It makes me feel like i really belong in a place, that i don't stick out like a tourist.

So after finally snapping Nelson properly thanks to the fab zoom on my new camera i headed down to Westminster Abbey where i have been people watching this past hour and trying to make myself realise I'm not in a dream even though my eyes are insisting that i am. Its an eerie feeling i can tell you. I look about here and i get this sense of Deja Vu, and yes i know i have been here before but i don't have a better way of explaining it. I guess the jet lag and overcast weather doesn't help.