Archive for December, 2003
Barcelona Pics Part 1
There was snow in London today! Yes, I know what you’re saying; it was only a mere flurry, interspersed with a hell of a lot of rain (I had no umbrella on the way to work). But for someone who never saw snow fall until she was a week shy of 21 (an even briefer series of flurries during my second trip to London in the Christmas of 1997), this is good.
Ah, the photo. Excuse me while I get off the topic of London for a bit; because we’ve just been away from here on a brief holiday to Barcelona. Although it only takes about 2 hours by plane (including time spent on the ground) it can take about seven hours “door to door” if you include transport to and from the airports, check in times, baggage collection and inevitable delays. We weren’t even flying EasyJet! Anyway, this photo is from La Pedrera (Casa Mila), which was one of the several houses we toured while there last week.
It’s also known as the stone quarry because of its rock-like exterior and wrought iron balconies. Designed by Gaudi (of course), the tour of the building includes a great trapise through the odd chimneys, air vents and sculptures on the roof – so choose a day when it’s nice and cloudless! This is one photo I took while there which I quite like… mainly cos of the striking colours.
Back from Barcelona
We’re back from a week in Barcelona! We stayed at the brilliant Hotel Neri, which I can thoroughly recommend if you’re ever planning a trip there. It’s in the middle of the old Gothic district, which is full of little shops, alleyways, old buildings and pedestrianised avenues. It’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from the Metro train station and the tourist trap that is La Rambla. The hotel itself is an exercise in original artistic display, with crumpled silk walls, organic furniture, modern velvet seats, quartzite tiled bathrooms, and a massive widescreen tv and cd player in each room. You can usually get good deals from Lastminute.com.
Highlights of the week were Gaudi’s La Pedrera (stone quarry) and the Miro foundation gallery. Will probably post a few pics here; although it’s not what we’d call appropriate subject matter for “London Photo” 
Oh… check out Rob’s cool image of a woman mopping up the giant map of the world at the Natural History Museum a couple of months ago. Well worth a peek!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Have a wonderful holiday everyone… see you next year!
Tsumani of singlets
Blast from the not-so-distant past: Sealand
By Kim Gilmour
In August 2002, I took a day trip from London to visit the offshore “principality” of Sealand, a disused gun platform off the coast of Harwich to interview its Ryan Lackey, the founder of Sealand’s offshore hosting company HavenCo. The company claims to be able to host contentious content simply because it’s “outside” the UK. But is it really its own sovereignty?
Anyway, it was a very surreal place. You get winched up by a crane to get there! As we thought, Ryan has since left Sealand to pursue other dreams. I took loads of photographs which I’ve had on my other website for a while, but you can see some more of my Sealand photographs, and a copy of the whole article as it was published in Internet Magazine. By the way, HavenCo is now closed due to an acrimonious split between founder Ryan Lackey and Prince Michael. amid security fears. It’s an interesting story. But read on for mine…
At home
Staying at home today as I am a little ill. Daytime TV reminds me of university and school holidays. Trisha: “I faked my own death to end our relationship!” Des and Mel: Alice Cooper, Sir Cliff Richard and Clarissa Wright! The boys and girls of some primary school singing some Christmas carol! Argh! Why am I watching?
Cold glass window
I was inspired by Hatakeyama’s Slow Glass series and decided to take a similar ‘raindrops and glass in focus/background not ‘image out of my kitchen window one recent afternoon. I wonder it makes you feel warm and cosy inside. (If you recall, this is the same window where our now dormant flower lives! he weather has changed a little since that photo, too. There are still a few leaves on the flower guy, but he’s asleep for the time being.)
Other updates to the site: There are now most recent comments listed in the sidebar (not that I get that many).
Am considering adding “seasons” as categories rather than lumping almost everything under “photo”. Any thoughts on this?
Have a good weekend!
Bench, Regent’s Park
Snow, sunlight and a stroll.
Mute Swans, Regent’s Park
Some mute swans and other ducks in the snow earlier this year at Regent’s Park one morning. Normally in the summer this is where we go rowing! I posted this photo today because we’ve just bought Bjork’s DVD documentary, Inside Bjork for 9.99 pounds on Amazon.co.uk and she’s into swans. It’s an excellent documentary. I also got Miniscule for the same price, but we haven’t watched that yet! If you didn’t know, the Queen has a prerogative over all swans in England and Wales and any unmarked swan on the Thames belongs to her. Swans are cool – seeing as there are no ibises like I was used to in Sydney’s Royal Botanical Gardens, I make do with the swans.