Welcome to London

 With Saint Paul's Cathedral in the background.

Catherine's Playgrounds

With all her little friends.

 Looking quite dapper ol chap!

I have never wished so badly I could buy my anglophile unlimited gifts!------>

Camera Obscura - French Navy

Excited to bop all around Paris like this when my Mattieu comes.

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee

Another exciting thing the London is preparing for...

God save the Queen!!

St. Paul's Cathedral

 

Occupy London.

((who would have guessed Occupy Wall Street would have such powers of expansion))

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Did you know?

At the train station

The Olympics are going to be in London this year?

Breaking news isn't it?!

Well not really but it is very cool to see how the city is preparing for such an event.

Big Ben

Parliament and Big Ben on a very cold and rainy day in London.

 

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tUnE-yArDs - Bizness

I'm so super excited to go see this crazy woman perform on tomorrow.!

Shine on You Crazy Diamond

Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun. 

-John Lennon

More after the jump ----> 

Marche at Porte de Vanves

>>>A veritable treasure trove of so many little things<<<

 More, more, more --->

Love, Love, Love

Happy Valentine's!

Millennium Bridge

<<freezing in flannel on the Millennium Bridge in London the other weekend>>

More from the Opera National

((Parisian flare for the ornate and the beautiful is so well exemplified by Opera National))

 Ballerinas have such an austere beauty and grace, I wish I was one.!

Cosmic Love

**the most beautiful ceiling at the Opera in Paris**

I love the *celestial* 

Perhaps one reason why I love Florence and the Machine so much -

((Already so, so excited to go and see her!!))

On the Eurostar

The best way to start a weekend to London

(not pictured - buttery, buttery shortbread)

The Vatican Museum

Ornate and religious aren't two things that usually go together for me...

Life Ristorante

If any of you know my little mother Bethie, you know how she cooks. It is amazing.

//Result: I love food//

A good meal is one of the most wonderful and ultimately satisfying things. Italian's agree.

 Go to Life in Roma if you want to experience this.

We made reservations on-line to get a reduced prix for an absolutely amazing meal, complete with paired wines. I could not believe what a good deal it was.

The Sistine Chapel

Truly amazing.

As a spiritual and religious person, I was surprised by the way being surrounded by elaborate Biblical depictions made me feel. Their grandeur and lack of realism made me only think of the power of the Catholic church particularly in the Renaissance. It all just seemed so created by man, which is because, I suppose, it was, but  it is not how I view God.

Vatican City

Sun was shining on the courtyard of Vatican City.

Cyprus trees and Saint Peter's Basilica. 

<<The historical depth of the culture in this city amazes me>>

Maybe some Pasta?

There is an order to these pictures....

Saint Peter's Basilica

 --Illuminated at night--

Testaccio: Night in Rome

Of course when you are exploring a new city, you want to see the night life. Only it is hard to know where to go, to avoid the tourist traps of over priced drinks in contrived bars devoid of locals. If you are in Rome, just go to the Testaccio.

In transit view from the taxi