Daytrips - Kris

Question of the week: Is there a day-trip destination outside London that you'd like to recommend?

"Warwick is about 90 minutes away by train, and is the home to one of the best castles in England. The first military building on the site was ordered in 914, by Ethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, as a defensive structure against the Vikings. The site grew and developed until for the next 400 years, until the mid-14th century when building on the existing castle began. While the buildings have remained structurally similar, the castle now boasts a number of activities and displays that chronicle the changes that took place over its long history.

If the castle isn't your thing, Warwick still has a lot to offer - St. Mary's Church is worth a visit, as is the Lord Leycester Hospital - built to house retired soldiers during the reign of Elizabeth I. The Hospital and its grounds have been used in lots of films and TV shows as a backdrop (including in an episode of Dr. Who - one of James' favourite programmes).

There are lots of other things to do in Warwick, including eating in one of the nice pubs or restaurants around the town, or visiting some of the many antique shops. It's a nice town, and a visit will show you what England outside of London can be like!"
- Kris

* Photo by Dean Ayres, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Daytrips - Ric

Question of the week: Is there a day-trip destination outside London that you'd like to recommend?

"If you have a day free then visit one of the historic centres of English Catholicism, Arundel. It lies 49 miles (79 km) south southwest of London. It is home to a castle, a cathedral, a brewery, a tidal river and some very decent places to eat with the odd view of the English coast some 15 miles south. Only 90 minutes from London Victoria by train, Arundel is also the ancestral home of the Duke Of Norfolk - the premier Duke in the peerage of England and Earl of Arundel."
- Ric

* Photo by Henrike Godoy, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Daytrips - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Is there a day-trip destination outside London that you'd like to recommend?

"I wrote up a few day trips a couple of summer's back, so I'll link you to them - York, Brighton, and my home town of St Albans - and then pick something different again: Bletchley Park.

Now, you won't find a lot of tourist guides recommending Milton Keynes, and for good reason, but Bletchley Park, on the outskirts of the new city, is a must for anyone interested in second world war history, cryptography, or the history of computing.

Bletchley Park was once the quiet Victorian country home of a City of London banker, but during the second world war became Station X, a secret base for the Government Code and Cypher School - the cryptographers who broke the Enigma code, amongst others, providing critical information which saved countless lives and shortened the war by at least two years.

Brilliant mathematician, Alan Turing worked here, developing the Bombe - a giant electro-mechanical machine which helped break the pass codes, which influenced his later work on general computing. (see PM Gordon's Brown official apology for the British government's later treatment of this war hero)

The Bletchley Park Trust arrange a program of special events throughout the year, emphasising different aspects or periods of history, and if you can time your visit to coincide, it's well worth taking the guided tours and so on, to get the most out of your trip. The next event is on Feb 28th, celebrating the work of Alan Turing at Bletchley Park for LGBT History month.

The Turing Bombe and other early computers such as the Colossus were key to these successes, and because of these links, the site is also home the National Museum of Computing. In contrast to the slick, big-budget Silicon Valley Computer History Museum, this is a volunteer-funded, volunteer-run collection, who have brought together a real richness of hands-on vintage tech, as well as rebuilding one of the original Colossus computers, which is now working in all it's noisy, physical, magnificence.

Tickets for Bletchley Park, including the National Museum of Computing, cost £8 for students, but the price drops to just £7 if you order it in advance.

There are regular trains from Euston to Bletchley Railway Station, which is on the same road as the entrance to Bletchley Park. "
- Miss Alice

* Photo by zoonabar, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Daytrips - Kris

Question of the week: Is there a day-trip destination outside London that you'd like to recommend?

"So, you have a day with no classes, and no plans: why not visit one of the most famous towns in the world, and see some of the beautiful British countryside while you're at it?

Stratford-upon-Avon (not to be confused with the Stratford in East London where the 2012 Olympics will be based) is world famous for being Shakespeare's birthplace. It is also a really pretty little town, where you can walk along the river, take a boat out for a while, tour historic houses and see world class theatre. All in the same day, if you want!

The easiest way to get to Stratford is by train - they leave often from Marylebone Station. On a Saturday, the first train leaves London at 9:12, and arrives in Stratford at 11:11, in time for lunch before seeing a matinee at the RSC (if one is playing - Romeo and Juilet has it's first matinee on 20 March).

If there isn't a matinee, why not see some of the Shakespeare properties dotted in and around Stratford? There are six properties owned by a charity that date from Shakespeare's time, and five have direct connections with the Bard. Near the centre of town you can also find the church where he is buried.

There are lots of other things to do if you get tired of Shakespeare - take a boat out on the river (if the weather is good), or go to the Butterfly Farm and watch butterflies fly freely in a tropical habitat.

Hopefully you'll have time to get something for dinner before you catch the last train back to London, which leaves at 7:48 and arrives back at 10:22."
- Kris

* Photo by Elvis Payne, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London view - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite London view or vista?

"Dozens of them, but one of the more domestic ones, which always gives me a lift, is seeing Southwark Cathedral from the Thames Path on the north side of the river - you might think at first glance that all the modern office blocks fencing in the Cathedral were completely unsympathetic, so it's a treat when you hit just the right spot on the river, and they part to frame it perfectly.

It's a beautiful building, as well as an active Anglican church, and well worth investigating much more closely. For a second special view, head up the stairs and across London Bridge - because it's so much higher than the original land level, you'll get a closer look at some of the Cathedral's stained glass windows than its builders ever planned for you to get.

The cathedral's garden's are a great place to sit and reflect, a step outside the bustle of the city and Borough Market, and there's huge wealth of detail to appreciate, inside and out, but still - there's something about that unveiling effect as you walk along the opposite bank of the river that's really pleasing to me."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by Yersinia, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London view - Kris

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite London view or vista?

"If there is one view that epotomizes Lonon for me, it's the view from Waterloo Bridge. I love to stand on the bridge and take in all the sites - and I really mean nearly all of them! Look West, and you can see all of the major landmarks that first spring to mind when you think 'London' - the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, and the Southbank Centre. Turn around and look east, and you can see London, old and new - St. Paul's Cathedral and the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf.

But the view isn't the only reason to explore the area around Waterloo Bridge. On the North bank, take a walk through Somerset House, and enjoy the famous fountain, museum and beautiful archetecture. On the South bank, there's, well, the Southbank Centre, where there are concerts, plays, films, exhibitions, restaurants, cafes, you name it!"
- Kris

* Photo by *hoodrat*, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

London view - Ric

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite London view or vista?

"Parliament Hill, formerly known as Traitor's Hill, is the gateway to London's Hampstead Heath. It's a natural haven to the north of London, with panoramic views looking south over the city and beyond into Kent and Surrey. The 791 acre heath is an amalgam of the grounds of several large houses that once were in the area. It's thought that Parliament Hill took its name from it being a point of defence during the English Civil War - a place for the troops loyal to Parliament. Due to its centrality and quasi-rural atmosphere, it also has the title: The Lungs of London.

Use Transport for London's website to work out the best was there from either the K-M residences or the London Centre (buses are probably best)"
- Ric

* Photo by Harshilshah100, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - art lover's edition

Sadly, today is Phillippa's last day with us, and as a parting gift, she's written up a list of her top five contemporary art galleries in mainland Europe, complete with map.

1. Kiasma
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Kiasma manages to be vibrant, relevant, exciting, desperately contemporary and a serious player on the world stage as well as genuinely local, even though Helsinki is only the size of a teapot. The cinnamon buns in the cafe are also fabulous.

What to do afterwards: It’s always sauna time in Finland. Have a sauna.

2. Guggenheim
Location: Bilbao, Spain

Just look at it! Who wouldn’t travel for hours across the Pyrenees to go here? The Guggenheim in Bilbao would be number one on this list if it wasn’t such a bummer to get to. I cried – and not only because I’d just spent the night on France’s least passenger-friendly train. It’s worth it just for the giant fox terrier made of flowers.

What to do beforehand: Learn some Basque. Totally unrelated to Spanish (and everything else), Basque is one of the world’s genuine language isolates. It’s worth being able to order a cup of coffee just to see how surprised people are.

What to do afterwards: Remind yourself of the permanent collection by going to visit Richard Serra’s epic sculpture near Liverpool Street Station.

3. National Gallery Collection of 19th, 20th & 21st Century Art
Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Huge, incredibly varied (the gallery focuses on painting, but covers sculpture, architecture, furniture and clothes design too) and virtually devoid of people: go before it gets taken away.

4. Stedelijk
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Somehow manages to make somewhere equivalent in size and scope to London’s Tate Modern feel a bit like the living room of your rich but friendly uncle. Great fun.

5. Istanbul Modern
Location: Istanbul, Turkey

An absorbing and sometimes disorientating slice of Turkish art, from contemporary painting and sculpture upstairs to traditional shadow puppetry in the basement. Don’t let the seasickness-inducing website put you off.

* Photo by art crimes, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - Miss Alice

Question of the week: weekend travel plans are an ever-more popular topic of conversation at the moment - do you have a favourite European destination?

"It's a tough pick, but Venice. I was expecting to be underwhelmed - what could possibly live up to those centuries of hype - and ended up falling in love. All those travellers and tourists and artists weren't wrong: the architecture is stunning, the water and the light combine to create a truly magical feel, and there's just so much history to explore, ancient and modern, religious and secular, not to mention all the arts!

There's no such thing as 'out of season' for Venice, but I've found it to be worthwhile to trade colder weather for fewer tourists, and you should definitely stay the night, partly because the crowd factor drops off after the tour groups go home, but mostly because the city has so many beautiful historic guest houses and hotels. The hostels and cheap hotels aren't that cheap, and particularly if there are a few of you travelling together to share a suite, sometimes staying in a beautiful palazzo isn't much more expensive, and well worth splashing out on.

Oh, and because Venice is an island, all the airports, budget or not, are a fair distance from the centre. If you can take the train, though, you'll pull into Santa Lucia and be right in the heart of things. You can take the train to Venice from almost any other Italian city, or all the way from London by train."
- Miss Alice

* Photo by James-Hetherington, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - Kris

Question of the week: weekend travel plans are an ever-more popular topic of conversation at the moment - do you have a favourite European destination?

"Another of my favourite places to go in Europe is Budapest. I've only been once, but I'm planning to go back soon! contrary to what the guide books we had told us, nearly everyone we met spoke English, at least well enough to interact with us and (with a little help from pointing and smiling) get us what we wanted out of the conversation (directions, food, train tickets, etc.). And lots of people spoke English very well, and were really interested in speaking with us (my husband James and me) just because they were friendly and interested in why we chose to come to Hungary, and how we liked Budapest. It was great.

All of the Hungarians we met were very friendly and helpful, and were really pleased that people were interested in visiting their country. For me, this is a great start for having a great trip! But Budapest itself is a beautiful city, split into two main parts by the Danube - Buda and Pest. The old city of Obuda is a littl way north, up the river - we didn't get there, but we want to when we go back! It's worth exploring both Buda and Pest - Buda's beautiful hills, Buda Castle and the Mattias Church are wonderful, and it's also worth visiting the museums and Parliament in Pest. The food we had was great - chicken paprikas and beef goulash (the standards) were wonderful, but try the traditional dish of a roast goose leg on a bed of beans - it's really fantastic and will keep you going for hours! Budapest also has a thriving student scene, so you won't be bored in the evenings once you've topped up on culture!

One thing that we tried in Budapest that we really enjoyed was going to the Thermal baths. The original Celtic settlement was founded near the hot springs, and the Romans wrote about the medicinal properties of the water in the area. There are a number of baths, all run by the city, where you can 'take the waters'. We went to the one in the Gellert Hotel, and it was amazing. The Gellert baths are Art Nouveau in style, but there are baths that date from the Ottoman Period (ca. 1550), if you want to go really old school... It was really relaxing when we went, like being in a giant hot tub! But remember to take your swim suit!

So, for something a little bit different, try Budapest - you won't be disappointed!"
- Kris

* Photo by Oooh.Oooh, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - Ric

Question of the week: weekend travel plans are an ever-more popular topic of conversation at the moment - do you have a favourite European destination?

"I grew up in England at a time when people went to Spain to just sit on the Costa Brava for two weeks. The thing was, so many Brits went that it was just like being in England, but with 90 degree heat and 14 hours of sunshine. Consequently, I was a student before I visited Spain. I know Barcelona has a strong pull: beaches, cathedrals and nightlife but my favourite is actually Bilbao.

A Basque city on the Atlantic coast - via the Bay of Biscay - it was founded around 1300. I go for the cycling in the mild climate. For a weekend, you should go for the Guggenheim Museum of Art. It is a stunning example of deconstructionist architecture, designed by Frank Genry, and has been open to the public since 1997. In the city itself there is a tramway stop called Guggenheim 100 meters away from the museum. Line 18 of the bus system also has a nearby stop. The museum is located 500 meters north of Moyúa station on the Bilbao Metro.

You can find out more at the Guggenheim Museum of Art website"
- Ric

* Photo by Amir K, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

European destinations - Kris

Question of the week: weekend travel plans are an ever-more popular topic of conversation at the moment - do you have a favourite European destination?

"Besides for London (obviously), I think my favourite European city is Paris. It has everything that I look for in a place - beautiful sites, good food, it's easy to get around, and friendly people (really!). It also is easy to get to from London, and specifically from Kamen/Minerva - St. Pancras Station is only about a 10-minute walk away, and from there you can hop on the train, take a little nap and wake up in the City of Lights! How much better could life possibly be?

When I'm in Paris, I tend to balance my old haunts with trying to do a few new things. One thing I try to do every time I go is to visit the Latin Quarter - I love the student vibe, and it's makes me happy to know that it's been the student area for almost 800 years. The area around St. Severin is a great place to go for a cheap meal - there are lots of restaurants serving three course meals for 10 Euros. They won't win any prizes, but the food is hearty and traditionally French, and 10 Euros is not a lot in anyone's budget.

My best new find is the Orangerie. While the Musee D'Orsay is carrying out it's extensive renovations (until March 2011), the Orangerie is really a better bet (in my opinion). I love the huge paintings by Monet in the upstairs galleries (all of Waterlilies), but the collection downstairs is very good and has paintings from most of the major Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. (When we went around New Year's the Musee Do'Orsay had a three-hour wait, and we just walked right in to the Orangerie. I can't promise that it would be the same for anyone else, but it's worth a try!)

Have fun while you travel, but don't overlook Paris just because it's close, or you have been before - it's worth another visit!"
- Kris

* Photo by Marco sees things, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

Favourite London book - Ric

Question of the week: Tell us about one of your favourite London books.

"My favourite book about London is a bit of a rarity. So you might have to search at Senate house or the London Library for it. It is also nearly 200 years old.

River Thames frost fairs were held on the Tideway of the River Thames at London between the 15th and 19th centuries when the river froze over. During that time the British winter was more severe than now, and the river was wider and slower. The frost fair of 1814 began on February 1, and lasted four days. An elephant was led across the river below Blackfriars Bridge. During the same year printer named Davis published a book entitled: 'Frostiana; or a History of the River Thames in a Frozen State'.

By the way, for those of you interested in frost fairs on the Thames, there is a frieze in the pedestrian tunnel running under the south bank of Southwark Bridge with a frost fair inscription on it."
- Ric

(NB - Davis's book is rarer than that, even - you'll have to visit the British Museum if you want to read this. Our ILL partners, The London Library, can lend you Famous frosts and frost fairs in Great Britain : chronicled from the earliest to the present time by William Andrews from 1887, though. Miss Alice)

* Photo by Diamond Geezer, used under Creative Commons, with thanks. See also Diamond Geezer's excellent London blog

Favourite London book - Miss Alice

Question of the week: Tell us about one of your favourite London books.

"We didn't plan it this way, but top blog Londonist has just announced the results of it's straw poll on their favourite London novels. Coincidentally, their number 2 was the book I was planning on recommending today - Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.

As such, I don't feel like I'm bending the rules too much to recommend a related second book - one that cites as influences both Neverwhere and Londonist's #1 pick, Michael de Larrabeiti's Borribles - Un Lun Dun by China Miéville.

Don't be put off by this being classified as a 'Young Adult' book - this is a fantastic adventure through an altered London - Un-London, one of the abcities: UnLondon, No York, Parisn't, Lost Angeles, Sans Francisco, Helsunki, Hong Gone, Romeless ... Cities made up of the lost, the forgotten, the discarded. Cities that form a twisted mirror-image of the 'real' world. The story subverts the classic fantasy quest, the well-worn trope of the fated saviour come to save the world, introduces handfuls of memorable and delightful characters, and Mieville's love of the real London's histories and byways shines through."
- Miss Alice

* Neverwhere inspired art by Susan Drackett, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

A favourite London book - Kris

Question of the week: Tell us about one of your favourite London books

"Dark Fire by CJ Sansom is set in the reign of Henry VIII, during the turbulent years after the split of then English Church from Rome. It's the second in the series that started with Dissolution, which is set in a monastery on the South Coast. I know that it's a bit strange to write about the second book in a series, but CJ Sansom's ongoing series is too good not to mention, especially as a lot of the London based action in many of the books takes place very near to where Kamen/Minerva are today.

The main character in all of the books Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, a hunchback, and a man increasingly disenchanted with the ways of Henry's court. Without giving too much away, Dark Fire involves Shardlake being drawn back into the world of politics after he is forced to look for the recipe for 'Greek Fire' (the terrible Byzantine weapon that would give the English military an edge over their many enemies). The plot also follows his attempt to defend a girl who has been accused of murdering her young cousin. The way Sansom evokes Tudor London is wonderful, and really gives the feel of how life would have been.

I have enjoyed all of the books in the series, and I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series with Dissolution. But if you just fancy a murder mystery set in Tudor London, you won't miss out by starting with Dark Fire."
- Kris

* Photo by Forever Wiser, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.

A Favourite London book - Greg Kucich

Question of the week: Tell us about one of your favourite London books

"A stirring favorite of mine on London and Paris is Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. The novel begins with one of the most famous opening lines in British literature, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times," spoken by one of the novel's chief protagonists as we awaits a heroic, self-sacrificial death by guillotine on the scaffold.

The time is the 1790s during THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, one of history's great epochal events. The portraits of London and Parisian life during this time are magnificently vivid, the characters are unforgettable in typically Dickensian fashion, and much of the London action takes place in Soho Square just north of the London Centre. And the climax is both marvellously surprising and redemptive. A bracing read!!!!"
- Greg Kucich

* Photo by kotomigd, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.