Imperial War Museum in London

This museum was founded in 1917 during WWI. It focuses on all conflicts since 1914 involving Britain or the Commonwealth. The current location of the London museum is in South London and  has been the site of the museum since 1936. There are also several similar museums in other cities, ie. IWM in Manchester and Cambridgeshire. I went to the London location. 

In the atrium on Level 0 there are large objects associated with wars. The V2 rocket, designed by a German engineer, hit London and other cities in Europe during WWII.

Several fighter planes were on display - the "Spitfire", flown by British pilots in WWII, and the Harrier jet,  used by British pilots to patrol northern Iraq in the 1990s. The former has the nose propellor. It is the plane in front.

There was also a rumpled car that was part of a suicide car bombing at a market in Baghdad in 2007. It was mangled and burned.

The WWI section of the museum had just been expanded and was very popular, especially due to the centenary of WWI. I was not able to visit this part as I did not have a timed entry card to this area. The museum is free, but you had to reserve a time to visit this exhibit. So I moved on to WWII.

The WWII section had many interesting objects used in the war. Here is a Morrison Shelter, designed to be used in the home as a bomb shelter. Supposedly 2 adults and 1 child could sleep in there. The top could be used as a table. 

Here is another type of bomb shelter. I am not sure how many people it held. Perhaps only one.

I believe this was an air filtration device (to improve the quality of air you breathe). It had several power sources and backup power sources, the last resort being man power (cycling - hence the bicycle).

A German Major shot down Royal Airforce planes and kept track of how many (with specific dates) on the wing of his plane. 

1938 - the Munich Agreement. Neville Chamberlain, British prime minister, and Hitler agreed to peacefully resolve differences in future conflicts. Here is the agreement.

Hitler did not take it seriously, as seen by the quote below. 

The British boat the "Anglo-Saxon" was carrying coal in 1940 from Wales to South America. It was sunk by the Germans. Some of the crew survived by drifting at sea in their "escape boat". They marked notches on the side of the boat to keep track of how many days they were drifting.

See notches on side of boat.

I was amazed at the objects in this WWII section. There was lots of talk about the British offences by air and sea. I was reminded of Britain's fight for air dominance over their country. Germany tried to gain air superiority over Britain, but failed. The sea attack was often underwater in the form of blowing up German ships from underneath. The focus was definitely on Britain's participation in the war.

I would recommend a visit to this museum. I will have to go back. I only saw a small portion of the museum.

For interesting art work go to Level 3. I saw a special exhibit on paintings created during WWI.

I think the good news is the WWI section is permanent, so I will be able to see it next time.

The museum building in South London, location of museum since 1936. This building was formerly a part of a hospital for the mentally ill.

British Parliament - London

Here is a side view of the Parliament building through the fence. It is across the street from St. Margaret's Church and Westminster Abbey.

I attended a "second reading" of a bill in the House of Commons. The topic was pensions for retirees. 

It was a rather difficult subject to follow as I am unfamiliar with their current pension plans. This bill's purpose is to introduce reforms to the pension system. It is sponsored by the majority party, the Conservatives. The Opposition Party (the Coalition) had a lot of issues with the proposed bill. There are many things left out of the bill in their opinion. The main concern is that the current pension system does not work well. It was based on people investing in low interest annuities, whose potential for growth was abysmal. The government left it wide open for people to choose annuities. Most were uninformed about which ones were the best. Not much guidance in choosing the right annuities. It is a very complex market. Most just ended up choosing annuities by default. 

Lots of statistics and trends were mentioned, including the average "pension pot" for retirees was only 17,700 £ (hardly enough to cover people through old age). The worry is then a drain on the public funds for poverty assistance. The worries are much the same as in the US. People are not saving up enough money for retirement. Many start saving too late. Some don't save at all. There is the concern that people will access their pension at the earliest age possible and then spend it to pay off acquired debts. There won't be much money left for living expenses. 

A Scottish expert in the financial market spoke about the complexity of annuities and the need for having "trustees" (financial advisors) set up who can help decipher the investment options for retirement funds. These trustees should be available to help many times and not for just a 30 minute session to decide which funds are best. These trustees should also be regulated (not stated clearly how in this proposed bill) for quality of assistance. 

An interesting comment by one of the members on the floor was that people need to think more about what kind of lifestyle they want to have in retirement and then figure out much money will be needed to accomplish that. Too often people think of a lump sum of money as the target amount. That may not be enough to sustain the lifestyle they want.

In short the current proposed bill seems rather vague on some issues and does not address other issues it should. The minister (not sure which one) is involved in this bill and will guide its passage when time comes for a vote. 

There were some acronyms bandied about. Not sure what they represent (DC, DB, CDC).

The procedure for watching a debate is to show up at the Cromwell Green Visitors Entrance across from St. Margaret's Church. I arrived well before the session started in late morning.  I was told to come back later (around mid afternoon) as those with tickets would be let in first. Around 2:30 pm I returned and got in no problem. There was a security check and a room to leave your bags. No photography or cell phones.

At this session there were few members attending. It was only the second day they were back in session. Members came in and out of the session. The deputy speaker changed often. It appears they were on shifts. There were several men in the middle of the floor (clerks) in wigs. Most of the time members were giving speeches. There was a little back and forth debating and some standing up in agreement of a colleague. Overall it was pretty mild. There were 6 people seated on a bench in the back. Perhaps they were transcribers of the session. They kept handing papers to various members. I was surprised that members were carrying on private conversations during speeches.

We the people sat in the gallery. The session was miked and televised.

While waiting to go upstairs to the gallery, a bunch of us were seated on benches in St. Stephen's Hall. It stands in the site of the former St. Stephen's Chapel, where the royals worshipped here at the Palace of Westminster. The place served as a chapel through part of Henry VIII's rule. It burned down during his reign. Parliament business remained in the adjacent building. The chapel was rebuilt at some point. It burned down again in 1834. The current hall is neo-Gothic in design, built during Queen Victoria's reign. Early on in 1550 the chapel was converted to a debating chamber for the House of Commons. In this hall King Charles the 1st attempted to arrest 5 MPs, a trigger for a civil war between Parliament and the Crown in the mid 17th century.

Here is a photo of the inside of St. Stephen's Hall. The statues are of famous statesmen.

Westminster Hall, the oldest room in the palace, was completed in 1099. It hosted state events (royal public statements, impeachments, kings and queens lying in state) and feasts (coronation banquets).

There are brass plaques on the floor commemorating events such as Sir Thomas More's condemnation to death, trials of Guy Fawkes and King Charles the 1st, the lying in state of King George V and VI, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth the queen mother (2002) and Winston Churchill. Coronation banquets for kings from Richard I in 1189 to George IV in 1821 were held here. 

Look up at the ceiling. There is a medieval timber ceiling from 1399 (under Richard II). It replaced an earlier timber roof.

This Westminster Hall and the Jewel Tower survived the 1834 fire. Everything else had to be rebuilt.

There is an "Explore Westminster Hall" app that was advertised. I would like to find that.

I know there are tours available for these buildings. I am not sure if you can do a self-guided tour.

The official brochure about Parliament states that the Palace of Westminster (this whole complex) has been a royal palace for 1,000 years and home to Parliament for 500. It was home to Kings and Queens. As Parliament became more active, politicians met here. It was granted to them as Parliament 's home in 1550. As mentioned earlier, starting in 1550 they met in the chapel. Later they moved buildings.

I highly recommend a visit here. The buildings are beautiful. The sessions are interesting if you have never seen on of them. They can be a bit long winded though. Parliament is on recess in the summer until Sept. 1. Check the parliament website for info in visiting.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - London

Take the Central tube line east and get off at the Stratford stop to get to the Olypic Park, site of the summer 2012 Olympics and the Paralympics games of 2012. The park opened to visitors in April 2014. There is still renovation going on there - especially at the main stadium, which won't be completed until the summer of 2016.

Once you get off at Stratford and surface, the way is marked very clearly with signs towards the park. You end up walking through the main pedestrian street (called "The Street") of Westfield shopping mall.

This mall was pretty empty of customers. The area surrounding the park looks quite new and modern.

Stop by the information desk to get maps for the various trails. I followed the "Trail of Glory" that highlighted sporting events. Straight away you see the Aquatics Centre. The main entrance is down the stairs on the lower level. You can walk in the door. A cafe is on the left. You cannot get much further into the building if you are not a member of the centre. The facility is a public one now. Security guards are there and you need to swipe your card to enter the main part of the facility. Upstairs on the street level you can look in at the pool, but it is an obstructed view. I was hoping I could see more inside. About all I could see was the pool and some bleachers. Here is the outside.

And from farther away.

Next up was the stadium (under renovation). 

Next to it is the "Arcelormittal Orbit", a modern tower with great views of London on a nice day. It was not a nice day when I was there, so I did not go up (plus tickets were 15 £). Here it is. 

Both together.

The last building I went to see was the Copper Box Arena, site of handball and pentathlon fencing matches. The building was locked. I could peek in and get a glimpse of the arena. Again disappointing I could not see more of the inside. Here is the outside with the big silver word "run".

Since it was raining out that day, I did not walk further. There are the velo park and hockey/tennis centers a ways down the trail. I was afraid they would be closed too, so I gave up. I hope next time I go there will be more open.

On the sidewalks are painted images for photo ops, such as these.

Some Team GB pride!

Rakowicki Cemetery - Cracow Poland

Rakowicki Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Cracow. Many founding families of Cracow are buried here (mostly in large family graves). Also many important individuals lie there. As you enter the gate there is a map outlining the arrangements of the plots and indicating where to find some important individuals' graves. It seems to highlight the old graves and leave out the most recent famous people buried there. 

One of the most famous romantic Polish painters was Jan Matejko. He has a family grave in the middle of a path all by itself.

Here is a tribute in a mass grave of various non-related individuals. 

He was a professor at Jagiellonian University during WWII and was arrested along with univ. colleagues by the Nazis during a gathering at the univ.

In addition to graves there are various monuments to those fallen victims of the Polish Legions, WWII, Home Army (underground movements) and Communism.

Polish Legion soldiers

General of Polish Legions

WWII concentration camp victims - front 

Sides of same WWII monument

Home Army tribute - front

Side view of Home Army monument 

Monument to victims of Communism

This cemetery is a beautiful tribute to those who are associated with Cracow.

Bike ride along the Wisła River in Cracow to Tyniec Abbey

We went on a bike ride along the river towards Tyniec Abbey with my friend Greg. It was a beautiful day for a ride. We borrowed bikes from a rental shop on Basztowa Street outside the Main Square. The shop is called " Cruising Cracow" and is owned by a Polish- Canadian. His co-worker whom we met when we returned the bikes is from Austin TX (where we live). 

We rented their city bikes, basic 3 speed bikes, since our bike path was mostly flat and paved. It cost a maximum of 40 złoty for 1 day (or less if you get back earlier - based on hourly rate).

On the way to the Tyniec Abbey we rode on the left side of the river. On the way back we rode on the opposite side of the river. The paved path follows the river for much of the time. Sometimes you move away from the river and ride along meadows and woods. Some of the paths are dirt. It was great having Greg along because he knew the way. It is not clearly marked where to ride.

As we rode towards Tyniec we stopped at a kayaking training course/competition site. The water for the course is diverted from the main Wisła river. There are various moveable barriers in the water to change the amount of white water. Also there are the gates to paddle through (the hanging poles). Here is a picture of a kayaker.

Our final destination was the Benedictine Abbey called Tyniec. Here is the outside and the inside.

The outside courtyard is lovely and from there are nice views of the Wisła River below. 

On the ride back there were nice views of Przegorzały, the building on the hill that contains the institute of Polish language and culture studies for foreigners of Jagiellonian University. There is also a restaurant with a spectacular outdoor terrace and view of the Wisła. Here is a photo from a distance.

Great views of Bielany monastery from the path were nice to see.

As we approached Cracow the view of Wawel Castle was great. 

It was a great ride. I would encourage all to do it.

East London - Aldgate East (tube station stop), Brick Lane, Bethnal Grove Road and more

This was my first venture to East London. I had heard about it through Rick Steves' podcast on "Trendy East London", but was not quite prepared for what I saw and experienced there.

I exited the Aldgate East tube stop and turned left to walk down Aldgate Street.  I could immediately see hints of a Muslim neighborhood with signs in another language, speciality grocers, curry houses (restaurants), mosques, and men and women in their Muslim attire (burkas for women, hats and robes for men). Further down Aldgate was the East London mosque with its minarets. I did not walk much further down this street as two men were wrestling on the sidewalk. Time to turn around and head back.

Next I walked down Osborn Street (off of Aldgate) which becomes Brick Lane. Part way down Brick Lane starts "Banglatown" as the locals call it. It is the part of London where many from Bangladesh live. It has the feel of an ethnic neighborhood with signs of streets,shops and restaurants in another language and English. Here is the entrance to this neighborhood.

This below is a view farther down Brick Lane. Not all restaurants are curry houses, as seen by the Italian restaurant seen in the picture.

As I was walking down Brick Lane I found myself behind some tour groups. It was interesting to listen in. I learned that this "Banglatown" used to be a Jewish neighborhood. The only evidence of that now is this one facade.

I also learned from the tour group guides that the dish "Tikka Masala" was an invention of north London, not of Bangladesh. It seems the Brits wanted their chicken with a "gravy", so the sauce was invented. The dish was later exported to India and Bangladesh. Queen Victoria supposedly had a chef from India. She loved his curries.

Further down Brick Lane is the old Truman Brewery called "the Black Eagle". It is noticeable by the walkway above your head. On the left as you pass under the walkway you will see the brewery (through the courtyard and on into the building). I just poked my head in the building. It appears you can visit it.

Here is an example of a street sign on Brick Lane - in English and another language.

On the corner of one of the cross streets of Brick Lane there was a large building. I think it was some sort of Muslim religious center. The sign on it said "Jamme Masjid". 

I stopped for lunch on Brick Lane at one of the many Bangladesh curry houses. This place was called " Aladin's". The owner enticed me in with a pre-set lunch menu of a starter (appetizer), main (course) and rice or naan. I ordered the mixed kebab starter (chicken, lamb pieces and sheek - minced spiced lamb). It came with a mint sauce. Then I ordered the chicken kurma (or korma as we know it in the US). It was delicious. I could really taste minced fresh coconut in the sauce. The basmati rice was called "pilau" and was spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. To drink I had mango juice.

Many accolades were plastered on the walls inside and outside. It appears there is an annual Taste Brick Lane contest and this place was the winner in 2014. Also Prince Charles ate there and liked it.

I asked my waiter about the definition of the word "balti" that was on many restaurant signs and menus. He said balti refers to the process of 24 hour marination of the meat so that it gets tender and absorbs a lot of the marinade flavor. The pot in which the meat is cooked is steel and is called a balti pot. It gets very hot whilst cooking the curry. Balti is not associated with specific ingredients or spices. 

My first exposure to chicken balti was in a pasty in Cornwall. I loved it.

At the corner of Brick Lane and Bethnal Green Road I turned left and went down a street called Redchurch that was at a diagonal. This street has a lot of street art (graffiti).  Off of Redchurch I turned right on a side street and walked down a bit. It is more of a residential area with huge brick buildings containing many apartments. One was called "Spitalfield Housing Cooperative". Here is another housing development called "Henley House".

I then headed back towards Brick Lane. Before returning down that lane I headed down Bethnal Green Road past Brick Lane. I passed a store front with a sign "Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium". I thought it might be a souvenir shop. I kept walking. On the way back to Brick Lane that store caught my eye again. There were real cats in the front window on a cat tower. I looked in and could not tell what this place was. There were a few people seated in a small room. I thought it was a meeting of some sort (maybe for a cat adoption agency).  The next room down had the sign and I peeked in. It looked like a place to have a cup of tea. I went back to look at the cats. Someone inside was playing with one.

When I got home I looked up the place on the Internet. It is indeed a tea house that also cares for rescue cats. Here is the website for the tea house - www.ladydinahs.com. They also have a Facebook page. Next time I will have to go inside. Here are some photos.

I then headed back down Brick Lane to Aldgate East tube stop.

This is an area of London worth exploring. Before I go back there I want to read about its history.