A Trip to Covent Garden in London
Covent Garden is such a lively place, a vibrant place. There are outdoor markets, street shows, shops, restaurants, pubs, crowds and so much more. It is a great place to go out and sit at a table outside, and people watch.
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden, London
So first, we people watched a little, then we did a little more from our table at this restaurant – The Covent Garden Kitchen (address: The Market, Covent Garden, London, WC2). It was a lovely evening, nice and warm and great to be sitting outside. I wish I had got a family picture taken, but we got pictures separately, first me, then my two oldest and then my little one.
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden, London
Here’s some of what we ate in Covent Garden:
I love how in England, they cater for people with spicy tastes – there are so many Indians and other Asians here who love spicy food, that it is quite pleasant to find that the food is more spicier or that they will add to it to make it more appealing to those with certain tastes.
Covent Garden, London
My son likes paninis, and anything with lots of cheese, so his was not too spicy (which is fine with him)!
Covent Garden, London
This was a nice fish and risotto concoction.
Covent Garden, London
After we left the restaurant, we wandered around a little.
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden, London
Our feet were quite tired that it was tempting to take a rickshaw, but we didn’t. We weren’t too far from our hotel in Trafalgar Square.
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden/Leicester Square, London
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden, London
Look at this picture, it must have been the way I took the picture, but the ladies infront of the telephone booth came out blurry, and added to the effect of the “Ghost Stories” picture.
Covent Garden, London
I have been to the Hippodrome Nightclub once or twice when I used to live in London many years ago, now I see there is a Casino – not sure if there is still a nightclub.
Covent Garden/Leicester Square, London
Oh, how I wish I could take away this fish and chip shop and have it in San Diego, so that I could have it’s fish and chips when I pleased!
Covent Garden/Leicester Square, London
Covent Garden, London
Covent Garden, London
I have more pictures of Covent Garden and the surrounding area. I will share them next time. I hope you have a great week!
Delphin Imperial Resort, Lara Beach – Antalya – A Picture Video
You know I like to show you pictures? Guess, what instead of putting so many pictures on this post like I did in the last one – I put them in a video. Also, there’s some video footage too. So, come on…..take a look at my video, and don’t forget to like it.
Here’s a brief excerpt description – cut and pasted from my YouTube video – yes, I made this post super quick.
Turkey is so mystical. Enchanting. Intriguing. Have you ever thought of staying in a resort in Turkey? Well, if you are thinking about it, here’s one that deserves your consideration – The Delphin Imperial at Lara Beach, which is in the Antalya region. This video will show you a lot, you’ll even see someone doing a belly dance at one of the shows, you’ll see the pool(s) – there’s many pools, the buffet, the lobby, the beach, the rooms, and the view from the room where me and my family stayed. You’ll also see the coffee shop – did you know you can choose however much chocolate you want from there, and also any of the cakes or two or three! You can also get cappuccino, latte or espresso. Hopefully, you’ll get a good idea about the resort. Guess what it’s very clean – no mosquito problem either!
The Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach – Antalya. It will Astound You.
I think you will be astounded if you go visit the Delphin Imperial Resort. When I think back to our vacation in Lara Beach which is in the Antalya region of Turkey – I have good memories. My kids loved it there. They loved it because we went with our family from England – so there was a large group of us. Holidays are always better in large groups. I think back to the luxurious inside, and the exquisite outside of the hotel, and just have to share some more pictures with you.
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The Delphin Imperial, Lara – Antalya
The Delphin Imperial, Lara – Antalya
The Delphin Imperial, Lara – Antalya
Movies Playing At the Delphin Imperial, Lara
At the Delphin Imperial, Lara
Food at the Delphin Imperial, Lara
Delphin Imperial, Lara
Delphin Imperial, Lara
Also, this hotel is walking distance to the shopping mall
Walking Distance from Delphin Imperial, Lara
Walking Distance from Delphin Imperial, Lara
Delphin Imperial, Lara
At a shopping mall near Delphin Imperial, Lara
First time for my kids on a camel! They loved it.
Walking Distance near Delphin Imperial, Lara- camel time!
The restaurants are rather elegant at the Delphin Imperial
Restaurants at Delphin Imperial, Lara
Did I tell you that they have really well-kept grounds? They also do not have a mosquito problem, which is really refreshing.
Swimming Pools of Delphin Imperial, Lara
This resort is overlooking the ocean and has its own beach!
The Beach at Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Beach at Delphin Imperial, Lara
Delphin Imperial, Lara
Swimming Pools of Delphin Imperial, Lara
There are at least 7 or 8 swimming pools and a massive water slide at the Delphin Imperial.
Swimming Pools of Delphin Imperial, Lara
Swimming Pools of Delphin Imperial, Lara
Swimming Pools and Grounds of Delphin Imperial, Lara
Kids Swimming Pool At Delphin Imperial, Lara
At the Shops At Delphin Imperial, Lara
Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Beach At Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Beach At Delphin Imperial, Lara
I think the grounds are ever so scenic.
Swimming Pools And Grounds At Delphin Imperial, Lara
Swimming Pools And Grounds At Delphin Imperial, Lara
Swimming Pools And Grounds At Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Spa at Delphin Imperial, Lara
Chandra loved the Kids Club, she had so much fun there, and attended a birthday party on the same day that it was Luca’s birthday. But this party was for someone else, and Luca did not attend the Kids Club as now he is a teenager, and it’s not the kind of thing teenagers want to do!
Kids Camp, Delphin Imperial, Lara
My son Luca, got to celebrate his birthday in Turkey. Here we are on his special day, about to have dinner at Lalezar Restaurant which is a specialty restaurant there – but it is included, and it’s nice to try a different venue, especially for a special occasion like this.
Delphin Imperial, Lara – Antalya
Delphin Imperial, Lara – Antalya
I love baclavas, and fortunately tonight we got this for dessert too – as well as birthday cake. Lalezar is more of a traditional Turkish restaurant, and tonight we had Turkish food which I found to be really yummy!
Delphin Imperial, Lara – Antalya
Lalezar Restaurant, Delphin Imperial, Lara
There is a stunningly beautiful Spa at the resort, which is massive, and so relaxing!
The Spa at Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Spa at Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Spa at Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Spa at Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Spa at Delphin Imperial, Lara
Fish Tank in the Spa at Delphin Imperial, Lara
The Swimming Pools and Grounds of Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
The Swimming Pools and Grounds of Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Grounds of Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Grounds of Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Grounds and Outdoor Dining of Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Grounds of Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Kids Camp/Kids Club at Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Grounds at Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Grounds at Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Swimming Pools at Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Grounds at Delphin Imperial, Lara Beach
Beach at Delphin Imperial, Lara
Beach at Delphin Imperial, Lara
Beach at Delphin Imperial, Lara
I included some pictures here of the food, but if you want to see more – take a look at my video. You will surely get hungry!
Well, that was a lot of pictures. I always intend to share just about four or five, but never manage to. Next time, I might do my post on old Antalya, which I was so fortunate to have visited – when I ventured away from the resort on August 4th. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my post and I hope you can see that the Delphin Imperial is an astoundingly good resort.
A Trip To The Savoy Hotel, London
Ahoy there, I went to the Savoy!
Well, what you may ask is so special about that? It is that I got through the doors of this establishment and was able to take pictures without having to pay hundreds, if not thousands of pounds a night for a room. I spent forty-five minutes or so, went in and took pictures and got out – and had quite a pleasant experience. This is after all, the hotel that is supposed to be London’s most famous hotel, and one where many celebrities have stayed. It is located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Here are some pictures:
Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy, London
This is the lobby area as shown in the two pictures below, then if you walk down a few stairs, you will see a beautiful gazebo, and a restaurant/bar/lounge area
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The Savoy Hotel, London
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The Savoy Hotel, London
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The Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy Hotel, London
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The Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy Hotel, London
Savoy Hotel, London
You might just want to get a little something sweet in their delightful little treat shop
The Savoy Hotel, London
Also, I have to mention, the bathrooms in the Savoy are quite an experience too. Best bathrooms in the world! There was even a cloakroom attendant outside the bathroom, and I should have had my camera with me just to take pictures of the entry area of the women’s bathroom. Oh, my gosh, there were framed pictures – it was like an art gallery. I think there was music too. Perhaps, it was good that I didn’t have my camera, and had left it upstairs with my family! I think people would have thought I was a little odd taking pictures there.
The Savoy Hotel, London
The Savoy Hotel, London
So, what do you prefer – the Savoy or the Ritz? It depends on your level of glitz. I have shown some pictures of the Ritz in an earlier post. As for me, I was quite happy with the London Trafalgar Hotel – it suited me just fine.
The London Eye – Oh My!
The London Eye – Oh My!
The views
The beauty
The thrill
Oh My!
I’m not rhyming!
Oh, well!
Seriously, I really enjoyed the London Eye, and thinking back, I think it was one of the highlights of our recent London trip. Here’s some more pictures of the view you will get of beautiful London from the inside of the London Eye.
The London Eye
The London Eye
The London Eye
The London Eye
View From The London Eye
View From The London Eye
These people seem to have one of the greatest spots in London, right next to the London Eye, overlooking the River Thames, with a view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Can life get any better? I bet they even have a cup of tea!
View From The London Eye
Here’s beautiful Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
The View From The London Eye
Here’s me in the London Eye
Here’s me and my daughter – we were so lucky to be in the Eye during sunset!
The London Eye
The London Eye
I can’t remember how I got this picture, I might have taken a picture of a picture – I think that’s my shadow you see on the top of the picture – I give credit to the London Eye for the original of this picture.
The London Eye
Okay, so now we just left the London Eye – here’s the immediate area outside of the Eye
I believe that’s the same building that I took pictures from within the London Eye – now you can see it from street level
That same evening, this is a picture I took of the London Eye.
I hope you enjoyed my pictures of the London Eye, and I hope you are all having a fantastic December so far. Can you believe that these are still only pictures from Day 3 of my trip to London – I still have two more days to cover! Anyway, I will cover those two days soon. Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate, and Happy Holidays to all the rest of you! Until next time!
Paradise At Meditation Gardens in Encinitas
Meditation Gardens, Encinitas
Meditation Gardens, Encinitas
Meditation Gardens, Encinitas
Meditation Gardens, Encinitas
Meditation Gardens, Encinitas
Meditation Gardens, Encinitas
Paradise can be found at the Meditation Gardens in Encinitas, which is just 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego. When life is stressing you out, take a break, close your eyes and meditate. Then open them and take in the wonders – the giant fish, the fountains, the palm trees, the foliage and beautiful flowers. Breathe deeply and inhale the fragrance of the freshest flowers. Look beyond and see the ocean. Feeling better? You should end up with a smile on your face! So, go ahead and try to find your Paradise to put the smile back where it belongs.
The South Bank, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye and More
Continuing with Day Three of my trip to London in July. Wow, has it already been nearly two months since I came back? How time flies?
Okay, fast rewind back to that day. We went for a walk all the way from our hotel – The Trafalgar – to the South Bank. It was a lovely walk, it drizzled just a tiny bit at one time, and other than that it was nice and warm – perfect weather for a walk. Do you know that London is a fabulous place to take a walk? Oh, the parks, the sightseeing, and the architecture! This is some of what we saw as we got closer.
The London Eye – isn’t it lovely?
The London Eye
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament – aren’t they just magnificent?
Big Ben and Houses Of Parliament
London, isn’t it wonderful?
Big Ben
Okay, I won’t ask you any more questions, I’ll just let you take a look at the pictures.
Big Ben and Houses Of Parliament
The London Eye, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben
The London Eye, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben
Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben
I don’t know what the name of the castle or palace type building is so I’ll just call it “Beautiful Palace”
Beautiful Palace type building on the South Bank
Fancy a ride, you could go on this carousel or the London Eye which you might see if you look closely at the picture.
Carousel At the South Bank
Fancy a walk? London is a terrific place for taking walks. Oh, how I would love to be taking a walk there right now!
South Bank, River Thames and Big Ben
South Bank, River Thames and Big Ben
That’s my 17 year old daughter’s beautiful hair – it looks even more spectacular with the sun shining down on it!
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
Time for bubbles!
Bubbles and Big Ben
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
Have you ever seen such a big bubble or seen one as beautiful?
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
Wow! Now, it’s really massive! This man is good, and I think he’s magical!
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
I will always remember the Bubble Blower of the South Bank
The Bubble Blower of The South Bank
So, we left the bubbles to get closer to our ultimate destination – the London Eye.
Now, we are getting closer to the London Eye
Here we are really close, in fact – we are at the entrance of the London Eye!
So, you’ve seen pictures of the entire wheel, you may have seen what it looks like up close – if not, this is what it’s like
and just for you, another picture…..at a slightly different angle.
Well, until next time…..and here’s a sneak peak at my latest video of the South Bank, the Bubble Blower and the London Eye. Let’s just say I love London, and I hope you like the pictures, and the video.
Dean’s Yard, Westminster Cathedral And Victoria
Are you ready to see more of my London pictures? I hope you are! Well, back to London and my continuation of Day Three which was July 25, 2014. Not too far away from Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey is a gorgeous building called Dean’s Yard – I absolutely love it!
Dean’s Yard
So, I took another picture
Dean’s Yard
and another
Dean’s Yard
and again! You’re lucky that I’m not showing you all of the pictures I took of Dean’s Yard!
Dean’s Yard
As we walked away from Dean’s Yard, we saw this building – The Albert Pub – across the street not too far away. The pubs in England are somehow decorated outside quite often with the loveliest flower displays. I think that makes it look rather charming!
The Albert Pub
The Albert Pub
The Albert Pub
Then we saw Westminster Cathedral – I really love the design.
Westminster Cathedral
I kind of feel I am in Italy.
Westminster Cathedral
Across the street from Westminster Cathedral is this building which houses shops and and you can see the reflection of Westminster Cathedral in the glass building.
Victoria Street
Victoria Street
London Street Scene
I love Victoria Station – when I first came to London, this is the station I arrived at, so I will always fondly remember Victoria Station and the surrounding area.
Victoria Station
London Street Scene
What a nice elegant building, and it happens to be a theatre!
Victoria Palace
Victoria Palace
Here you can see samosas, alongside sausage rolls and cheese and onion pasties in display cases in most newsagents or small convenience stores.
Pasties, Samosas and Sausage Rolls Display
Just another street scene in Victoria
Victoria
British people like their pasties….and I love cheese and onion pasties. Oh, how I could do with one right now.
Cornish Bakehouse
This is such an interesting building, and since I don’t know it’s name – that’s what I will call it. One of my pictures shows that one of the bars on the entry level is named “bbar”
Interesting Building in Victoria
Interesting Building in Victoria
This interestingly named pub is on the corner of Buckingham Palace Road and Victoria Street
Bag O’ Nails Pub
Bag O’ Nails Pub
Bag O’ Nails Pub
I had to pause and look at this building – after all – it’s the Royal Mews.
Royal Mews
Look at this guard, he is so well-behaved.
London Guard
So is this one.
Stable Yard Road Guard
Well, even though we visited Buckingham Palace yesterday, it doesn’t hurt to go back again for the second time
Gates near to Buckingham Palace
It’s a bit of a rainy day
Buckingham Palace
Incase, you want to know what is coming next in my posts, this video might give you a clue! I haven’t made a video for quite some time, so it was certainly time, and I might as well make one on London. Well, until next time!
14 Pictures of Big Ben
You think you only need one picture of Big Ben, well how about ten? How about fourteen – I think that’s plenty. You know me, I love London, and I love taking pictures of it. However, I think I love taking pictures just in general, not just of London. However, London is a special place – the place where I once went to when I was eighteen when I didn’t know where I would stay and just showed up. When I saw it, I was besotted – it didn’t seem like the rest of England, the England I was accustomed to – the up north England of Yorkshire, or even the few other places I had been to occasionally for weddings such as Leeds, Birmingham, Derby, Walsall or places such as Bingley, and Halifax that I had also gone to quite a bit. London was different. London was grand, elegant, majestic, breath-taking, and ever so different. It was like being in another country. I ended up staying in a bed and breakfast for a few weeks, and then rented a studio flat in Paddington. Anyway, let’s get back to reality and to pictures and not my story of another time. I will leave that for another time.
Here are some Big Ben pictures, who could have known it could be next to so many different things and look different in each picture.
Here it is is, alongside the Houses Of Parliament
Big Ben, London
Here it is with people in front of it, well that was bound to happen! And a bus, and now that building on the left crept into the scene too.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with more of a glimpse of another building behind it (the white building). The trees show up more in this, and the sun must have just gone behind a cloud too.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with more people, and a sightseeing bus in front of it.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with the London Eye showing up. How did that happen? Magic! Well actually no, just get pictures from all different angles and you’ll get different pictures – pretty amazing!
Big Ben, London
Here it is with the London Eye and a London Bus.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a London Bus, as seen from Westminster Abbey
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a sign from St. Margaret’s Church in the corner, and the London Eye and the London Bus.
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a London tree, St. Margaret’s Church sign, the London Eye and a London Bus.
Big Ben, London
Here it is in just it’s plain grandeur, next to a spiral tower on a ceiling (not just any ceiling, mind you).
Big Ben, London
Here it is next to historical buildings – this part of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament is known as Cromwell Green and if you look closely, you can see a statue of Oliver Cromwell at the bottom right).
Big Ben, London
Here it is is with a bit of the London Eye to the left of it
Big Ben, London
Here it is with a very nice building to the left of it
Big Ben, London
I hope you enjoyed seeing the changing scenery that included the Big Ben in it. Also, the fourteenth picture I added in right at the end as the featured image, and that was Big Ben as seen from the London Eye. As you can see, you will get a completely different look of Big Ben from there. Well, until next time.
Trafalgar Square Via Whitehall to Horse Guard’s Parade
Day Three in London on July 25, 2014 started off in the Trafalgar Square area. I already showed you some pictures in my previous post Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church, however, I didn’t want to bore you with too many pictures along the way to Westminster, so now I can bore you in this post…..excuse my dry humor!
So let’s continue the journey! This is very close to our hotel in Trafalgar Square, and is on the corner of Whitehall and Charing Cross
Whitehall and Charing Cross
Nelson’s Column, Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Sqare
Just a bit of London for you, with some Londoner’s of course!
Whitehall, City of Westminster
London Bus No. 12 – Oxford Circus at Whitehall
Looking back at the Trafalgar Square area
Nelson’s Column, Trafalgar Square
55 Whitehall – Sherlock stood atop here in the “Empty Hearse”, so did James Bond 007 in “Skyfall”. This building now houses the Department for Energy and Climate Change
55 Whitehall – think Sherlock and James Bond!
Talking of Sherlock, here’s a pub named after him and that is close by to Great Scotland Yard.
Sherlock Holmes Pub
It is on the junction of Whitehall and Great Scotland Yard, which is pictured below
Great Scotland Yard
Some of my pictures are quite self-explanatory, so I won’t write the same info above them as the info is captioned on the picture. This building is right next to 55 Whitehall – it is the Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence, City of Westminster
And this picture will show you both 55 Whitehall and the Ministry of Defence in the same shot, as well The Clarence (restaurant)
The Clarence Restaurant, 55 Whitehall, and Whitehall Place, City of Westminster
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge Statue, outside the Ministry of Defence, Whitehall
Want to see the Duke of Cambridge (not the present one mind you) up closer?
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge Statue, outside the Ministry of Defence, Whitehall
I bet you didn’t know Whitehall was such an interesting place. It’s the area that houses a lot of the government departments and ministries, and of course the terrific Horse Guards Parade, which is a parade ground used for royal parades and ceremonies.
Horse Guards Parade Whitehall
Life Guard, Household Cavalry – Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall
Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall
Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall
Life Guard, Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry, Horse Guard Parade
Please beware – the horses may kick or bite you!
Horse Guard Parade, Whitehall
Horse Guard Parade, Whitehall
Guard’s Memorial, Horse Guards Parade
This is the Old Admiralty Building at Horse Guards Parade
1st Viscount Wolseley Statue at Horse Guards Parade
Wow, now they are all taking a picture of what I took a picture of before – the Ministry of Defence Building (sorry, I am spelling it the British way, Word Press wants me to put an “s” instead of a “c” in “Defence”, but right now I want to stick to the way I used to spell it while growing up in the UK).
The Ministry of Defence, Whitehall
Horse Guards Parade
I meant to share more pictures of Big Ben, St. Margaret’s Church, and Westminster Abbey, but I will have to share them with you the post after the next one.
luchanik 