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.
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 to Houses Of Parliament
We are still on Day Three of our Five Day Trip to London which was a three week trip in total. Another week was spent in northern England where my family lives, and one week was spent in Antalya, Turkey (I’ll have to write a post on that at some point soon – I hope).
Today is July 25th, we had left the USA on July 22nd at around 8 pm, and arrived at London Heathrow Airport on the 23rd at around 3pm local time, which was 7 am USA Pacific Time – we were lucky to have caught a direct flight which was a total of 11 hours. Of course, when you get to England, you kind of lose a day with traveling and then have to put the clock eight hours forward.
This post carries on from the previous one – Trafalgar Square via Whitehall to Horse Guards Parade. We had just finished looking at the Horse Guard’s Parade grounds, and this is opposite to the Ministry of Defence. Can you imagine that nearly all buildings in London – even if not exactly touristy, are so beautiful! To me, they are a treasure, and are all worthy of being photographed!
The Ministry of Defence, Whitehall
Another picture in the same area.
Whitehall, outside of Horse Guards Parade
This person, the Eighth Duke of Devonshire, apparently turned down the job of Prime Minister – his statue is shown in the picture below
Spencer Compton, Eighth Duke of Devonshire, outside Ministry of Defence, Whitehall
Whitehall, City of Westminster
Now, let’s not forget the women of World War Two, they had a significant part in the war too – they served, fought, and nurtured the wounded – here’s their memorial.
The Women of World War Two, Whitehall
We are coming up to Downing Street, now the home of David Cameron, and when I used to live there, it was home of Margaret Thatcher. There’s been a few other Prime Ministers in between of course.
Downing Street, SW1
Downing Street, SW1
Downing Street, SW1
Downing Street, SW1
London Eye from near Downing Street
This memorial is significant, it commemorates the end of World War 1.
The Cenotaph – the UK’s primary war memorial
The Cenotaph – the UK’s primary war memorial
The Cenotaph – War Memorial commemorates end of World War 1
Well, look what else I saw….King Charles Street Bridge. The arch connects the Treasury building to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office building.
King Charles Street Bridge
King Charles Street Bridge
King Charles Street Bridge
King Charles Street Bridge
Now, I’m not sure what this building is exactly….but it is on the way from King Charles Street Bridge to
Westminster, near Whitehall
Here’s a building that just looked nice, so I took a picture of it.
Richmond House, 79 Whitehall
Well, a glimpse of the Houses of Parliament, and now we are getting close to where I was supposed to share more photos of – in this post. I think I dawdle too much along the way, and get way too distracted. Just to let you know, it is not that far from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament – I think you can make it in about twenty minutes if you walk fast.
Close by to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster
Next post….I have to share more pictures of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church.
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.
Big Ben, Westminster Abbey And St. Margaret’s Church
Can you believe it is now Day Three? I can’t. I am already feeling sad just writing this as if I was still there. My trip to London is half way over (almost). I need to get out of this pessimistic mood and make the most of it! So what to do, just go out there and see it and soak it in!
Admiralty Arch, The Mall
Well, hopefully, you remember that this is close-by to my hotel in Trafalgar Square, so you may have seen Admiralty Arch pictures that I have taken and posted before, but since I walked past this area quite a number of times during my stay, it is befitting to add some of what I saw on the way today to Westminster. We are headed in the same direction as yesterday, as there is nothing wrong with repeating what you just saw yesterday. Today is another day, and you always get a new perspective on the location on different days.
Admiralty Arch again.
Look what’s in the neighborhood of Trafalgar Square, here is a pub named after the great English detective!
Look at this great street – this was the location – well, the rear entrance of the original headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London. It’s within walking distance of Trafalgar Square.
Great Scotland Yard
Now, we are in the Big Ben area – what a stunning looking clock and housed in such a magnificent building!
Big Ben with London Eye
Wow, what beautiful architecture!
Westminster Abbey
My daughter in front of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Of course, I had to take a picture away from my current focus of Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and St. Margaret’s Church – but this is London, and why not get a London bus?
London Bus in Westminster
Here is a lovely church – St. Margaret’s Church – right next to Westminster Abbey
St. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
Big Ben and London Eye
Do you like the name Houses of Parliament of Palace of Westminster? This building is known by both names, but I think most commonly…..Houses of Parliament. I once went in here and loved seeing Members of Parliament debating with each other – quite entertaining!
Houses Of Parliament
Houses Of Parliament #2
Statue of George V
Westminster Abbey
Houses of Parliament/Palace of Westminster
Such sisterly love from my two daughters.
George V Memorial
George V Memorial
This building was right in the vicinity.
Old Palace Road, SW1
Houses of Parliament/Palace of Westminster
Big Ben
Big Ben in the corner
near to Big Ben
Methodist Central Hall
I love Dean’s Yard – I find it so picturesque!
Dean’s Yard, close by to Westminster Abbey
Well, I really must stop now. Do you know I will probably have another post with more pictures of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church featured in it again? Either you will dread it or look forward to it, I hope it will be the latter. Well, until next time!
Tower Bridge – My favorite Bridge In The World!
Tower Bridge – my favorite bridge in the whole wide world! It is also my favorite destination spot in London – the place I must go to whenever I go to London. I don’t know what it is about this bridge, but it has won my heart over and I gladly go visit it every time I go to London. Day Two of our July, 2014 visit had us visit the Ritz Hotel, walk through Green Park to Buckingham Palace, then walk over Westminster, and then we caught the tube to the Tower Hill Underground Station, which is where we exited to the Tower Bridge and Tower Of London area.
This is the welcoming scene.
Tower Bridge area #1
Now, throughout this post, I am not going to write much at all and have labeled all my pictures in this post with numbers. That way, when I want to put them on Pinterest, I will know which ones I have already pinned.
Tower Bridge #2
Tower Bridge #3
Tower Bridge #4
Tower Bridge #5
Tower Bridge #6
Tower Bridge #7
The Shard as seen from Tower Bridge area #8
Tower Bridge #9
Tower Bridge #10
Tower Bridge #11
Tower Bridge #12
Tower Bridge #13
Tower Bridge #14
Tower Bridge #15
Tower Bridge #16
Tower Bridge #17
City Hall – viewed from Tower Bridge area #18
Tower Bridge #19
Tower Bridge #20
I really wanted fish & chips, but would end up waiting until I got to northern England, where I had them twice! Oh, was I in heaven eating them!
Ted’s Fish & Chips, Tower Hill, London #21
Millennium Pier, Tower Bridge #22
Tower Bridge #23
We packed in quite a lot on our second day in London, which was really our first full day, and later this same day we would end up eating out at China Town. I will show you some more photos from China Town later on. See you next time!
The Tower Of London – How I Love Thee
The Tower of London is steeped in history and in mystery – all of it extremely relevant to England, and to history lovers everywhere. What went on behind these walls built as early as the 11th century by William Conqueror – may be better left to the imagination. If you would like to know more about The Tower of London and it’s history, just click here. However, a visit to London cannot be complete without a visit to one of it’s historical landmarks, and I highly recommend a visit to the Tower of London. Oh, how I love thee Tower Of London, let me count the ways:
1) I love you from this angle
The Tower of London
2) I love you with my three kids in front
The Tower Of London
3) I love you with poppies and the significance behind the recent installation of the ceramic poppies. By the way, they were just starting to put all the poppies into place at the Tower Of London to commemorate the British soldiers who died in World War 1.
The Tower Of London and A Sea of Remembrance
4) I love you from this angle with more poppies, and people dressed in red adding to the effect
Poppies At The Tower Of London
5) I love how your historical architecture can sit side by side with the modern City Hall
The Tower of London and City Hall
6) I love just capturing you with or without trees – but I think this bit of tree in the picture is quite nice!
7) I love you because you are splendid!
Tower of London, oh, how I love thee!
8) I love you, and I think you know…. the red in this picture could be the blood in my heart
Tower Of London
9) I love your stylish buildings
Tower of London
10) I love you Tower of London – look, even the sky and grass around you look magnificent, but you shine brightly and are the star
Tower of London
11) I love your arches
Tower Of London
12) I love your buildings – oh, I beg your pardon….I think I’ve said that before!
Tower Of London
13) I love your White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower
White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower
14) I love how you put lions outside out of the Tower and to me this looks like the lions are guarding the Tower and it’s secrets
The Tower of London
15) I love how there are so many refreshments all around, and especially ice-cream with Flake (delicious English chocolate)
Refreshments at The Tower Of London
16) I love how the Tower of London blends in with the Tower Bridge in this picture – two amazing Towers!
The amazing Tower Bridge and Tower Of London
17) I love how you look different in all my pictures – you are one unique amazing landmark!
Tower Of London
18) I love how everyone is going to think “oh, these two pictures are the same” – but can you spot at least five differences?
The Tower Of London
19) I love your history and your mystery. So much went on between these walls, that some of it is better left unsaid.
The Tower Of London
20) I love to keep folks in suspense, but think I better let you in on a bit of the history incase you didn’t know it. Here’s a picture who’s words will tell you quite a bit
Tower of London History
Well, I’ve named just twenty, and I think that’s plenty. There could be plenty more, but I think we’ll stop right there. I hope you enjoyed my collection of pictures of the Tower of London. Did I tell you that I love it?
Left A Part Of My Heart In London
I think I left a part of my heart in London, and perhaps writing about it or posting some pictures might help my heart-ache and might help me get over London, but I don’t think so. I have been ever so busy since I got back from the UK about three weeks ago, and have been meaning to carry on with writing about my trip and sharing pictures, but it’s been hard to do so. I just about got over my jet-lag – that took me over a week to recover from!
Oh, I forgot to show you this picture last time of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
St. Martin In The Fields, Trafalgar Square
Where did I leave off? I think I was only on Day Two of my five days in London. Did you know that I then traveled up north, and spent a few more days in the UK before heading over to Turkey? We went to an all-inclusive resort in Antalya, and I’ll be writing about that sometime soon. Here are some more pictures of London.
Walking back from Buckingham Palace, we weren’t really sure how to get to Big Ben, and we kind of just stumbled in that direction. On our way, we saw the HM Treasury.
HM Treasury Building
near the HM Treasury
near HM Treasury, Westminster
I just take pictures of anything, so I decided to do it some more
The Red Lion, Parliament Street
London Phone Booths in Westminster
Oh, look what I see!
Palace of Westminster/Houses of Parliament
So, the bus moved out of the way, and the picture is a little different
Houses of Parliament
Funny how the sky seems to change
Houses of Parliament
Westminster Station
Big Ben
St. Margaret’s Church, next to Westminster Abbey
Of course, I have to have one of my kids pose in front of Big Ben!
Big Ben
Oh, how I could keep taking pictures, and did!
Westminster near Houses of Parliament
Westminster Station
Oh, and why wouldn’t you get all your kids to pose together in front of Big Ben? Of course, you would!
Big Ben
Well, I have to leave off here, and I’m still not done with Day Two! It’s not that the day was too long, it’s just that there are quite a few pictures to go with the day. We came back to this same spot the very next day, and got more pictures, including quite a few of Westminster Abbey, not shown in this post – that’s why you have to go back to the same place more than once at times. Also, don’t worry about the part of my heart left in London, it’s been left there before too. Well, until next time!
July 4th Fireworks At Seaport Village, San Diego
I hope you got a chance to see the fireworks tonight. If not here you are – this is what they looked like from Seaport Village in San Diego – spectacular!
Seaport Village July 4th fireworks
Seaport Village July 4th Fireworks
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