Woolworth stores in the UK are closing permanently in the beginning of 2009. I did not realize that there were still Woolworth stores around, until I saw one in the nearby London neighborhood of Swiss Cottage. I remember as a child in Queens shopping in the five and dime stores -- either Woolworths or McCrory's. Apparently, Woolworths has been closed in the U.S. for several years. It is only now closing in England and Ireland as well.
Go to the link below to read a news story about Woolworths, complete with the history of the company, which began in 1879 in Utica New York.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n15_v36/ai_19662400/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Boxing Day
Today is Boxing Day -- the day after Christmas. Many retailers slashed their prices, opened early at 7am, and invited shoppers to come and take advantage of the sales.
Traditionally, I understand it was the day that employers or members of the upper classes, gave gifts to their workers or members of the lower classes - sometimes leaving boxes out for the poor.
Many of the stores on our High Street are closed, though - including the pub. It is a national holiday.
Traditionally, I understand it was the day that employers or members of the upper classes, gave gifts to their workers or members of the lower classes - sometimes leaving boxes out for the poor.
Many of the stores on our High Street are closed, though - including the pub. It is a national holiday.
Christmas
Christmas this year promised to be very different than it is in ordinary years. We did not have any family or friends nearby. (Pete and Marcia went to Spain for Christmas. Matt and Julie were coming to visit - but not until December 28.) We did not have a Christmas tree or decorate our apartment because we had none of our Christmas decorations with us in England and we did not want to buy all new decorations here. Finally, Carl and I decided not to exchange presents because we considered this Great Adventure of ours to be our gift.
To compensate for this, and to make the holiday special for the two of us, we arranged to spend Christmas eve and Christmas day at the beautiful Park Lane hotel in London. We felt that the hotel would be decorated beautifully, and we would be surrounded by others who were also away from home for the holiday. We would also be in closer to the center of London, so we could walk around Chinatown and Leicester Square - again being with others. (The London tube service was completely shut down for Christmas day - so it would have been more difficult to get into town on Christmas otherwise.)
We also made reservations for Christmas day to have High Tea at the Ritz Hotel. That would give us a destination for the day.
It was a good plan. On the afternoon of Christmas eve, we checked into the hotel (and because of a problem with the plumbing, had our Junior Suite upgraded to an enormous suite with a living room, dining area, huge bedroom and two baths. (The woman at the desk said it was the best room in the hotel.)
We went to Westminster Abbey for a 4pm Christmas service. There was a long line - as you can see in the photo below, and we wound up standing through the ceremony. We could not see the altar, but the choir was excellent. The music felt like a physical touch - it was so beautiful. I was thrilled to be at a Christmas service in this most revered cathedral in London where all the kings and queens are crowned and all the royal weddings take place. (I remember watching the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television when I was in Canada.)
After the service, we walked by Big Ben and Parliament with a Christmas tree outside.
Then we returned to the hotel and sat in the very comfortable large lounge area to have drinks and dinner. As we had hoped, there were other people in the room - and it was certainly more festive than it would have been at home in our flat.
On Christmas day, we went for tea at 1:30 at the Ritz -- where a jacket and tie are required. It was a gorgeous room, decorated beautifully, and it was also a very festive place. They officially do not allow pictures to be taken - but they overlook it, as long as you do not use your flash. Below is the one picture I took from our table with a flash. All the others, without the flash, did not turn out, unfortunately.
There were waiters swarming all over the room, serving sandwiches without crusts (including cucumber sandwiches), scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and pastries. And, of course, there was tea - which was made with loose tea that had to be poured through the silver tea strainer placed on top of the cup. (Later, it rested on its matching silver holder.) A pianist played Christmas music in the background. (I guess it wasn't all Christmas music - because when we walked in, she was playing "Putting on the Ritz.") Everything was perfect.
The kind gentleman at the next table offered to take our picture for us - after the waiter declined the request.
After our meal at the Ritz, we walked around the city for a while - then decided to return home to our flat, rather than spend a second night at the hotel. Back at home, we spoke with family members on the phone- exchanging good wishes. (It was still early on Christmas morning for them.) Then we watched some more British mysteries on television before going to bed early.
Our English Christmas was a very different Christmas for us.
To compensate for this, and to make the holiday special for the two of us, we arranged to spend Christmas eve and Christmas day at the beautiful Park Lane hotel in London. We felt that the hotel would be decorated beautifully, and we would be surrounded by others who were also away from home for the holiday. We would also be in closer to the center of London, so we could walk around Chinatown and Leicester Square - again being with others. (The London tube service was completely shut down for Christmas day - so it would have been more difficult to get into town on Christmas otherwise.)
We also made reservations for Christmas day to have High Tea at the Ritz Hotel. That would give us a destination for the day.
It was a good plan. On the afternoon of Christmas eve, we checked into the hotel (and because of a problem with the plumbing, had our Junior Suite upgraded to an enormous suite with a living room, dining area, huge bedroom and two baths. (The woman at the desk said it was the best room in the hotel.)
We went to Westminster Abbey for a 4pm Christmas service. There was a long line - as you can see in the photo below, and we wound up standing through the ceremony. We could not see the altar, but the choir was excellent. The music felt like a physical touch - it was so beautiful. I was thrilled to be at a Christmas service in this most revered cathedral in London where all the kings and queens are crowned and all the royal weddings take place. (I remember watching the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television when I was in Canada.)
After the service, we walked by Big Ben and Parliament with a Christmas tree outside.
Then we returned to the hotel and sat in the very comfortable large lounge area to have drinks and dinner. As we had hoped, there were other people in the room - and it was certainly more festive than it would have been at home in our flat.
On Christmas day, we went for tea at 1:30 at the Ritz -- where a jacket and tie are required. It was a gorgeous room, decorated beautifully, and it was also a very festive place. They officially do not allow pictures to be taken - but they overlook it, as long as you do not use your flash. Below is the one picture I took from our table with a flash. All the others, without the flash, did not turn out, unfortunately.
There were waiters swarming all over the room, serving sandwiches without crusts (including cucumber sandwiches), scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and pastries. And, of course, there was tea - which was made with loose tea that had to be poured through the silver tea strainer placed on top of the cup. (Later, it rested on its matching silver holder.) A pianist played Christmas music in the background. (I guess it wasn't all Christmas music - because when we walked in, she was playing "Putting on the Ritz.") Everything was perfect.
The kind gentleman at the next table offered to take our picture for us - after the waiter declined the request.
After our meal at the Ritz, we walked around the city for a while - then decided to return home to our flat, rather than spend a second night at the hotel. Back at home, we spoke with family members on the phone- exchanging good wishes. (It was still early on Christmas morning for them.) Then we watched some more British mysteries on television before going to bed early.
Our English Christmas was a very different Christmas for us.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Trip to Belgium
On Sunday, Carl and I took the Eurostar train through the chunnel to Brussels, Belgium, where we spent a day before taking another train on to Bruges, an ancient and beautiful city closer to the sea in Belgium. In both cities, we stayed in the oldest sections, with the most beautiful buildings and the old town square and markets. We returned by train to London on Tuesday night, in time to be back here in London for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
We have never travelled before so close to Christmas, but we soon discovered it's a great time to visit cities - especially European cities where they also celebrate Christmas. The buildings are all decorated with lights, there are Christmas markets and street performers, and people are out shopping, visiting, and taking in the sights. There is generally a festive feeling everywhere.
Looking out the window as the train came into Brussels, I noticed narrow buildings with steeply pitched roofs all attached to one another. This architectural style was common throughout the city and countryside. Sometimes, in the country, a single house standing alone would have the same narrow shape - almost as if anticipating other houses would be added on in the future.
Another thing I noticed was that some houses had Santa climbing up the front of them. If you click on the photo above to enlarge it, you will see two Santas: one on the pink house third from the left and another on the brown house on the right.
Santa is easier to see in the photo below.
Chocolate is a big item in Belgium - and it is everywhere! When we checked into the hotel, there was chocolate on the counter, there for the taking. Chocolate was handed out by the restaurant with our coffee after dinner. Every block in the downtown areas of both cities had a minimum of two chocolate shops; often they would hand out free samples when you entered the store. (One store sold chocolate in the shape of two breasts - life size.)
I loved the chocolate! It was delicious!
Beer is the other product that Belgium boasts about. Our tour guide in Brussels showed us the restaurant (Delirium [Tremens] Cafe) that was in the Guinness book of records for having 2004 different types of beers for sale in the year 2004. Each beer type also has its own glass. Carl tried out a few different brands during our stay - and liked them all.
Lace was also a big item for sale everywhere - as well as tapestries. (I purchased a tapestry for us - to be hung in the bedroom of our flat for now.)
Finally, I must mention the Belgian waffles. We tasted them - and they were good -- but we concentrated most on the sumptuous pastries that were plentiful in both cities. (Don't go to Belgium if you're on a diet.)
We learned from our tour guide that Belgium was formed as a separate country only in 1830, after it broke away from the Dutch. Before then, though, the area had been occupied at one time or another by the French, Spanish, and Germans. In fact, today there are two separate areas in Belgium. Brussels is in one of them, where they speak French predominantly, and Bruges is in the other area, where they speak mostly Flemish. Most everyone speaks some amount of English.
When we were in Brussels, the prime minister of the country resigned, stating he did not want to have to deal with the current economic problems, and the country's King Albert was searching around for someone else to fill the position. It sounds as if the government of Belgium is a very loose association of different groups. The television news reporter stated that Belgians were getting used to living their lives with no government at all.
Brussels is the location of the head of the European Union, and the city is growing rapidly. We spent our time mostly in the old section, but on the tour, we saw there were many newer areas that seemed to be booming. (One area in Brussels with new high rise buildings is named Manhattan.)
The guide showed us the Atomium - the symbol developed for Brussels for the 1958 World Expo. It was recently restored so it will continue to be on display in the city. It represents the unit cell of an iron crystal. There is a restaurant on top.
The markets and squares in the older sections of both towns were fun to browse through. The small square shown below is what was visible from our hotel room in Brussels.
The Grand Place was filled with beautiful buildings -- most of them Guild Houses that have since been converted for other uses. According to the guide, the earliest people in Belgium were merchants and craftsmen, so the main square of Brussels is filled with large buildings dedicated to specific trades. This large square also had a manger and a tall Christmas tree in the middle, with special lights in the center that became part of a musical light show for the public every evening.
Below are daytime views of the ornately carved buildings ringing the center. (If you click on the pictures, they will enlarge and give you a better feeling for the square.)
In the center of the square, there was also a life-size manger display.
The photos below show what that same square looked like at night.
For someone who loves old beautiful buildings, the light show with these buildings as a background presents a breathtaking scene.
On other streets in Brussels, we saw street musicians.
I assumed this was an old-fashioned instrument -- similar to a guitar; I did not know its name.
Brussels even had a very nice shopping mall. ("The first indoor mall in Europe", according to our guide.)
Down the street from the mall was an area filled with restaurants. Many of them featured sea food. We had a delicious dinner at one restaurant recommended by the guide. The only thing I didn't like is how diners are squeezed into tables lined up side by side to one another. This is a very common practice at restaurants in Europe. I much prefer having more space and privacy that is offered by tables that stand alone and apart from others.
Each restaurant displayed their foods to tempt customers. These attractive displays were almost like works of art.
Brussels also had Christmas markets around town - with a skating rink, and with rides. That seems to be the tradition here. I like it. (I was trying to figure out how we could set up a skating rink and a small number of Christmas markets at home in Weston.)
These pictures are pretty - and they give you some idea of how it was - but they leave out a lot too. You don't smell the aroma of hot wine for sale, or of warm pastries and waffles being made. You also don't hear the music playing in the background, or the sound of people's voices. At times, you can hear people speaking English - with U.S. or U.K. accents - or French or German and sometimes Spanish. In Brussels, people mostly spoke French; in Bruges, they spoke mainly Flemish. You also don't hear the laughter of folks enjoying each other's company.
In the ancient city of Bruges, one of the sounds you hear is the clippity clop of horseshoes on cobblestones as the horse-drawn carriages take tourists around.
You also can hear the sound of the music coming from the organ grinder's box.
Bruges also has a skating rink in the old town center -- along with Christmas markets selling crafts and food.
The main square in Bruges has even more beautiful buildings....
...along with a clock tower that was featured in the movie "Bruges"...
.... and some good-looking guys.
At nightime, these buildings are lit up like a set in Disney World.
All over town, are more beautiful old buildings.
This restaurant in the day time......
..is all lit up for Christmas at night.
Below is a night view of a canal that was only a block from our hotel.
In the winter, it is hard to see differences in local plants and trees, but there was something I did notice about some trees in both Brussels and in Bruges. In some locations, the top branches of trees had been trained to follow lines from one tree to another in a row. My guess is that when they are in bloom, these trees form a hedge-like border along the tops of the trees. Interesting.
Carl and I chose Belgium because we decided to go on this trip at the last minute, and Belgium was a convenient location to reach by train. I knew nothing at all about the country. Having been there, though, I would now most definitely recommend it as an interesting place to visit. The architecture was outstanding. The Grand Place in Brussels was one of the most beautiful squares we've seen, and the entire city of Bruges was filled with old, interesting buildings. The food everywhere was excellent. There was a lot of seafood offered, cooked in delicious dishes-- and the desserts were wonderful.
I used to think that Belgium was more German than anything else, but I soon learned that is not true. There is a large French influence - which I suppose could account for the superior food. I did not miss the sausages and wursts that we found at the German Christmas markets. The other element, of course, is Flemish (from Flanders). I am still not sure about the relationship between them and the Dutch. Frankly, it is a little confusing. One thing I do know, though, is that they do not consider themselves to be German - or part German. Our tour guide spoke French, and said he originally came from France. When I asked him if Belgium was more a combination of French and German, he said, "Oh no, no, no! Don't ever say that Belgians are German. That will make them angry. They do not like that." Okay.
P.S. One of our favorite fictional sleuths is a Belgian -- Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot.
We have never travelled before so close to Christmas, but we soon discovered it's a great time to visit cities - especially European cities where they also celebrate Christmas. The buildings are all decorated with lights, there are Christmas markets and street performers, and people are out shopping, visiting, and taking in the sights. There is generally a festive feeling everywhere.
Looking out the window as the train came into Brussels, I noticed narrow buildings with steeply pitched roofs all attached to one another. This architectural style was common throughout the city and countryside. Sometimes, in the country, a single house standing alone would have the same narrow shape - almost as if anticipating other houses would be added on in the future.
Another thing I noticed was that some houses had Santa climbing up the front of them. If you click on the photo above to enlarge it, you will see two Santas: one on the pink house third from the left and another on the brown house on the right.
Santa is easier to see in the photo below.
Chocolate is a big item in Belgium - and it is everywhere! When we checked into the hotel, there was chocolate on the counter, there for the taking. Chocolate was handed out by the restaurant with our coffee after dinner. Every block in the downtown areas of both cities had a minimum of two chocolate shops; often they would hand out free samples when you entered the store. (One store sold chocolate in the shape of two breasts - life size.)
I loved the chocolate! It was delicious!
Beer is the other product that Belgium boasts about. Our tour guide in Brussels showed us the restaurant (Delirium [Tremens] Cafe) that was in the Guinness book of records for having 2004 different types of beers for sale in the year 2004. Each beer type also has its own glass. Carl tried out a few different brands during our stay - and liked them all.
Lace was also a big item for sale everywhere - as well as tapestries. (I purchased a tapestry for us - to be hung in the bedroom of our flat for now.)
Finally, I must mention the Belgian waffles. We tasted them - and they were good -- but we concentrated most on the sumptuous pastries that were plentiful in both cities. (Don't go to Belgium if you're on a diet.)
We learned from our tour guide that Belgium was formed as a separate country only in 1830, after it broke away from the Dutch. Before then, though, the area had been occupied at one time or another by the French, Spanish, and Germans. In fact, today there are two separate areas in Belgium. Brussels is in one of them, where they speak French predominantly, and Bruges is in the other area, where they speak mostly Flemish. Most everyone speaks some amount of English.
When we were in Brussels, the prime minister of the country resigned, stating he did not want to have to deal with the current economic problems, and the country's King Albert was searching around for someone else to fill the position. It sounds as if the government of Belgium is a very loose association of different groups. The television news reporter stated that Belgians were getting used to living their lives with no government at all.
Brussels is the location of the head of the European Union, and the city is growing rapidly. We spent our time mostly in the old section, but on the tour, we saw there were many newer areas that seemed to be booming. (One area in Brussels with new high rise buildings is named Manhattan.)
The guide showed us the Atomium - the symbol developed for Brussels for the 1958 World Expo. It was recently restored so it will continue to be on display in the city. It represents the unit cell of an iron crystal. There is a restaurant on top.
The markets and squares in the older sections of both towns were fun to browse through. The small square shown below is what was visible from our hotel room in Brussels.
The Grand Place was filled with beautiful buildings -- most of them Guild Houses that have since been converted for other uses. According to the guide, the earliest people in Belgium were merchants and craftsmen, so the main square of Brussels is filled with large buildings dedicated to specific trades. This large square also had a manger and a tall Christmas tree in the middle, with special lights in the center that became part of a musical light show for the public every evening.
Below are daytime views of the ornately carved buildings ringing the center. (If you click on the pictures, they will enlarge and give you a better feeling for the square.)
In the center of the square, there was also a life-size manger display.
The photos below show what that same square looked like at night.
For someone who loves old beautiful buildings, the light show with these buildings as a background presents a breathtaking scene.
On other streets in Brussels, we saw street musicians.
I assumed this was an old-fashioned instrument -- similar to a guitar; I did not know its name.
Brussels even had a very nice shopping mall. ("The first indoor mall in Europe", according to our guide.)
Down the street from the mall was an area filled with restaurants. Many of them featured sea food. We had a delicious dinner at one restaurant recommended by the guide. The only thing I didn't like is how diners are squeezed into tables lined up side by side to one another. This is a very common practice at restaurants in Europe. I much prefer having more space and privacy that is offered by tables that stand alone and apart from others.
Each restaurant displayed their foods to tempt customers. These attractive displays were almost like works of art.
Brussels also had Christmas markets around town - with a skating rink, and with rides. That seems to be the tradition here. I like it. (I was trying to figure out how we could set up a skating rink and a small number of Christmas markets at home in Weston.)
These pictures are pretty - and they give you some idea of how it was - but they leave out a lot too. You don't smell the aroma of hot wine for sale, or of warm pastries and waffles being made. You also don't hear the music playing in the background, or the sound of people's voices. At times, you can hear people speaking English - with U.S. or U.K. accents - or French or German and sometimes Spanish. In Brussels, people mostly spoke French; in Bruges, they spoke mainly Flemish. You also don't hear the laughter of folks enjoying each other's company.
In the ancient city of Bruges, one of the sounds you hear is the clippity clop of horseshoes on cobblestones as the horse-drawn carriages take tourists around.
You also can hear the sound of the music coming from the organ grinder's box.
Bruges also has a skating rink in the old town center -- along with Christmas markets selling crafts and food.
The main square in Bruges has even more beautiful buildings....
...along with a clock tower that was featured in the movie "Bruges"...
.... and some good-looking guys.
At nightime, these buildings are lit up like a set in Disney World.
All over town, are more beautiful old buildings.
This restaurant in the day time......
..is all lit up for Christmas at night.
Below is a night view of a canal that was only a block from our hotel.
In the winter, it is hard to see differences in local plants and trees, but there was something I did notice about some trees in both Brussels and in Bruges. In some locations, the top branches of trees had been trained to follow lines from one tree to another in a row. My guess is that when they are in bloom, these trees form a hedge-like border along the tops of the trees. Interesting.
Carl and I chose Belgium because we decided to go on this trip at the last minute, and Belgium was a convenient location to reach by train. I knew nothing at all about the country. Having been there, though, I would now most definitely recommend it as an interesting place to visit. The architecture was outstanding. The Grand Place in Brussels was one of the most beautiful squares we've seen, and the entire city of Bruges was filled with old, interesting buildings. The food everywhere was excellent. There was a lot of seafood offered, cooked in delicious dishes-- and the desserts were wonderful.
I used to think that Belgium was more German than anything else, but I soon learned that is not true. There is a large French influence - which I suppose could account for the superior food. I did not miss the sausages and wursts that we found at the German Christmas markets. The other element, of course, is Flemish (from Flanders). I am still not sure about the relationship between them and the Dutch. Frankly, it is a little confusing. One thing I do know, though, is that they do not consider themselves to be German - or part German. Our tour guide spoke French, and said he originally came from France. When I asked him if Belgium was more a combination of French and German, he said, "Oh no, no, no! Don't ever say that Belgians are German. That will make them angry. They do not like that." Okay.
P.S. One of our favorite fictional sleuths is a Belgian -- Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Holding the fork
A person could pick out the American in any restaurant here just by looking at how a fork is held after cutting meat with a knife.
Typically, a right-handed American, when cutting meat on the plate, will hold the meat in place with a backward-turned fork in the left hand and cut with the knife held in the right hand. After cutting the meat, the American would put the knife down and switch the fork back to the right had to continue eating.
The right-handed Briton would do this differently. After cutting, he would keep the piece of meat on the fork - still held backward - and would then put that meat directly into his mouth. There would be no shifting the fork back to the right hand. In fact, many Britons would use the knife in their right hand to slide on some more food to the fork along with the meat, like potatoes or other vegetables, then they would continue to eat the rest of the meal with the fork in the left hand turned backward.
One evening when we were dining out at a restaurant, I couldn't help but watch the man at the table next to us. Using his knife, he piled so much food on top of the meat on the backward fork - mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, that it required a special skill to get this very large pile of food into his mouth at one time. It was quite a feat, but he managed every time.
Typically, a right-handed American, when cutting meat on the plate, will hold the meat in place with a backward-turned fork in the left hand and cut with the knife held in the right hand. After cutting the meat, the American would put the knife down and switch the fork back to the right had to continue eating.
The right-handed Briton would do this differently. After cutting, he would keep the piece of meat on the fork - still held backward - and would then put that meat directly into his mouth. There would be no shifting the fork back to the right hand. In fact, many Britons would use the knife in their right hand to slide on some more food to the fork along with the meat, like potatoes or other vegetables, then they would continue to eat the rest of the meal with the fork in the left hand turned backward.
One evening when we were dining out at a restaurant, I couldn't help but watch the man at the table next to us. Using his knife, he piled so much food on top of the meat on the backward fork - mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, that it required a special skill to get this very large pile of food into his mouth at one time. It was quite a feat, but he managed every time.
Royal Albert Hall
On Saturday night, Carl and I went with our friends, Pete and Marcia, to the Royal Albert Hall for a Christmas Carol Sing-a-long. The Royal Albert Hall is a beautiful concert hall - and it was filled with the orchestra, a large choir, and an audience of merry-making folks in the holiday spirit. Some members of the audience wore Santa hats, others decorated themselves with Christmas tree lights. At various times throughout the evening, members of the audience sang the songs, clapped to the music, stood up and danced , and kept a 'wave' going on around the hall. We had a great time.
We were surprised to note that there were two or three songs that none of the four of us recognized; we had not heard them before. One of those songs we didn't know was introduced as the most popular Christmas song in England.
We were surprised to note that there were two or three songs that none of the four of us recognized; we had not heard them before. One of those songs we didn't know was introduced as the most popular Christmas song in England.
Leceister Square Christmas Fair
In London, Christmas is celebrated with ice skating rinks all over town - and with festivals or fairs as well. These are the same kind of fairs that I usually associate with summertime and the beach. There are rides of all kinds, including carousels, haunted houses, and bumper cars, and there are games to win prizes. Each of the stands is lit up, along with the decorated trees nearby, and there is music, topped off with crowds of celebrating people. It all adds up to a very festive atmosphere.
Last night, Carl and I went to Leceister Square to see a movie, and found another of these fairs right in the middle of the square. I took a few pictures, but it was with the smaller camera - so they did not turn out very well. Even though the photos are dark, you can get some idea of what it looked like.
The movie we saw was "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. It was a very entertaining movie; I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. On a ten-point scale, I would give it an 8.
Last night, Carl and I went to Leceister Square to see a movie, and found another of these fairs right in the middle of the square. I took a few pictures, but it was with the smaller camera - so they did not turn out very well. Even though the photos are dark, you can get some idea of what it looked like.
The movie we saw was "Taken" starring Liam Neeson. It was a very entertaining movie; I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. On a ten-point scale, I would give it an 8.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
New Westfield Shopping Mall
Today we visited the new Westfield Shopping Mall near the Shepherd's Bush tube stop. This is a very large, new mall that just opened its doors for the first time in November. I learned about it from a taxi driver who claimed that it was the largest mall in the country
(The name of this mall is the same as the Trumbull mall in Connecticut - so I am wondering if the same company was involved in developing both of them.)
The architectural design of the interior of this mall was stunning. I can't ever remember wanting to take pictures of a mall before. The photos below will show you exactly what I mean.
If you click on each picture, the picture will enlarge, and you will get more of a sense of how it felt to be in the mall.
This was the pathway leading into the mall -- all lit up for Christmas.
Once inside, we were struck by the beautiful lines and circles.
This is where the children went to see Santa Claus. It was called Santa's Wish Kingdom, and it looked as if it were made of icicles.
The mall contained most high-line brand name stores - and was obviously aiming at a special crowd. There were several restaurants on the ground level. On the upper levels there were smaller areas selling food and drinks. One concession was run by Marks & Spencer, offering delicious sandwiches, wraps, and desserts. In another area, there was a wine bar; and most of the stools were filled with shoppers sipping their wine. Dotted throughout the mall were seating areas with very comfortable chairs and sofas for those weary family members who preferred to wait outside the shop -- or for those shoppers who just wanted to sit and contemplate what to purchase next.
This is a place that deserves more exploration in future visits.
(The name of this mall is the same as the Trumbull mall in Connecticut - so I am wondering if the same company was involved in developing both of them.)
The architectural design of the interior of this mall was stunning. I can't ever remember wanting to take pictures of a mall before. The photos below will show you exactly what I mean.
If you click on each picture, the picture will enlarge, and you will get more of a sense of how it felt to be in the mall.
This was the pathway leading into the mall -- all lit up for Christmas.
Once inside, we were struck by the beautiful lines and circles.
These trees were lit for Christmas decorations - and the effect was beautiful. The ceiling was also very impressive.
This is where the children went to see Santa Claus. It was called Santa's Wish Kingdom, and it looked as if it were made of icicles.
The mall contained most high-line brand name stores - and was obviously aiming at a special crowd. There were several restaurants on the ground level. On the upper levels there were smaller areas selling food and drinks. One concession was run by Marks & Spencer, offering delicious sandwiches, wraps, and desserts. In another area, there was a wine bar; and most of the stools were filled with shoppers sipping their wine. Dotted throughout the mall were seating areas with very comfortable chairs and sofas for those weary family members who preferred to wait outside the shop -- or for those shoppers who just wanted to sit and contemplate what to purchase next.
This is a place that deserves more exploration in future visits.
More street views
The street views in London are always interesting and attractive - but they are even more so at this time of year.
During the day, Marcia and I visited Covent Garden. In one of the markets, there were interactive lights hanging that are designed to give the appearance of falling snow.
Covent Garden always has several street performers all year round. This one is posing as a headless man.
The photo below is of an interesting looking tea shop in the Covent Garden neighborhood.
Later in the evening, Carl and I walked by the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel - and saw how the entranceway was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
As we walked along, we could hear bagpipe music that got louder as we approached the doorway to this hotel. Apparently, the party inside had hired this musician to play for them.
During the day, Marcia and I visited Covent Garden. In one of the markets, there were interactive lights hanging that are designed to give the appearance of falling snow.
Covent Garden always has several street performers all year round. This one is posing as a headless man.
The photo below is of an interesting looking tea shop in the Covent Garden neighborhood.
Later in the evening, Carl and I walked by the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel - and saw how the entranceway was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
As we walked along, we could hear bagpipe music that got louder as we approached the doorway to this hotel. Apparently, the party inside had hired this musician to play for them.
