Trafalger Square, London

Trafalger Square is the quintessential place to go play with the pigeons in London. Oh, by the way, the ice cream there is pretty good (just don't ask what's in it!).

Here's the wikipedia article and here's their webcam.

When were were there in 2003, it was rainy (surprise!).

City Hall, London

London's City Hall is interesting to say the least. It's right on the Thames across from the Tower of London. Here's the wikipedia article and here's their web site. Here's a BBC page that has a panoramic view of City Hall. It loads real slow but it's worth it. Just let it pan around and you'll see the Tower across the Thames and Tower Bridge.

This is my photo of City Hall. Notice the black helicopter flying above it. I never did figure out what it was up to.

Tower Bridge, London

The Tower Bridge is one of the icons of London. Here's the wikipedia article and here's their web site.

Here's my photo of the Tower Bridge. I'll bet you didn't know it was a draw bridge. Here's another photo of mine taken at night. You can walk across the elevated walkways and we did that the first time we were in London.

Here's a 360 panorama from the BBC. Let it pan around and you'll see City Hall.

Banbury Cross, UK

During our trip to Europe in 1991, one of my "musts" was to see the Banbury Cross. Their web site has a good picture of it here. Here's the wikipedia article and here's their webcam. Here's my photo of the cross.

I guess my fascination with Banbury comes from the nursery rhyme:

Ride A Cock Horse To Banbury Cross
To See a Fine Lady Upon a White Horse
With Rings on Her Fingers And Bells on Her Toes
She shall have Music Wherever She Goes.

I'll let you do your own reading on the history of the cross.

The Royal Mews, London

The Royal Mews is just behind Buckingham Palace. This is where the Royal horses and carriages are kept. Here's the wikipedia page and here's their web site.

When we walked past here in 2003, there were Army regulars stationed on the nearby street corners with M16s and they wouldn't let you linger.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the home to the Queen. Here's the wikipedia page and here's their web site.

I've never seen the Changing of the Guard here.

Big Ben

Big Ben is actually the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliment but everybody calls the clock "Big Ben." Here's the wikipedia page and here's their webcam. Here's a picture that I took from the London Eye and here's one I took closer up.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is really the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster. The images are here and here. It has been a religious site since 616. The first time we were there the Scottish scone was still under the throne. In 1996 it was returned to Scotland. Here's the wikipedia page and here's their web site.

Here's my picture of some stained glass.

London Eye

The London Eye is a huge ferris wheel (443 feet high) on the Thames just across from Parliment. I like the shadow on Windows Local Live but Google Maps shows the wheel better.

Here's a picture of Charring Cross Station that I took from the Eye. Notice Tower 42 in the distance behind it. Here's Big Ben.

Here's the wikipedia page and here's their web site. Here's their webcam.

Victoria Station, London

On our first visit to London in 1991, we arrived at Victoria Station via train from Gatwick. We took a black cab to Eaton House at 125 Ebury Street just a few blocks away. It is said that Mozart composed his first symphony here. I'm not sure about that.

I remember that when the black cab arrived at Eaton House, the owner was waiting outside. As the 5 of us piled out of the cab with our huge suitcases, he asked if it was our first visit to Europe. We replied that it was but how did he know. He said that he could tell by the size of our suitcases!

Globe Theatre, London

I know it's only a reproduction but the new Globe Theatre is still a must on your walk down the South side of the Thames. With this zoom level, you can see the audience at a performance.

Here's their web site.

This is a really interesting part of town. The Tate Modern is just to the West and the Millennium Bridge crosses the Thames slightly to the West. I seem to recall that there are a few pubs nearby also.

White Cliffs of Dover

The famed White Cliffs of Dover really are white. In 1991, we took the SeaCat from Dover to France. As soon at you get out of the docks you can look back and see the white cliffs. Here's Windows Live Local's Bird's eye view. Here's the wikipedia article.

Be sure and pan slightly to the southwest to see the docks for the channel ferries. Here's my picture taken off the back of the SeaCat.

Here's one of the channel ferries in the open sea.

Sacre Coeur, Paris

The Basilica of the Sacre Coeur is overlooking Paris from the highest point in the city. Here's the wikipedia article and here's the wikipedia map. You'll see from the wikipedia map that there are a number of other areas of interest in the immediate vicinity including Place du tertre where you can always find artists.

Statue of Liberty, Paris

In the middle of the Seine in Paris is a 1/3 scale model of the Statue of Liberty. You see this as you cruise the Seine on the Bateaux Mouche. Here's the wikipedia article on replicas of the Statue of Liberty.

Eiffel Tower, Paris

We've been to the Eiffel Tower twice. Here's the wikipedia article and here's their webcam.

We always walk across the bridge near the Eiffel Tower, ride the carousel, eat ice cream, and take pictures from here.

Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Napoleon built the Arc de Triomphe. Here's the wikipedia article. We walked to it down the Champs-Élysées.

Oh, when you get there, you don't really have to run through the traffic to get to it. There's a tunnel underneath.

Bateaux Mouche, Paris

When in Paris, we always ride the Bateaux Mouche just at sunset, not the dinner cruise. After sunset, they use bright floodlights to illuminate the scenery.

Here's the wikipedia article.

Here's one of the boats cruising the Seine.


This picture is so good, you feel like you should wave at the people on the bateaux mouche!

Cleopatra's Needles

Cleopatra's Needles are a trio of obelisks in London, Paris, and New York City. I haven't seen the one in New Your City yet. Here's the wikipedia article explaining it all.

 

Jardin des Tuileries Ferris Wheel, Paris

While in Paris in 1991, we rode this ferris wheel in the Jardin des Tuileries. Well, actually I didn't. I read tour books while the rest of our party rode. I walked over to the booths nearby and had the best Belgian waffles I've ever had - Parisian "junk food!"

Louvre Museum, Paris

The Louvre Museum in Paris is one of the largest, oldest, most famous art galleries and museums in the world. Here's the wikipedia article. Here's their website.

Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

Sainte-Chapelle is a small chapel in Paris' Palais de Justice just down the way from Notre Dame Cathederal. The stained glass windows there are without equal. Here's the wikipedia article.

Look at the line in the picture!

Notre Dame Cathederal, Paris

Notre Dame Cathederal in Paris. Not really much needs to be said. Just zoom in one more click and look at those flying buttresses. If you must, here's the wikipedia article and here's their webcam.

Basilica Notre Dame, Montreal

Basilica Notre Dame in Montreal. Here's the wikipedia article. On its completion in 1830, the church was the largest in North America.

Ile Notre Dame, Montreal

Ile Notre Dame in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal is the home of the Canadian Grand Prix. Zoom in a couple of more clicks and you can clearly make out the track.

Ile Aux Coudres

Ile Aux Coudres is in the Saint Lawrence River across from Bais St. Paul. You can see from the Google Maps image that you have to take a ferry to get to it. Here's their web site but it's in French.


From the wikipedia article on L'Isle-aux-Coudres, a town on the island:

The island was first colonized in 1728. It was named in 1535 by Jacques Cartier for the many nut-bearing trees on the island. "Coudriers" is a French word meaning "nut tree".

The sky is a different blue out this far on the St. Lawrence, reminescent of the color in New Zealand.

Pugwash, Nova Scotia

On the return trip from PEI to Halifax, we drove down the Sunrise Trail and stopped in Pugwash, population 810. Here's their web site. If you ever make it by there, stop in Seagull Pewter.

Charlottetown, PEI

We went to Prince Edward Island in 2004 and stayed in Charlottetown at the Hillhurst Inn. The red coloration isn't a problem with the imagery. The dirt there is red. Here's a webcam on the wharf.

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

We visited Peggy's Cove in 2004. It's a short drive from Halifax. Peggy's Cove is where SwissAir 111 went down in 1999. Here's my picture from there.

Confederation Bridge

The Confederation Bridge is between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. According to wikipedia, it is over 8 miles long and up to 200 feet above the water. Before the bridge was completed in 1997, the only way to and from PEI was by ferry.

Halifax Citadel

Similar to Quebec City, Halifax has a star-shaped citadel. The Public Gardens are just to the southwest (you can see the red gazebo). Here's where my pictures of the gardens start.

Quebec Citadelle

There's a huge citadel at the end of Terrasse Dufferin in Quebec City. wikipedia has several articles on it and here's one of them. Here's my picture of one of the members of the Royal 22nd Regiment stationed there.

Chateau Frontenac

In Quebec City, there is a magnificent hotel - Chateau Frontenac. The Google Maps image doesn't begin to do it justice so here's my photo of it. Here's their web site. It's too expensive for me to stay there. The closest I can come in buying ice cream in the lobby.

Montmorency Falls, Quebec

Just outside of Quebec City is Montmorency Falls. The first time we went, we went to the observation point below the falls and got drenched. The next time, we went up to the top and walked across the bridge. There was a standing rainbow from the spray. Both times, we ate lunch in the park's restaurant at the top of the falls. Here's their web site. wikipedia says the falls are almost 100 ft. higher than Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls

I've been to Niagara Falls a couple of times. The most impressive was in the winter when the river was frozen. I was kinda disappointed in Google Maps and Windows Live Local. I thought they could have had much better images of the falls. Here's Windows Live Local's bird's eye view.

Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, NZ

My friend from Auckland led us down from Auckland to Rotorua to see the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. It's a geothermal site with mud pools, steam vents, and a geyser! Here's their web site. My pictures are here. Here's a preview.

Tirua and the sheepdog were on the way.

Roman Amphitheatre, Vienne, France

We went to a jazz concert in the Roman amphitheatre in Vienne, France. It is HUGE seating over 13,000. Think how old this place is! Not even wikipedia has much on it. All I remember was that it was hot and so was the beer.

Hampton Court Maze

On our trip to Europe in 1991, we visited Hampton Court and put the kids in the maze. It took them about 45 minutes to get through it! Here's what wikipedia says about it.

When we were there, I wondered if this was the maze in one of the old Laurel and Hardy shows. Turns out that it isn't. That was shot in the maze of the gardens of the Blenheim Palace. I haven't been there.

Sheepdog in Tirua, New Zealand

We drove from Auckland down to Rotorua. Mid-way is a litte town called Tirua. There's what we would call a country store there that is shaped like a sheepdog!

Customs House, Auckland

I was in Auckland in 2000. The waterfront is beautiful. I took a picture of the old Customs House.

I found this on answers.com:

Former Custom House, 1888. Thomas Mahoney architect, 22 Custom St. This handsome building displays the mansard roofs typical of the French Second Empire Style. Prior to the construction of the Town hall in 1911 several departments of the Auckland City Council were located here. In 1909 an addition was built to the south [now demolished]. The Custom House has been recently renovated for retail use.

High Wycombe Roundabouts

In the early 1990s, I was in England for the first time. I got brave and rented a car. I found myself in High Wycombe and encountered this series of roundabouts. There are 5 roundabouts in this exchange. Almost 15 years later, I still have nightmares about it.

Tower of London

We went to the Tower of London in 1991. After taking the obligatory tour during the day, we returned that night to the Ceremony of the Keys - scary stuff. Here's my picture of one of the ravens. Notice the Tower Bridge in the background.

Zoom all the way in and you can count the people in the yard.

Tower of Pisa

In 1991, we went to the Tower of Pisa in the Campo dei Miracoli (field of Miracles). Here's their web site and here's the wikipedia article.

There are two other structures (the cathederal and the baptistry) in this area and they all lean to varying extents.

Tower 42, London

While we were in London in 2003, we had hors d'ourves at Vertigo 42 on top of Tower 42, the tallest building in the City of London. Their web site is here and the wikipedia article is here. It was originally the NatWest Tower and was bombed by the IRA in 1993, after which NatWest vacated it.

Space Needle, Seattle

Here's the Space Needle in Seattle. While I haven't eaten dinner here, I did go to a reception at the top. Here's what wikipedia says about it. Being in Seattle, you knew Microsoft Local Live would have a good bird's eye view.


View Larger Map

Sky Tower, Auckland

On my trip to New Zealand in 2000, we ate dinner one night at the top of the Sky Tower. According to wikipedia, it is the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Here's my picture.

CN Tower, Toronto

Here's the CN Tower on the riverfront in Toronto. wikipedia says it is the world's tallest freestanding structure on land. We ate dinner in the revolving restaurant at the top. Rogers Centre with the retractable roof is next door.

The Grove, Ole Miss

Here's the Grove at Ole Miss. Too bad it wasn't taken on a game day!

Old South Wharf, Nantucket

In 2005, we stayed at the Cottages at the Boat Basin on Old South Wharf in Nantucket. Windows Live Local has an awesome birdseye view of it here. Pictures of our cottage start here.

Tintern Abbey

We went to Tintern Abbey while we were in Wales in 2003. The wikipedia article is here and a quick Google search is here. My pictures of it start here.