My view of London

[Tirilej]

As most of you know I went to London last week. It was my first visit ever.
A little scary but I must say I really enjoyed the short time I spent there.

My main reason was of course the CM meeting but since I had 2 whole days where I could see and go wherever I wanted to, I tried to do just that.

I'm not that good at taking pictures but I love doing it and thought I could share some with you here.
Now remember it's february so it was cold walking around all days outside.

I just did my first ever collage with pictures. I have over 250 so it will take some time to make them all look good enough to post, but I will if you want to see more.
Here are a few of them, and if you're nice I might even make a collage of the pictures from the Bash

 

[maxd]

Good pictures! More please.

 

[Casino2014man]

My favourite city in the world

I might be a bit biased being from the UK and all, but have spent long periods overseas (currently in the Netherlands) and nothing compares to it for me

 

[Tirilej]

I have been in a lot of places and they all have something that makes them special. They are all beautiful in their own way.

I can't say I take many normal tourist pictures when I'm out either. I love finding odd things or I rather walk in a park than in the streets.

I just wished that I have had more time for London. Maybe I'll go back this summer. Who knows

 

[KasinoKing]

My favourite city in the world

I might be a bit biased being from the UK and all, but have spent long periods overseas (currently in the Netherlands) and nothing compares to it for me

Not been to Vegas yet then?

I've lived in the UK all my life, but I don't think London is so great. It seems large parts of it are permanently a building site!
I don't like cities at all much, but I would rate Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Miami, in fact ALL American cities I've ever been to, Amsterdam, Dublin and Prague all as nicer than London.
Not so keen on Barcelona, Paris or any African cities I've been to.
The only good thing about London, is that being English born and bread I feel safe walking the streets or taking the tube there. Maybe that's a false sense of security, but I have it nonetheless.

KK

 

[jetset]

Nice pix, Tirilej!

I've visited London a lot over the years, and yet I still find plenty to interest me from a variety of perspectives - even in the chilly weather last week - but I have to agree with KK here in saying that there are other cities that are as appealing (Rome, Athens, Boston and San Francisco to name just four for me). My personal view is that London is a wonderful place to visit, but I don't think I would like to live there, despite its many attractions and impressive history.

@ KK - regarding Africa, have you ever visited Cape Town?

 

[Nightfly]

Haven't done much world travel since my younger days but London is definitely on my list of places to visit. Nice photos Tirilej

 

[maxd]

Funny thing about visiting places is that everytime you say to someone "Just back from Barcelona, loved it!" they'll say "You liked Barcelona? You should go to Madrid, way better!" Just examples but you get the idea.

I think the trick is to figure out who likes to do the kind of things you do and see what places they like. Still a work in progress for me.

Of course my problem is that I enjoy places most by actually living there as opposed to passing through for a few days. Hugely educational but tends to limit one's options.

 

[The Dude]

Thanks for sharing Sara - London is awesome.

Besides being seeped in history with something intriguing at every corner, it's the pubs that do it for me. I can never get enough of them (as Max could easily attest).

 

[KasinoKing]

@ KK - regarding Africa, have you ever visited Cape Town?

No - just Mombasa, Nairobi and Banjul.

If you invite me, I might come though!

KK

 

[dunover]

No - just Mombasa, Nairobi and Banjul.

If you invite me, I might come though!

KK

Been to Luxor, Aswan, Cairo, Durban and Jo'brg and Aswan is quite nice in Egypt, Durban I liked but the rest are khazis in my opinion. London is a bit of a pit ('Slumdon' I call it) away from the Centre and West End. I suppose a visitor only sees the nice touristy bits so have a different opinion. Anyway, be nice to Tirilej and we'll have more photos.....

 

[Tirilej]

Ok, now you will think I'm nuts. That's ok, but every picture has a story as you know

I was in Regent Park and this guy stood amongst some pigeons. Noone like those much but then there was this squirrel who was trying to get up on him. He didn't let him come up so he looked a little funny shaking his leg all the time. I couldn't understand why

It wasn't until I walked away and saw him from above that I noticed the squirrel he had on his arm.
It just looked so cute. Guys are real softies

Yes, I will post more normal later, or maybe not so normal...

 

[maxd]

... (as Max could easily attest).

True! We did empty a good number of glasses during our stay. Found some excellent Porters.

 

[cncas123]

True! We did empty a good number of glasses during our stay. Found some excellent Porters.

But surely everyone knows that you haven't really lived until you have had a pint of Guiness in Dublin???

 

[Tirilej]

But surely everyone knows that you haven't really lived until you have had a pint of Guiness in Dublin???

I've been to Dublin. Absolutely no Guiness for me, but I'm alive and kicking
It taste awful and I can't even call that beer

 

[jetset]

No - just Mombasa, Nairobi and Banjul.

If you invite me, I might come though!

KK

LOL - it's one helluva flight from the UK though - over 11 hours - but worth it to see one of the nicest spots on the continent.

 

[Simmo!]

Love Vegas, Luxor, Paris and Amsterdam but London has so much history. I never much enjoyed going there on business and it wasn't until I did the Open Top bus tour a few years back I realised just how much there is to see there. Along with Rome, it has to be right up there for history buffs.

 

[nisosbar]

Another fan here - used to go every other year or so, but haven't now for ages - I would really love to go back again - have friends there.

I love cities, and having come from a village background, there is NO way I'd consider living anywhere with fewer than a million people.

 

[maxd]

But surely everyone knows that you haven't really lived until you have had a pint of Guiness in Dublin???

That very trip is being discussed now. Hopefully sometime this year, other life events permitting.

 

[conker]

Nice meeting you in London Tirilej and I enjoyed looking over your pictures. For someone that has lived in or around London for so many years, it is very easy to forget all the great things you can do in this city.

 

[The Dude]

But surely everyone knows that you haven't really lived until you have had a pint of Guiness in Dublin???

From 30 May 2011's newsletter:
https://www.casinomeister.com/newsletters/

And of course - Guinness; what a magnificent beer. Three of us made it to the brewery before they closed, and had a couple up at the top of the Guinness tower - one of the highest structures in Dublin. The beer there was fantastic. The head was like liquid beer pudding - I never tasted anything so smoothingly beerlicious. The brewery is a "must see" if you like beer. Even the President mentioned that he liked it.

So I guess I can chalk one up on my bucket list.

 

[Tirilej]

A few almost normal boring pictures from Trafalgar square.
I can't say I like all pictures but it's fun to play around with the collage site I found

So anyone...why is he blue?

 

[Zabier]

Personally, I prefer pictures like the ones you take Tirilej. I always get tired of seeing my mates who post pictures of landmarks without them in... why? You could just see them on a postcard or online. However, you cannot recreate life happening in these places and it's great that you try to capture that when you visit these places.

I have fond memories of London. Have visited it quite a lot throughout my life. I saw Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat on New Year's Eve when I was younger, I watched Cardiff City play in an FA Cup Final there, and I did a big tour of the place with my school as well. I love its history, I love its sense of community at random times, and I love its variety.

I haven't visited too many big cities. My travelling has been restricted to Europe and the Canary Islands but I generally like visiting anywhere and London is no exception. You just need to know what you'll love doing at these places. London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Zurich, Paris are all cities that offer a lot if you look right but are dumps if you end up wandering around the wrong areas.

Glad you had a great time!

 

[Borgie]

A few almost normal boring pictures from Trafalgar square.
I can't say I like all pictures but it's fun to play around with the collage site I found

So anyone...why is he blue?

Not sure why he is blue unless its blue for a boy but you only just caught him. On 5th March 2015 he will be replaced, Gift Horse by artist Hans Haacke is unveiled. It is a skeleton of a horse, but not bright blue!!

 

[Tirilej]

Not sure why he is blue unless its blue for a boy but you only just caught him. On 5th March 2015 he will be replaced, Gift Horse by artist Hans Haacke is unveiled. It is a skeleton of a horse, but not bright blue!!

So that is a place for different artists to show their works, and are replaced after some time all year around?
I did think it looked a little ''wrong'' there, but now I understand

 

[jetset]

Google has a lot of stuff on this, including the following:

Hahn/Cock is a sculpture of a giant blue cockerel by the German artist Katharina Fritsch. It was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square on 25 July 2013 and is displayed on the vacant fourth plinth.

 

[Borgie]

Google has a lot of stuff on this, including the following:

Hahn/Cock is a sculpture of a giant blue cockerel by the German artist Katharina Fritsch. It was unveiled in London's Trafalgar Square on 25 July 2013 and is displayed on the vacant fourth plinth.

They stay for approx eighteen months then get replaced .

 

[Tirilej]

Here is a couple of more.

I'm running out of pictures now, but there is two that I'm sure can create a small discussion so I save them for last

 

[Tirilej]

Buckingham Palace. I had to see it of course. It was a lot of gold and it was dark, a little boring and very very closed.

The other is from my mobile phone so very small and blurry. I didn't know how to use that camera
I have no clue who these people are but they were fun

Oops, I forgot to fix those demon eyes

 

[KasinoKing]

Well the best looking person in those photos is definitely Karolina from Club World, and the worst is me!
Will be working hard over the next year to see if I can beat her next year. (Not very likely!)

KK

 

[secret2]

It's great to put a face with my fellow friends, here at CM!

Thanks to Sara and her handy cam!...."Hi", to you all! You are great looking bunch of rowdy CM'ers.

 

[Tirilej]

It's great to put a face with my fellow friends, here at CM!

Thanks to Sara and her handy cam!...."Hi", to you all! You are great looking bunch of rowdy CM'ers.

I have more pictures but I felt I had to let them keep some self respect

Also there was so many I was too busy talking to that I forgot to take their pictures.
If you who's not in there could take a selfie and post I would be so grateful

 

[Tirilej]

Look, here's a picture of me

 

[chayton]

Look, here's a picture of me

Next time you need to hang out with shorter people!

 

[KasinoKing]

You should have said "here's a picture of my hair" - otherwise people might think you're that tall bald guy!

KK