Category Archives: Europe Travel

Beyond London – Oxford, Stratford, Cotswolds, Warwick, Stonehenge

Jul

2013

by alec | 1 Comment

Christ Church is one of the largest colleges in Oxford. Several locations at Christ Church such as the staircase and the Hall were used for scenes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The Hall is at the centre of college life where the academic community congregates to dine every day and during special occasions.

The huge quadrangle called Tom Quad is named after the 6 ton bell, Great Tom.

Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. He wrote popular tragedies such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth.

Warwick Castle is a medieval castle originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068.

The castle was once the family home of the Earls of Warwick.

There are many rooms in the castle, some with mannequins like real people. These are dressed in costumes to show how people might have lived in the castle hundreds of years ago. Warwick Castle has a dungeon and one part of the castle is said to be haunted.

Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic Jurassic limestone quarried in many places in the Cotswold Hills in the south midlands of England. When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as ‘honey’ or ‘golden’. Many of the houses in Cotswold are made of these unique stone.

Stonehenge is a pre-historic monument in Wiltshire, England. Archeologists believe it was built anywhere between 3000 BC to 2000 BC. There are a number of theories about the mystery of Stonehenge. One theory is that the Stonehenge was used as a place of healing. Evidence supporting this is the number of burials found around the area and evidence of trauma deformity in some of the graves. Others speculate that it was used as a place for worship. Another theory is that the monument was intended to unify the different people of the British island. The massive amount of labor involved in the construction would have required inter-regional cooperation.

Tagged Christ Church, Cotswold Houses, Harry Potter, Oxford, Shakespeare's house, Stonehenge, Tom Quad, Warwick Castle, William Shakespeare |

London

Jun

2013

by alec | 0 Comments

While I just spent a few hours in London, I still managed to capture some of the city’s main attractions such as the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Big Ben and the Parliament, the London Eye, the Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Abbey Road and Harrod’s.

Tagged Abbey Road, Big Ben, Bond Street, Buckingham Palace, London, London Eye, London Taxi, Tower Bridge, Tower of London |

Paris

Jun

2013

by alec | 0 Comments

Paris, the capital of France, is situated on the river Seine. It is also known as the City of Light because it used to be the centre of education and ideas during the Age of Enlightenment, and later because of its adoption of street lighting. The river Seine is an attraction in itself as it has over 30 uniquely designed bridges and the main city attractions can also be viewed while cruising the river.

Many of Paris architectural buildings such as the Opera House, the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tour can be best viewed during the evening because of the excellent lighting.

Churches are the oldest intact buildings in the city. The Notre Dame Cathedral is a showcase of Gothic architecture while the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur is a combination of Romanesque and neo-Byzantine design. The Eiffel Tower remains an enduring symbol of Paris.

Another attraction in the city is Champs-Elysees, the main shopping street of Paris where popular brands like Louis Vuitton can be found.

The Chateau de Versailles or Versailles Palace is a wealthy suburb of Paris. Versailles is famous not only for its building and gardens but as a symbol of monarchy during the ancient regime. Its Hall of Mirrors is regarded as one of the most famous rooms in the world. It has 17 mirror clad arches that reflect the 17 arcade windows that overlook the gardens.