Journey to the United Kingdom and France
karlabbott
Registered Users Posts: 401 Major grins
My most recent travels took my wife and I to the United Kingdom and France. This particular trip had been long anticipated, so there had been plenty of time for planning. When we travel, we like to travel light and we try to skip the more touristy of attractions. Case in point, after spending two days in Paris, we still had not gone up the Eiffel Tower. We visited the Eiffel Tower, and observed the multitude of pickpocket networks which operate beneath the tower, but it was rainy and the lines were too long for our liking. Two days in Paris is simply not long enough.
We flew into London and then took the train to St. Pancras International, which is part of the impressive King's Cross/St. Pancras station.
#1:
We took the train into Paris and had a difficult time getting food that didn't require a reservation. That is one of those little details we missed in planning. Getting into a foreign city and being hungry is certainly not the best of ways to start things off, but we made the best of the situation. Besides, who can really complain when your hosts have left fresh Laduree macarons in your room?
The next day was a day to be out and about in the city. We only had two days in Paris, so we had to make the most of it.
Paris is definitely a city of cafes, and the emptiness of this one caught my attention:
#2:
Our path from the second arrondissement took us to Les Halles, which used to be the main food market in Paris, but has now been converted into a shopping area. The rod iron structures of the old market still stand and allow for some interesting patterns, like this one that I call "Escher in Les Halles":
#3:
From there, it was a quick walk down to the Seine. Even though the light wasn't the best at the time we arrived, it was still a nice site:
#4:
Once you cross into Ile de la Cite, you are in the heart of Paris. Here, you will find sites like Sainte Chapelle and the Notre Dame. I had read prior to visiting Paris that a general walk around lens is usually fine for Paris, unless you want to photograph the gargoyles on the Notre Dame, at which point you need a telephoto. That's definitely the case! Set to 135mm, here are the gargoyles from my 70-200:
#5:
At 200mm, and with a little more sense of place (as I was further from the Notre Dame than in the image above):
#6:
The lines to get into the Notre Dame are long and so we decided to skip going in and headed to lunch instead.
It was at this point that I decided we should walk to lunch as it didn't look that far on the map. 1.5 hours later proved me wrong though. So long walk to lunch, classic European long lunch that consisted of amazingly good food, and there went the afternoon. That evening, we took a bike tour. The rain was coming down pretty heavily during this tour and the guides were not committed to letting us have a lot of time at our stops. This led to not being able to take any good photographs that night.
The next day, being the last full one that we had in Paris before heading back to London, became one of doing all the things we really wanted to do. First on that list was visiting Sainte Chapelle. The following pictures are my favorites from our visit:
#7:
#8:
#9:
#10:
#11:
We then actually went inside the Notre Dame only to discover that video screens blocked the view of the high altar from the back of the church. Not only was there a screen blocking the view of the high altar, but there were screens everywhere. Moving off to the side though provided an excellent opportunity to photograph the prayer candles:
#12:
We spent the rest of the day touring around the city visiting chocolate shops and candy shops. We then went on to Gallerie Vivienne, a beautiful shopping area in an old building, and I took this picture:
#13:
and this one:
#14:
On the bike tour the prior night, we biked through the Louvre plaza. I knew that I wanted to return there for some night time photography. We started looking for dinner after visiting Gallerie Vivienne and the few places we wanted to go were closed for the evening. It started to rain. Rain started pouring harder and harder and so we ducked into the nearest cafe that we could find. By the time we finished, the rain was pouring even harder and now it was time to head to the Louvre. Knowing that this was our last night in Paris, we knew that we had to make it if I were to have the opportunity to photograph this plaza at night. I have to hand it to my wife -- she's a good sport to journey there in the pouring rain for the sake of my photography. As it was raining, this one is aptly named "Two Couples in the Rain":
#15:
Here are the more recognizable pyramids:
#16:
Unfortunately the fountains weren't running, but the plaza was still very beautiful. By the time we were done, the rain had let up. We journeyed back to our flat to end the night so that we could travel back to London the next morning.
After two days of adventuring around Paris, we took our first few days in London at a slower pace. I didn't take any photos on either of these days, but that was resolved with a trip to Bath.
We booked our tickets a few days early to ensure that we could lock in the Advance rate as that rate was significantly less than the regular off-peak travel rate.
When we got to Bath, it was cloudy with a bit of a sprinkle. We bought a map and started to head for town. We popped in to a local greasy spoon and then made it to the plaza just outside of the Bath Abbey:
#17:
The Bath Abbey itself is very beautiful inside. It was a lively place with a number of people visiting for the day and a number of school children on a day trip.
#18:
#19:
I really like stained glass windows that tell a story, and Bath was an excellent place for those:
#20:
Next on our trip was a visit to the Roman Baths. If there is one thing that you are supposed to do when you go to Bath, it's visit the Roman Baths. The Roman Baths had tons of people visiting that day, and since tripods are not allowed, taking photographs without people in them presented a bit of a challenge. At the end of the day, patience pays off and you get a few seconds where there are not people obstructing your view.
If I had taken this picture five seconds later, there probably would have been 4 or 5 people in the shot:
#21:
There were a few statues at the Baths that were interesting and much easier to photograph with people around, such as this one:
#22:
After we finished at the Baths, we decided to take a walk around the town. Bath is a very walkable place with a lot of beautiful areas:
#23:
#24:
We went to lunch at a gastropub named the King William that is outside of the tourist area. The food was excellent. After lunch, we decided to walk up the street to a park. The walk up was quite steep, and here is the view from the top of the street:
#25:
When we got to the park, it started to rain heavily and so we spent some time waiting that out in a gazebo. We then ventured out towards the Crescent and spent some time popping in and out of the shoppes in that area. When the sun went down, we headed back towards the Crescent. I did not have a lens wide enough to capture a full view of the Crescent from where I stood, nor did I have the patience in the rain to do a panoramic shot. Instead, I focused on a row of houses and took the following, "A Man Walks Home":
#26:
Bath is definitely a tourist town. We headed back to town for dinner, only to find most everyone gone and most shoppes and restaurants closed. Thankfully, the local pub was still open.
The next few days found us back in London. I actually had my fears of taking pictures in London, due to increased tensions between photographers and police at sites that have been deemed "Section 44" sites. Granted, nobody knows which sites are "Section 44", but you can bet a lot of sites in London have that designation. That said, I did pull the camera out a few times and even set up a tripod to capture these night photos of the Parliament (it was indeed raining again):
#27:
#28:
Of the photos that I took while just walking around London, I am especially fond of this one, taken in the Victoria Tower Gardens:
#29:
On the last day of the trip, we visited St. Paul's Cathedral. At St. Paul's, there is an observation deck at the top of the dome that allows you sweeping views of London. The climb is completed in 3 sets of steps. The first set of steps takes you to the whispering gallery inside, and the second set of steps takes you to the lower viewing area outside. This is when I should have switched to my 70-200 instead of my 18-55, but I had no idea of what to expect. The next set of steps required waiting in line, and they would only let 20-30 people go at a time. The steps were one way, narrow, and winding at times. When you are almost at the top, there is an open spot in the floor that lets you see all the way down to the center of the Cathedral. It is definitely a bit of a rush to climb all the way to the top, but the view is very much worth it:
#30:
#31:
#32:
We both thoroughly enjoyed our trip and hope to return someday sooner rather than later. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post and looking at my photos.
We flew into London and then took the train to St. Pancras International, which is part of the impressive King's Cross/St. Pancras station.
#1:
We took the train into Paris and had a difficult time getting food that didn't require a reservation. That is one of those little details we missed in planning. Getting into a foreign city and being hungry is certainly not the best of ways to start things off, but we made the best of the situation. Besides, who can really complain when your hosts have left fresh Laduree macarons in your room?
The next day was a day to be out and about in the city. We only had two days in Paris, so we had to make the most of it.
Paris is definitely a city of cafes, and the emptiness of this one caught my attention:
#2:
Our path from the second arrondissement took us to Les Halles, which used to be the main food market in Paris, but has now been converted into a shopping area. The rod iron structures of the old market still stand and allow for some interesting patterns, like this one that I call "Escher in Les Halles":
#3:
From there, it was a quick walk down to the Seine. Even though the light wasn't the best at the time we arrived, it was still a nice site:
#4:
Once you cross into Ile de la Cite, you are in the heart of Paris. Here, you will find sites like Sainte Chapelle and the Notre Dame. I had read prior to visiting Paris that a general walk around lens is usually fine for Paris, unless you want to photograph the gargoyles on the Notre Dame, at which point you need a telephoto. That's definitely the case! Set to 135mm, here are the gargoyles from my 70-200:
#5:
At 200mm, and with a little more sense of place (as I was further from the Notre Dame than in the image above):
#6:
The lines to get into the Notre Dame are long and so we decided to skip going in and headed to lunch instead.
It was at this point that I decided we should walk to lunch as it didn't look that far on the map. 1.5 hours later proved me wrong though. So long walk to lunch, classic European long lunch that consisted of amazingly good food, and there went the afternoon. That evening, we took a bike tour. The rain was coming down pretty heavily during this tour and the guides were not committed to letting us have a lot of time at our stops. This led to not being able to take any good photographs that night.
The next day, being the last full one that we had in Paris before heading back to London, became one of doing all the things we really wanted to do. First on that list was visiting Sainte Chapelle. The following pictures are my favorites from our visit:
#7:
#8:
#9:
#10:
#11:
We then actually went inside the Notre Dame only to discover that video screens blocked the view of the high altar from the back of the church. Not only was there a screen blocking the view of the high altar, but there were screens everywhere. Moving off to the side though provided an excellent opportunity to photograph the prayer candles:
#12:
We spent the rest of the day touring around the city visiting chocolate shops and candy shops. We then went on to Gallerie Vivienne, a beautiful shopping area in an old building, and I took this picture:
#13:
and this one:
#14:
On the bike tour the prior night, we biked through the Louvre plaza. I knew that I wanted to return there for some night time photography. We started looking for dinner after visiting Gallerie Vivienne and the few places we wanted to go were closed for the evening. It started to rain. Rain started pouring harder and harder and so we ducked into the nearest cafe that we could find. By the time we finished, the rain was pouring even harder and now it was time to head to the Louvre. Knowing that this was our last night in Paris, we knew that we had to make it if I were to have the opportunity to photograph this plaza at night. I have to hand it to my wife -- she's a good sport to journey there in the pouring rain for the sake of my photography. As it was raining, this one is aptly named "Two Couples in the Rain":
#15:
Here are the more recognizable pyramids:
#16:
Unfortunately the fountains weren't running, but the plaza was still very beautiful. By the time we were done, the rain had let up. We journeyed back to our flat to end the night so that we could travel back to London the next morning.
After two days of adventuring around Paris, we took our first few days in London at a slower pace. I didn't take any photos on either of these days, but that was resolved with a trip to Bath.
We booked our tickets a few days early to ensure that we could lock in the Advance rate as that rate was significantly less than the regular off-peak travel rate.
When we got to Bath, it was cloudy with a bit of a sprinkle. We bought a map and started to head for town. We popped in to a local greasy spoon and then made it to the plaza just outside of the Bath Abbey:
#17:
The Bath Abbey itself is very beautiful inside. It was a lively place with a number of people visiting for the day and a number of school children on a day trip.
#18:
#19:
I really like stained glass windows that tell a story, and Bath was an excellent place for those:
#20:
Next on our trip was a visit to the Roman Baths. If there is one thing that you are supposed to do when you go to Bath, it's visit the Roman Baths. The Roman Baths had tons of people visiting that day, and since tripods are not allowed, taking photographs without people in them presented a bit of a challenge. At the end of the day, patience pays off and you get a few seconds where there are not people obstructing your view.
If I had taken this picture five seconds later, there probably would have been 4 or 5 people in the shot:
#21:
There were a few statues at the Baths that were interesting and much easier to photograph with people around, such as this one:
#22:
After we finished at the Baths, we decided to take a walk around the town. Bath is a very walkable place with a lot of beautiful areas:
#23:
#24:
We went to lunch at a gastropub named the King William that is outside of the tourist area. The food was excellent. After lunch, we decided to walk up the street to a park. The walk up was quite steep, and here is the view from the top of the street:
#25:
When we got to the park, it started to rain heavily and so we spent some time waiting that out in a gazebo. We then ventured out towards the Crescent and spent some time popping in and out of the shoppes in that area. When the sun went down, we headed back towards the Crescent. I did not have a lens wide enough to capture a full view of the Crescent from where I stood, nor did I have the patience in the rain to do a panoramic shot. Instead, I focused on a row of houses and took the following, "A Man Walks Home":
#26:
Bath is definitely a tourist town. We headed back to town for dinner, only to find most everyone gone and most shoppes and restaurants closed. Thankfully, the local pub was still open.
The next few days found us back in London. I actually had my fears of taking pictures in London, due to increased tensions between photographers and police at sites that have been deemed "Section 44" sites. Granted, nobody knows which sites are "Section 44", but you can bet a lot of sites in London have that designation. That said, I did pull the camera out a few times and even set up a tripod to capture these night photos of the Parliament (it was indeed raining again):
#27:
#28:
Of the photos that I took while just walking around London, I am especially fond of this one, taken in the Victoria Tower Gardens:
#29:
On the last day of the trip, we visited St. Paul's Cathedral. At St. Paul's, there is an observation deck at the top of the dome that allows you sweeping views of London. The climb is completed in 3 sets of steps. The first set of steps takes you to the whispering gallery inside, and the second set of steps takes you to the lower viewing area outside. This is when I should have switched to my 70-200 instead of my 18-55, but I had no idea of what to expect. The next set of steps required waiting in line, and they would only let 20-30 people go at a time. The steps were one way, narrow, and winding at times. When you are almost at the top, there is an open spot in the floor that lets you see all the way down to the center of the Cathedral. It is definitely a bit of a rush to climb all the way to the top, but the view is very much worth it:
#30:
#31:
#32:
We both thoroughly enjoyed our trip and hope to return someday sooner rather than later. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post and looking at my photos.
0
Comments
A quick two day visit seems like something you'd be able to do now and again with some ease too--what a great way to see the place
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http://www.kabbottphoto.com/
http://blog.kabbottphoto.com/
Twitter: @kabbottphoto
I'm heading to London and Paris next month (Volcano permitting) and enjoyed your photos and got some ideas. Thanks for posting.
Karen
www.cpagility.smugmug.com
www.dogagility.net
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Fillmore, California USA
It's also funny to see people flocking here, while I'm trying to get out
They're all great, this one caught my eye. thanks.
Karl
http://www.kabbottphoto.com/
http://blog.kabbottphoto.com/
Twitter: @kabbottphoto
Karl, thanks for the tour! Your commentary really added to the story of your trip. What I didn't catch any reference to is where home is? How long a trip was it to get there?
Jane B.
Indeed -- the numbers do get tricky after a while.
The trip started with a 9 hour flight from the central east coast of the US. We then took the tube from Heathrow all the way to King's Cross/St. Pancras (approx. a 1 hour ride with all of our stuff in tow) and that's where the journey begins!
Cheers,
Karl
http://www.kabbottphoto.com/
http://blog.kabbottphoto.com/
Twitter: @kabbottphoto