London - Starting at Zero

ZERO - Where Time Begins

Greenwich meantime - GMT.  Now be honest.  Where do you imagine this is located? And how do you think its location was determined; possibly some sophisticated, unique astronomical determinant? Well, as a long time boater, engineer and history buff, this question has been occupying Captain Steve into the wee hours.  Imagine our surprise to discover that a quick ride on the Thames fast ferry, exiting at the Greenwich Pier, walking up the hill to the Royal Observatory and you’re there!


Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) defines time for the world. Talk about drawing a definitive line, GMT is actually the orange line you see above. It’s the world’s prime meridian line, located at Longitude 0, 0’, 0” and Latitude 51, 28’, 38”. When the sun is at its highest exactly above the prime meridian, it’s 12 noon on the Shepherds Gate Clock, the name of the 24-clock showing GMT, which  is located at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, a borough of London England.

The  concept of GMT began in the 15th century to aid navigators in finding the “New World”. In 1675 the race to create accurate navigational maps was formally launched by King Charles II (pictured far left) when he gave land to the Royal Society for Britain’s first National Observatory; designed by the famous British architect Christopher Wren. The building and its dome are in place to this day. Over the next two centuries,  competitions ensued to make clocks more predictable and map makers began to set latitude. Finally on November 1,1884 GMT was universally adopted and the international date line, as well as a 24 hour time zone established. To put this into perspective, at that time there were over 300 local times in the United States alone. 

ONE - Iconic Sporting Event

There is only ONE Wimbledon, with its iconic purple, green and white colored logo.  The  first Wimbledon Championship was held in 1877 on a croquet lawn of the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club. In 1884 a woman’s championship was introduced.  Good thing, or we wouldn’t have been able to see Serena Williams play Giulia Gato-Montiocne on a very warm July 2nd.  That was after Rodger Federer played  Lloyd Harris on Central Court.  It was very thoughtful of Kate and  Carmella to save us seats in the Royal box! 

TWO - Teams Worth Worth Traveling For

So what prompted this trip to London you might ask. Have you heard of the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry, arguably the most combustible in baseball? Well, if your boys were flying across the ocean to play the first ever regular MLB season games in Europe against “the evil,empire”, what choice would you have but to follow along?

So there we were at London Stadium, in Stratford in northeast London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park at what was originally the 2012 track and field venue, now the home of the West Ham United Football Club - soccer to us Americans.  

 Nearly 60,000 fans packed both games, including Prince Harry with his American wife Meghan Markle,  now the Duchess of Sussex. There was fantastic pageantry with oversized country flags and dueling national anthems sung.  First pitches thrown, British little leaguers showed their stuff and the games commenced.  Take Me Out to the Ball Game was interspersed with God Bless America and, of course, Sweet Caroline for the Boston crowd.  Yankees ended up winning both games, but that didn’t deter cheers from Sox fans, who were disproportionality represented.  The sea of red would indicate that nearly half were Boston fans - which is amazing when you consider that Boston is a city of about 650 thousand and New York a city of over 8 million.  Goooo Sox!!!

THREE - Bridges out of 33

There are 33 London Bridges - here is three of our favorites from this trip. 

Millennium Bridge, which opened in June of 2,000. It’s a 1,000 foot long pedestrian footbridge that connects Christopher Wren’s iconic St Paul’s Cathedral with the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre - or The City of London with Bankside.  Londoners nicknamed it the Wobbly Bridge after experiencing a slight swaying at its initial opening.  It’s since been fixed and yes, there are other ways to get across the Thames, but a wander across the Millenium Bridge is so much more memorable!

The Tower Bridge was built in 1894 and is located near the Tower of London.  The bascule design is 801 feet long with a 230 foot span that can be raised up and down as high as 139 feet, allowing  ships to access the port facilities at the Pool of London, between London Bridge (that’s next) and the Tower of London. On average it opens twice daily. 

London Bridge did actually fall down, or was pulled down several times during its history.  The first was a wood structure built by the Romans. In Medieval times it was replaced by a stone bridge and then another stone arched bridge in the 19th century. The current concrete and steel version was opened to traffic in 1973.  

FOUR - Performances Worth Searching For

What would a visit to London be without taking in its live theatre? Tickets or free, it’s all there for the taking!

Charlie Chaplin has taken up residence at an outside space at Covent Garden.  We saw him in 2012 down near the Tate. Charlie’s only gotten better!   Tina is one of the best of its genre and currently one of London’s most popular theatre offerings. By the end, your absolutely guaranteed to be on your feet and singing!  The Lehman Trilogy is as much about the immigration story as it is the history of the rise - and fall - and rise - okay and the challenges  of capitalism. As fascinating as the story, is the simple set design and versatility of its three actors who play multiple characters without changing costumes.  Definitely one to see.  And then there’s the live music. 

London truly has something for all tastes and walllets. 

FIVE - Museums Worth a Wander

Museum shows can be a tepid in the summer, but not so in London. There  are a couple of annual summer shows that you absolutely won’t want to miss! And London Art Week keeps venues opened on Sundays, with opening parties and visiting artists at many of the galleries near St James.  

1. The National Portrait Gallery’s Portrait Award - showcases 44 diverse and exceptional work selected from 2,538 international entries done in a wide variety of mediums and considerd anonymously by the judges, is in its 30th year.  Catch it between mid June and October. And it’s free! The National Portrait Gallery has the most extensive portrait collection in the world, with 215,000 works, spanning the 16th century to the present day.

2. The National Gallery - Has an exceptional collection of Flemish and Dutch art among its 2,300 pieces that date from 1250 through  the 1900’s.  The collection has three of Johannes Vermeer's 35 paintings completed in the mid to late 1600’s, known for his simple composition  and ability to capture minute reflected light.

3. The Royal Academy of Arts also has an annual juried show of 1,500 pieces called The Summer Exhibition, Rooms are organized by themes set by the show curators. All of the pieces are for sale, so bring your checkbook.  Note the red dots on this perennial favorite Stolen Thunder (The Final) by a a Camelia Parker. There’s a story there.  

4. The National Maratime Museum is the world’s largest maritime museum. What stands out is the truly state-of- the-art interactive exhibitions that covers an exceptionally broad array of topics from new world to arctic explorations. Give it a try.  Truly.  We liked it so much, we became members so that we could go back for more.

5. Old Royal Naval Academy 

The building itself was designed by, you guessed it, Christopher Wren.  But you want to come here to see the Sistine Chapel of the United Kingdom. Measuring over 43,00 square feet, no picture can do this oil paint on plaster justice. Sir James Thornhill painted this ode celebrating the English Monarchy over a 19 year period beginning in 1705. The ceiling recently went through a 2-year renovation that cost nearly 11-million US Dollars and reopened in March of 2019. 

Bicycling in London? Did anyone see Steve?

As many of you know, over the last few years, the Kaufmans have taken up bicycle riding as part of their vacation adventures. Karen wondered why Regent Street appeared to be closed and then suddenly bike riders appeared to come from nowhere. 

Recently returned from a week of hard work at the Golden Door, it begs the question, where was Mr Steve? Can you pick him out of the crowd?

The real deal: 

The London naked bike ride is a chance for all London cyclists to get out on their bikes and prove to the world that the bike is a great alternative mode of transport for travelling in the city. Partially a demonstration against oil dependency and the need to protect the environment and also a celebration of the freedom of cycling and the human body, the London event is part of the World Naked Bike Ride, which sees thousands of naked cyclists riding all over the world.

This is year number two for the UK. The 2014 London naked bike ride will go down in history as the largest ever naked protest in Britain if the total number of naked cyclists exceeds the estimated 1,000 participants. Hey, Ripley's  is just around the corner from Regent St, so why not?! 

A country outing

Jane and Richard Ganes are dear British friends from Useppa. They have been so busy building a New England style home about 60 miles outside of London, that we missed seeing them in Florida. 

We met at Tunbridge Wells, a charming old spa town, where one came to take the waters. For us, it was for catching up and wonderful lunch. At less than an hours train ride from London, in west Kent, it acts as the main town for eating and shopping when one wants to avoid the hastle of the city. 

It may also be an option when Karen craves the Cotswolds and Steve has London in mind. We both reccomend it! 

London Recap

Many meals were shared with friends, giving us the chance to catch up. There was also a meal at Palomar, a newly opened Israeli chef owned boutique restaurant we learned about in Jerusalem. It's right in the theatre district and worth a visit.

And yes - there were other activities that didn't involve food. 

Theatre both high & low brow:

"The Book of Mormon" vs "1984". 

Guess who picked which one? Both were terrific. 

Retail therapy:

Liberty, besides having timeless fabrics, continues to be a highly curated shop, that never fails to delight. 

Fortnum & Masson - it's been years - but oh what a treat!

Museums:

There are so many to choose from, but summer means two special exhibits at the Royal Academy. The Student Show may ask more quations than it answers. The Summer Exhibition you could return to again and again. With pieces in every medium, and most for sale, there are bargains to be had and something for everyone. 

The Narional Portrait Gallery's exhibit, Great War Portraits, traced WWI from before Franz Ferdinand's 1914 assasination, through the post war era when people insisted on images that more accurately portrayed what they saw from their veterans. A most memorable exhibit!  

London without rain gear ? Really!

Summer visits to London run 50:50 weather wise.  Cold and rainy or gloiously warm and bright blue skies. Luck is on our side, as rain gear remains in our bags. 

Dukes, on St James, oozes townhouse charm and is within an easy walk to everything we've planned on the north shore of the Thames. The Royal Academy's annual Summer competition, a Liberty stop & maybe ear candling in Chinatown.

With the World Cup excitement, competing with the Queens birthday celebration weekend, traffic is at all but a standstill. At Tralfalgar Square, a giant blue rooster overlooks a wild Brazilian fete. The evening view of the Thames from Golden Jubilee bridge of the London Eye & Westminster is a reminder of how magical London can be.

Record breaking events galore!

Okay, I agree that we've posted a paucity of "wow" photos this trip. But, to give a little perspective, we're in venues with 100,000 - 10,000 people and a LOT of activity. To give you an idea, heres a run down on the Thursday night athletics. It was a bevy of record breaking events. The men and women are simultaneously competing in the decathlon and the individual events that make up the sport, while medal ceremonies are being conducted. Focusing is a real adult ADD challenge!

Not to mention that most of these Olympians are there breaking SPEED records..... You try catching Usaine Bolt's season best 200-meter run, handily winning another gold, with the two other Jamaican teammates taking silver and bronze! Nearly 100,000 of us stood and cheered.

Fastest man in the world? Bolt's charisma certainly gets him press, but Kenya's Rudisha set a new world record that same night for his 800-meter distance. Hey, I can barely run to the end of the block to catch the mailman, so what do I know about running speed?

While javelins were flying, US won the gold and silver men's decathlon medals, with Cuba winning bronze. As all the decathlon competitors took a congratulatory lap, the men's triple jumpers led us in stadium wide claps as they completed their event. US Christian Taylor won that event, with a world record jump distance, followed closely in points by a US silver.

The women were right there with them. Kenya won the 800 meter and the US just missed bronze. Javelins continued to fly, while the races continued. We stood no less than four times that night to sing the American anthem. I think we've finally agreed on all the words!

So, with so much going on, the option was to focus on the field, not the camera. The image here is the queen as interpreted in a jellybean mosaic (seriously) and some of the 2012 Olympic mascots that are making a hit with the younger set.

We're possibly setting a record for most events seen. Steve's superb logistics, fired by his London tube ap, has been faultless!

Jump so high - crouch so low

Twenty events in 8-days of Olympic viewing makes for a wide variety and allowed us to try a few new things along the way.

Basketball matches were closer than predicted. France beat Nigeria 78:73, when just a few days before the US swamped Nigeria 156:73. The crowd was definitely supporting the underdog. We also saw Great Britain sweat it out with China, while the crowd roared for both sides.

Greco Roman versus Freestyle wrestling differences still alludes us. The guys were easily the most emotional we saw, with heads buried in the mat at match's end. Women's freestyle wrestling is a whole other sport - amazingly strong at barely 100 pounds, much more aggressive and with no hesitation at the match's end.

We're grateful that wrestling wasn't WWF style, but doubt we're going to start following the circuit. Basketball on the other hand, was a different game and lots of fun - with some previous US players showing up on unexpected teams.

Net events

Our Olympic travel planner, Mr. SPK himself, has us zipping all over London for a wide variety events. Sports with nets was a recent theme.

Volleyball - pairs, teams, indoor and outside on the beach - we've seen it all! There were some absolute highlights.

Indoors - The US men's team was terrific. Japan women's went neck and neck for an overtime win over China.

Beach volleyball was held at the beautiful Horses Parade with the US pair facing Brazil. The rain held off until the first volley, then a mist turned into a drizzle and the rain gear came out. Everyone stayed. The energy was phenomenal! The US fans cheered, but the Brazilians were deafening. In the end of an incredibly close game, the US won. It was worth the drenching.

Table tennis - worldwide there is no other sport with more participants. 1.3 billion Chinese might be onto something! But you'll have to believe the judges because the ball moves so FAST you can barely see a thing.

Badminton - Is this the same sport we played in our backyards growing up? Fiercely competitive and countless shuttlecocks later a winner emerges.
Two of the best matches - China beats Korea in both singles and doubles. Do you think we could set up a net on Blue Chip?

Olympic friends and farewell

When we first arrived in London, Laurie and Ron Moss had us as their house guests in Notting Hill before we left for Scotland. Once we returned, we checked into a hotel, but joined back up with them for several events. We couldn't have asked for better hosts and had to include the photo of the four if us.

We also visited with Chris and John Incledon at their Weybridge home. Judith and Arthur Walsh shared a magnificent meal with us, as we reminisced about our time earlier this year in Myanmar.

Our Dutch friends were there to cheer on their country. We toasted Xander and Barbara's recent marriage before all leaving for an evening of record breaking athletics.

Kate Middleton joined us - and about 15,000 others - at the pommel horse. We waved, but alas, we had no time for tea. Maybe next time Kate.

Time with friends at the London Olympics will be remembered longer than any specific events. It's part of what made the time here so special. But now we're happy to be heading home to watch the closing celebration from Boston.

Rio? It's only 4 short years away!

Where do you actually go everyday?

The Olympic events are literally scattered in the city's far corners, with some venues much further afield. Many buildings were already here and retro fitted for these events, with the plan to remove the changes after the games are over. The result may be architecturally less astounding than Beijing, but the upside is simpler travel and much more access to amenities once you arrive.

This isn't to say the buildings are boring - far from it. Each is a combination of staid and quirky, like the Brits themselves.

The Olympic Park is host to eight buildings. Somewhat lackluster by day, the area becomes richly atmospheric as the sun goes down. The Aquatics Center's glass turns an elegant, tranquil gold in the evening, reflecting the River Lea that runs along its side. The nearby bubbled roof, belonging to the Water Polo Arena, has nighttime nautical inspired colored changing lights. The open roofed Olympic Stadium hosts athletics, track and field. Again, not much to speak of during the day, but a varied color light show in the evening.

The red "Orbit Tower" was designed by Anish Kapoor. Officially named the ArcelorMittal Orbit, it cost 29.8 million dollars, 25 million coming from Lakshmi Mittal, Britain's richest man. (Nice to have generously wealthy friends!) Standing 376 feet high, it's taller than the Statue of Liberty, but shorter than the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben. Traveling to the top observatory platform takes 34 seconds, although many people opt to wind their way along its internal circular path. Put together by 4 men without scaffolding, the 2 tons of steel, 63% of which is recycled, is covered in 5,019 gallons of red paint. The overall affect goes from whimsical by day to dramatic at night, when the color comes to life and seems to turn the surrounding sky a rich lavender blue. Although many of the Park buildings will come down, this one is a keeper!

The interior photo here is from the inside of O2 Arena in North Greenwich. Holding up to 20,000, this music venue, is one of the largest venues in Europe and the second largest in the UK. Olympic Gymnastics are here and the light shows between events are amazing! Afterwards, you can suit up and climb to the top of this domed stadium, then celebrate at one of the many restaurants below.

These are just a few of the Olympic venues. The varied shapes and colored lights are reminiscent of the creative architecture associate with buildings all along the Thames - setting the mood for fun. US cities take note!

Six Gold Medals

The most ever in a single day for Britain and what was accomplished on day 10 of the 2012 Olympics.

Of course we are extremely excited when the US wins, but what makes the Olympics so special is the enthusiastic cheers and standing ovations by everyone for all outstanding athletes and the excitement at an unexpected upset.

Trampoline was our first sport of the day. The US held on, but then it was Canada and Japan. The last competitor was the favored to win Japanese. She fell off the tramp to gasps from the crowd. Cheers then went up for what was surely two Canadian medals. Then a huge unexpected upset - Gold to a first time Canadian medal winner, with silver and bronze going to Japan, pushing out the 2008 Canadian medal winner. A hum of surprise and then huge cheers all around.

Simultaneously an off the radar event. The synchronized filming event as dozens of cameras move up and down to the movement of the gymnasts. Medal winners TBD.

Swimming in the evening ended that sport for the 2012 Olympic. The events were many, with several outstanding highlights. Women's relay resulted in a strong US gold with Australia and Japan medaling.

The Men's events held the show stoppers. The men's 1500 meter Chinese winner was nearly disqualified when he mistakenly dove into the pool before the start. Sun Yang set a new world record, winning by a full 8 seconds! His boyish excitement sent the entire stadium into non-ending cheers, something to long remember.

Men's relay was the long awaited event of the night. A close US win, included Michael Phelps in what is considered to be his last Olympic trial. A standing ovation from all countries at the win and while team US took their victory walk around the pool. A special Phelp's Olympic tribute followed.

How loud is the cheering? We could hear swells in our the aquatic hiuse from the track stadium on the other side of the red reporting tower - a good 5-7 minute walk. Records were being broken there. British gold was collected by Jessica Ennis for women's heptathlon. Mo Farah's for the 10,000 meter - the first Brit runner to ever win Gold. No wonder the stadium screamed itself hoarse.

What can we say. Win or loose, everyone goes home smiling and inspired.

Kaufman takes on Nessie

Scotland, as part of the UK, is also hosting a portion of the Olympics. We thought we'd escape here for a few bucolic days, returning to London closer to the event finals. Little did we know that Steve would be drafted into a highly secretive, much feared event - wrestling the Loch Ness monster.

Nessie, as she's known in these parts, has long eluded the efforts of scientists and thrill seekers. The Olympic committee thought, why not take this opportunity to leverage some of the worlds most competitive resources?

Using his prowess in process and his cunning insight into what drives behavior, Steve baited Nessie with chocolate ice cream. When she emerged, he pounced. Chalk up another gold for team US - if the SIS ever agrees to let the event go public.

You never know who you'll run into

When we were in Potmos earlier this month, we met this terrific Dutch family who travel at least as much as we do.

The de Meyere's were also planning to be at the Olympics. Phone numbers were exchanged, but original plans seemed doomed. Our phone rang as we passed into the Olympic Village. Among thousands, Carine and Viet were just a few yards behind us!

What are the chances? Olympic magic.

Olympics - Record smashing Day 1

The first day of Olympic competition did not disappoint.

We began with women's weightlifting - one of our favorites. Petite women weighing under 100lbs lift barbells, inching up from 154 to 193lbs in the Snatch and an astonishing 242lbs in the Clean and Jerk.

On to Fencing, which moves at lightning speed. Even with electronic touch scoring and replays in slow-mo, we can barely follow the scoring, but its dynamic, looks amazingly graceful and has long been on Karen's bucket list, so Steve sticks it out.

Swimming at the Olympic Village rounds out the day. The cheers are deafening!

Ryan Lochte (model material handsome) from the US, breaks the 400M medley record at 4:05:15, a full 3 seconds ahead of the other two medal winners. Mark Phelps looked crushed at not medaling. World records were also broken at women's 400 medley (China) and 4x100 meter relay (Australia).

Star power went beyond the Olympians. Kobe Bryant and family were close by for the swimming. Steve disappeared for a while and reemerged from where Michelle Obama, Bill Gates and Mitt Romney were sitting. He insists he was just getting ice cream. Hmmmm.

Olympia 2012 - the Opening

The "Isle of Wonder" opening theme, orchestrated by Danny Boyle of "Slumdog" fame, was indeed wonderful. Very definitely British. Who else could mix bucolic country scenes with the Sex Pistols and parachuting her Majesty in with 007 to save the day.

Miles of athletes paraded through, many encouraged by thundering cheers. Besides adding our voice for team US and the Aussies, the Kaufman's were there for some of our other faves - Bhutan, Fiji, Mongolia, Cambodia, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Cuba.

Stay tuned for more as the games continue!

Olympic Torch Relay

Staying with our London friends, it appeared that the towns people had left and those coming for the Olympics were yet to arrive. That was until 4-PM on Thursday. As if by magic, people appeared, lining the roads 6 deep, to cheer on the Olympic torch relay. Regular folk have been carrying the torch throughout the UK, as shown by the map in this picture.

The strange orange one eyed creature is reportedly the 2012 Olympic mascot.

See you all at the opening ceremony!