We had a fine trip to London; except for a 3 1/2 hour lay over in JFK. It was so nice to find the Ace Hotel (a hostil really) and to get our suitcases in and settled. Gatwick is a 1/2 hour train ride into Victoria Station and then 5 tube stops away. The Ace Hotel is inbetween the West Kensington Station and the Barons Court Station. Our room is SMALL if that even covers it; two bunk beds, two SMALL lockeres divided in half and a small bathroom. The room is clean, quiet, safe and has comfortable mattresses.
We walked around quite a bit and were so happy to call it a day.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Stratford-upon-Avon
Situated in the heart of the Englsih midlands. Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town dating back to medieval times. Stratford as locals call it is most famous for being the birth and death place of William Shakespeare. The main tourist attractions are associated with William Shakespeare and his family. There is much adu about theatre in this town!
William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616. He is regarded as the greatest writer of the English lanuage. He wrote approximately 38 plays and 154 sonnets as well as a variety of poems.
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway and they bore three children, Susanna, and twins Hammet and Judith.
Shakespeare's gravestone bears the words:
Good frend for Jesus skae forebeare,
to digg the dust encloased heare,
Bleaste be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And curst be he yt moves my bones.
Paris Opera House
Originally named the Academie Nationae deusique - Theatre de l'Opera a.k.a. Theatre de l'Opera, Opera de Paris and Opera Garnier (after its architect.) Palais Garnier, yet another reference to the Paris Opera House opened in 1875 as a 2,000 seat opera house. A great reconstructoin of Paris led by Napoleon III, gave way to the land and to the competition for the design for thei building. Charles Garnier won the job and construction started in 1862. There were 171 entries for the competition. Construction lasted for 14 years.
The Paris Opera house is an ornate building which is oprulently decorated. The auditorium's central chandelier weighs over six tons. The land is swampy and there is an underground lake under the building.
Notes of interest:
-- The buliding was given electrical power in 1969
-- Gaston lerouz's famous novel The Phantom of the Opera used teh oper house and its subterranean lake for its story
-- The new motion picture Marie Atoinette (2006) uses teh Palais Garner for the scene of teh masked ball even though the buildign did not exist when Marie Antoinette lived
-- It is used in the film Anastasia where they see the ballet perform Cinderalla
The Paris Opera house is an ornate building which is oprulently decorated. The auditorium's central chandelier weighs over six tons. The land is swampy and there is an underground lake under the building.
Notes of interest:
-- The buliding was given electrical power in 1969
-- Gaston lerouz's famous novel The Phantom of the Opera used teh oper house and its subterranean lake for its story
-- The new motion picture Marie Atoinette (2006) uses teh Palais Garner for the scene of teh masked ball even though the buildign did not exist when Marie Antoinette lived
-- It is used in the film Anastasia where they see the ballet perform Cinderalla
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
