Hyde Park

After more than 4 weeks with no rain Hyde Park looks like any Sydney suburban park in mid summer without water - brown and dry.

Hower there are stil many people and activities including a Playground for Seniors see pictures below. I did try one piece of equipment. Not as interesting or brightly coloured as playgrounds for junmiors.

Serpentine Cafe being build for the 10 year as a summer cafe.


playground for seniors,

More - The Streets of London

Michelin Building and tiles on wall.



Oysters and Champagne



Brick Lane

Hereford

After Banbury I visited Julie and Stuart for the weekend. The hectic schedule of events was more than I could fit in but I had a lovely breakfast in their garden(picture below), bought sandals with Julie, visited the College and met her colleagues and learnt about her project.

We then went to see Bobby Crush - whom all in England know of from many years ago, and had a fun time at a Liberace show. He finished with Julie's request of Delilah.
Sunday we visited work friends of Julie for great lunch and watched the football where England went out of World Cup.

Banbury and surrounds

Emma, Harry and I visited Veronica in her house swap in Hook Norton, 7 miles from Banbury. A lovely house especially for babies with a huge array of little things at baby reaching level.

We visited a local organic farm and food producer and Boughton Castle which had a moat and beautiful English walled garden.

Picutes of, Banbury Cross, us in the garden of the Hook Norton house and pictures of the garden of Boughton Castle. A place where they met during the Civil War.

Streets of London

People and mostly police outside Harrods waiting before the first day of the sale.




A garden of plants from South Africa in front of the British Museum where I had just seen the rest of the Acropolis.







There are lots of decorated elephants around London, a whole row in Green Park as a fund raiser for protection of elephants.

Walking from baby swimming to the bus stop we went through a cemetery and passed the graves of R Cromwall, Daniel Defoe, John Bunyon and William Blake.

Australia vs Germany

We did our bit at a barbecue held in German friends' house for the football match between Australia and Germany.

Fortuinately we left at half time as Harry had to got to bed.

Palazzo Pfanner

While in Lucca I visited the Palazzo Pfanner built in 17the century but occupied until mid 20th century. It has been used as a set infilms such as Jane Campion's Portrait of a Lady.
Pictures are of the garden and the kitchen and the stove.

Leaving Lucca for Zurich

I am leaving Lucca this morning for Zurich. Lucca has been great, not so many tourists, lovely food and I met some friendly other travellers.

Lucca

Pictures - from top (I hope)

• Cedar of Lebanon - over 150 years old.
• Hostel and inside bed room,
• Tower with tree growing on top and view from the top of Lucca
• Statue of Puccini - who was born in Lucca
• Ribbon door to show baby boy had been born
• Pizza place and pizza
• Roof top gardens
• Postman
• Deli
• Market
• Roman antitheatre - now shops.

Lucca is wonderful. I am staying in a hostel, which was a centuries old convent.

Yesterday I;

• Walked and walked, often round in circles, as nothing to orientate oneself with with tall buildings and narrow streets




• Climbed 250 steps of a tower - view worth it and there were two trees planted on top of the tower




• Ate octopus and prawn salad and bread in Napolian Square


• Visited a 15th century villa - furnishing, decorations most over powering


• Went to a concert of opera solos in a discused church. Puccini was born here.


• Had lovely dinner of regional food in another square

Today I have ridden a bicycle around the wall.

Getting to Lucca

I left Rome on train now that the tour was ended. Cloaked luggage in Florence and set off to see the sites having first got a copy of train timetable to Lucca. - trains on the hour so aimed to be on 4.38 train.
First went in wrong direction, corrected this and then a thunder storm - umbrella and raincoat in luggage in railway cloakroom. Finally circumed and bought umbrella for 4 euros - approx $6
from one of many street sellers. Elderly ladies sheltering in church porch most amused and waited to see if umbrella would actually open. It did.
Waited in queue to see Cathederal and as we approached the door a very well dressed northern European couple moved in front of me. Noting my displeasure they said they had already been in the queue - toally untrue but a reply came to me an hour later.
Arrived back at station, with umbrella with a broken spoke, but keeping off the rain I reclaimed luggage and then asked when next train to Lucca as 4.38 not on indicator baord. Reply 5.38 despite info on timetable.

Sat in waitng room with others including a woman who had been very badly beaten up. Police were talking to her and first aid arrived. Then she threw up so all evicted from waiting room while ambulance arrived and cleaners. NO other seats in whole of stations and toilets a long walk and difficult with all luggage.

Finally caught train at 5.38 which stopped at many stations sometimes for 10 minutes but at one station at 6.30 church bells were heard playing The Bells of St Marys.

Arrived at Lucca at 7.30, got taxi to hostel where as I am one they put down price to 120 euros for 3 nights - huge room with domed ceiling, garden view, bathroom etc, in historical building.
Then had fantastic pizza across the road where I wished I had practised my italian as numbers were called, wine was in plastic cups and we scrapped up our own plates. I have pictures.

Rome

Place said t be where Julius Ceasar's body was placed on funeral pyre.

House in which Keats died near Spanish Steps.

Fastfood outlet in Pompeii