49 Search Results for ""tower bridge""

• London's Tower Bridge

  • From: ayc214
  • Description:

    An unusual view of Tower Bridge as it's going up.

  • 1 week ago
  • Views: 38

• City Gates in Potsdam, Germany

  • From: shadowzpast
  • Description:

    These charming towers make up the city gates in Potsdam, Germany.  I saw them at the edge of town and they indicated the end of the city limits.  Next to it was a small cafe as indicated by the umbrella and blackboard sign.  

  • 2 weeks ago
  • Views: 13
  • Not yet rated

• Tower Bridge

  • From: caitlincooper
  • Description:
  • 1 month ago
  • Views: 44
  • Not yet rated

• London Bridge

  • From: Xpressions
  • Description:

    Rich & Shellie at the Tower of London.  London Bridge in the background.

  • 1 month ago
  • Views: 71
  • Not yet rated

• Tower Bridge from London Tower

  • From: verdoonie
  • Description:
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 33
  • Not yet rated

• Tower Bridge 1

  • From: shattman
  • Description:
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 76
  • Not yet rated

• View from the London Eye

  • From: nlv4ever
  • Description:

    We saw so much of London in just 4 days before our cruise!  Our schedule-

    Sun- London- Arrival, check in our Camden Lock hotel, walk around Camden Lock, London Eye, dinner Azzurro
    
    Mon- London- Original London Tour- hop on/hop off bus, walk down Royal Mall, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey,dinner at Shaftesbury, saw Priscilla at Palace Theater

    Tue- London Tower, St Paul's, Walked across Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's  Globe, Thames River Cruise

    Wed- London-British Museum, Hyde Park,lunch at Hyde Park restaurant overlooking lake, Diana's Memorial fountain, Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Wimbledon, Harrod's, dinner at Zia

    Thu- London- breakfast transport to Southhampton, boarded the ship.
    

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 110

• London Eye

  • From: nlv4ever
  • Description:

    We saw so much of London in just 4 days before our cruise!  Our schedule-

    Sun- London- Arrival, check in our Camden Lock hotel, walk around Camden Lock, London Eye, dinner Azzurro
    
    Mon- London- Original London Tour- hop on/hop off bus, walk down Royal Mall, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey,dinner at Shaftesbury, saw Priscilla at Palace Theater

    Tue- London Tower, St Paul's, Walked across Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's  Globe, Thames River Cruise

    Wed- London-British Museum, Hyde Park,lunch at Hyde Park restaurant overlooking lake, Diana's Memorial fountain, Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Wimbledon, Harrod's, dinner at Zia

    Thu- London- breakfast transport to Southhampton, boarded the ship.
    

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 85
  • Not yet rated

• Camden Lock, England

  • From: nlv4ever
  • Description:

    We saw so much of London in just 4 days before our cruise!  Our schedule-

    Sun- London- Arrival, check in our Camden Lock hotel, walk around Camden Lock, London Eye, dinner Azzurro
    
    Mon- London- Original London Tour- hop on/hop off bus, walk down Royal Mall, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey,dinner at Shaftesbury, saw Priscilla at Palace Theater

    Tue- London Tower, St Paul's, Walked across Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's  Globe, Thames River Cruise

    Wed- London-British Museum, Hyde Park,lunch at Hyde Park restaurant overlooking lake, Diana's Memorial fountain, Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Wimbledon, Harrod's, dinner at Zia

    Thu- London- breakfast transport to Southhampton, boarded the ship.
    

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 80
  • Not yet rated

• Old and New London

  • From: nlv4ever
  • Description:

    We saw so much of London in just 4 days before our cruise!  Our schedule-

    Sun- London- Arrival, check in our Camden Lock hotel, walk around Camden Lock, London Eye, dinner Azzurro
    
    Mon- London- Original London Tour- hop on/hop off bus, walk down Royal Mall, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey,dinner at Shaftesbury, saw Priscilla at Palace Theater

    Tue- London Tower, St Paul's, Walked across Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's  Globe, Thames River Cruise

    Wed- London-British Museum, Hyde Park,lunch at Hyde Park restaurant overlooking lake, Diana's Memorial fountain, Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Wimbledon, Harrod's, dinner at Zia

    Thu- London- breakfast transport to Southhampton, boarded the ship.
    

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 69
  • Not yet rated

• Harrod's Food Court

  • From: nlv4ever
  • Description:

    We saw so much of London in just 4 days before our cruise!  Our schedule-

    Sun- London- Arrival, check in our Camden Lock hotel, walk around Camden Lock, London Eye, dinner Azzurro
    
    Mon- London- Original London Tour- hop on/hop off bus, walk down Royal Mall, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey,dinner at Shaftesbury, saw Priscilla at Palace Theater

    Tue- London Tower, St Paul's, Walked across Millenium Bridge, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's  Globe, Thames River Cruise

    Wed- London-British Museum, Hyde Park,lunch at Hyde Park restaurant overlooking lake, Diana's Memorial fountain, Prince Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, Wimbledon, Harrod's, dinner at Zia

    Thu- London- breakfast transport to Southhampton, boarded the ship.
    

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 146
  • Not yet rated

• Tower Bridge

  • From: epolaris6
  • Description:
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 73

• Tower Bridge

  • From: aeromanusa
  • Description:

    A trip around London

  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 43
  • Not yet rated

• Tower Bridge on a rainy day

  • From: normaf
  • Description:
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 25

• Tower Bridge

  • From: kenbakersr
  • Description:
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 18
  • Not yet rated

• Tower Bridge London, England

  • From: kriskelly49
  • Description:
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 57

• Tower Bridge

  • From: LTBergren
  • Description:

    What a gorgeous day to walk the loop from the Millenium Bridge, down past the Globe, to the Tower Bridge and across. Glorious!

  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 118

• paris

  • From: marinat
  • Description:
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 118
  • Not yet rated

• Oops Wrong Way...Let's Go To K

  • From: Buqo
  • Description:

    We left the Neboder Hotel in Rijeka about 9:00 am in our rented Skoda for a day trip to the Istrian peninsula.  Navigating the city in our first full day in Croatia was not as straight forward as we had thought, and we found ourselves heading east out of the city instead of west.  By the time we realized our mistake, we were already about 15 kilometers east of Rijeka.  Rather than turn around and retrace our route, I suggested that we see if we could get to the island of Krk, off the southwest coast of Hrvatska, as the Croatians call their nation.  I had read a little about the island during our trip planning, and since we weren’t on a rigid schedule, away we went!

     

    Our first stop was at Kraljevica, on the mainland of the Adriatic coast, for coffee and a stretch of the legs.  Like many Croatian port cities, Kraljevica is a blend of the old and the new, modern ships unloading their freight, a centrum complete with a castle, shopping, cafes, and everything you would expect in any city, but small enough to get around quickly, and with few tourists. 

     

    Between my limited Russian, a little pidgin Croatian I learned for the trip, and my wife’s passable Italian, no English was spoken at all during our visit because no one we met spoke any.  It was obvious that few Americans have ever taken the road down to the center of the city to the coffee shop at the end of the main street.  We hung at the central park for a while and visited the Kastel Zrinski before getting on the road.

     

    From Kraljevica we headed east to the Krk turnoff.  We weren’t sure if there was a ferry or not.  Turning south, we found a modern bridge as impressive as anything you will see on the interstate highway system in the United States.  After paying a modest toll, we drove through the rolling hills of the northern part of the island.  The two-lane highway was comparable or better than the rural highways in our home state of Nevada.  In about an hour, we were on the outskirts of Grad Krk. 

     

    Krk (pronounced just like the renowned starship captain) is a mecca for Italian tourists, but visited by few Americans.  Small kiosks sell grappa and souvenirs outside the walled city, sharing space with the Sunčani sat (a stone vertical sundial), and outdoor restaurants.  The large marina serves a fleet of small craft and yachts and is very picturesque.

     

    There are four entrances into the city.  We chose entry through the southwestern entrance, a small portal marked by a Roman plaque that is barely noticeable between the vendor stalls.  Inside, the city is a maze of narrow polished cobble-stone streets and adjoining buildings and homes all built with native rock and completed with painted plaster in most cases.

    
    

    

    Our first stop inside the city walls was the Kamplin, a large public square adjacent to the Frankopan Castle.  The oldest tower of the castle dates to the late 12^th century and construction was completed in the mid 13^th century.  Today the area is used for festivals, concerts, and outdoor theater.  A single art vendor, his cat, and a few strolling couples were the only inhabitants on this sunny autumn day.  A small gate on the north walls of the castle opens to a rock stairway down to the sea.  A great view of the harbor, the modern residential sections of the city, and the rocky coast were well worth a few minutes braving the brisk Adriatic winds.

    
    

    Most visitors enter Krk through the main entrance on the west which opens into the Vela placa, a public square where modern banks, restaurants, and shops give little indication of the rich history of the city.  The strange mix of old and new is perhaps most reflected by the ornate cistern which was built in 1557 but moved to its new location during restoration work in 1997. We had a memorable lunch of fresh anchovies at the Terasa café and tasted our first Karlovec beer (one of the Croatia’s leading brands).  We were not disappointed in either the fish or the brew.  Cats, which seem to be ubiquitous in the old town sections of Croatian cities, waited none too patiently for treats from the tourists whose language was strangely unfamiliar to them.

    
    

    One of the prominent features of the Vela placa is the Old City Hall Tower, a two-story structure completed in 1493.  The old arched entrance into the city now serves as the location of a modern coffee shop. 

    The tower includes a unique clock with a 24-hour face.  Originally, the clock only had one hand, probably because of the limits on the mechanical clockworks  A minute hand was added to the clock in the 1990s, when the old mechanical works were replaced with an electrical system.

     

    The skyline of Grad Krk is dominated by the domed bell tower of Krk Cathedral, built in the 11^th and 12^th centuries on the site of a 5^th century basilica.  The cathedral is part of a complex that includes the Romanesque Saint Quirinis and Saint Margaret churches. We also stopped at the Roman frescoe which was located in a small room next to an equally small bar.  We did not have to time to visit the many other city attractions such as the Benedictine Convent of St. Mary, the Stanic Gallery, and the Freedom Gate.  The weather was a little to cool and windy to take advantage of any of the city beaches.  After enjoying Grad Krk, we studied the road map and decided to take a circuitous route back to the mainland.  We had no idea where we are going or what we might find, but the map showed that we would eventually end up where we wanted to be and, figuring that we might never again be on the island of Krk, set off on our way.

     

    Ĉižići lies on the east of the island, across a small bay from its sister city of Solini.  The two towns are separated by a picturesque tidal flat where the locals come to bike, wade, sun, and relax.  A narrow man-made spit extends northward into the sea with a dramatic view of the mainland coast in the background.  We enjoyed a picnic snack and then headed for Rodine on the east side of Island Krk. Unfortunately, we arrived at Rodine too late to visit the Biserujka caverns (maybe next time).

    
    

    

    Along the way, we saw a shepherd slaughtering a sheep.  We stopped, and when he quizzically looked at me, I showed him my camera and asked “photograph?”  In perfect Italian, he simply shrugged his shoulders and went about his work.   I made a picture of his efforts as his sheepdog patiently waited for scraps.

     

    The northeast part or the island is harsh terrain with stunted vegetation and a landscape of boulders and rocks.  Unsuitable for cattle, sheep are the major agricultural commodity.  According to the Croats we spoke with, this part of the island was once forested but had been denuded of its timber to supply Venice with pilings to keep that Italian city above water.  Once the trees had been cleared out, erosion removed the native soils, leaving behind a stark landscape of rocks and boulders. 

    
    

    

    Not to be stopped, the Croatians of Krk lined the roads with rock walls more than a meter tall, constructed circular sheep corrals that are visible on Google Earth, and built every house and building, including new construction, with the native rocks loosely bound together with mortar and a few precious wooden lintels and roof beams.  Rocks and boulders everywhere, a dreamland for geologists.

     As dusk fell, we headed back west to the main highway and a journey to the mainland and Rijeka, reaching our hotel about ten hours since our departure.  While we did not have the opportunity to see the entire island, we were able to turn our wrong turn in the morning into a wonderful day trip that allowed us to experience and enjoy a special part of Croatia. 

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
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• 2009 Baltic Cruise Review

  • From: SingBill
  • Description:

    Scandanavia and Russia Cruise

    Aboard RCL Jewel of the Seas

    May 17 – 29, 2009

     

     

    Embarkation at Harwich Pier

    Since Harwich pier is about 2 hours from Heathrow Airport, we arranged for a private driver take us to the pier.  Some people may opt to take the train or metro but I must caution not to have more than 2 pieces of luggage.  Our private driver, Matthew, arrived promptly and we had wonderful conversation on the drive to the pier.  It’s always nice to talk with someone from the area who can explain how the “real” people live.

     

    RCL’s The Jewel of the Sea is a beautiful ship with a real feeling of light and space.   We had an interior cabin and it was nice, but I must say that a Baltic cruise necessitates a balcony cabin (or at the very least a window).  What better way to enjoy the wonderful scenery as you sell into port than relaxing on your private balcony.  Just think a scenic Alaska cruise multiplied by 3.

     

    Copenhagen, Denmark

    The ship docked within walking distance of the Little Mermaid statue. And yes it is little.  Home of fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, Copenhagen is chock full of attractions, including Strøget, Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping street. Don’t miss the dazzling display of the Danish crown jewels at Rosenborg Castle.  I particularly liked the bicycle clock in the town square.  Tivoli is an amusement park with a twist -- even the merry-go-rounds are special, using a fleet of Viking ships instead of the usual horses.  The Danes love this place and frequent it often.

     

    Copenhagen is considered the "fun" capital of Scandinavia and is also the most affordable.  We found the city full of charm, with all its canals, narrow streets, and old houses; very clean and easy to walk around without getting lost.

    
    Stockholm, Sweden

    At about 6:30 am we cruised the magnificent archipelago, which lines the coast and leads into the city of Stockholm, Sweden.  This is a sight to behold and worth waking up early to witness.  Sailing into Stockholm through the archipelago was smooth as glass and reminded us of Alaska's inside passage without the really tall mountains. Beautiful, expensive homes all along the coast and with the early sunrise we had great views

     

    The ship docked away from the town.  Rather than buy shuttle tickets, the Hop On Hop Off bus people pull right up to the ship. Shuttle bus was $12 per person round trip and the Hop On bus was $25 per person for the day.  If you want to plan ahead, you can also pre-purchase a Stockholm card which provides admission to the Vasa Museum, City Hall tour, Canal Boat Tour and the Museums of the Royal Palace.

     

    Most European countries have churches, but Stockholm has its city hall, which is where the Nobel peace prize is awarded.  Don’t miss the Vasa Museum, which houses a royal flagship raised from the harbor more than 300 years after she sank in 1628 on her maiden voyage.  This ship was commissioned 300 plus years ago by the King and was to be the grandest war ship of it time.  Unfortunately, bad engineered coupled with an arrogant king who refused to listen to the experts, the ship sank on its maiden voyage.  It was discovered INTACT and brought to the surface 320 years later.  It took 20 years just to prepare the ship for display after it was raised.  It is an amazing sight.

     

    Families were out enjoying the day all over the city since the day we arrived was a holiday.  And there were bicycles everywhere, as well as public bicycles you could use for free.  Just put in a coin, use the bike for as long as you want, return it and you get your money back.  Now that’s what I call a good deal.

     

    The Danes practice their own joie de vivre.  According to our guide, they are a bit unconventional but affable, have big hearts, party to get drunk, love saunas, and are tolerant of all lifestyles and persuasions.  She also admitted that  that there is al rebellious streak of independence in them.  She mentioned that their cartoonists even dare to depict Mohammed as a physical person, which would get them into trouble in less tolerant societies. But at the same time, they tell their King what to do and consider him as nothing more than a figure head to be used to promote Sweden to the rest of the work.  Kind of a contradiction to me.  And the whole tolerance thing I could not really understand.  Some may think this is good, but I could not help thinking.  If they tolerate everything, does this mean that they don’t stand for anything?  Just my thought.

     

    Helsinki, Finland

    The ship docked in a very industrial area.  You might not want to walk into town as it was rather far with no clear path. We caught the HOHO bus right at the pier for 24 Euros.  You can also pre-purchase a Helsinki card which provides public transportation, admission to the museums, and a bus tour. If you choose to see the city on your own, do take the shuttle bus into town.

     

    Our tour took us to the White Church, Olympic Stadium with views of the city from the tower, Sibelius Monument and again a traditional meal for lunch.  We found Helsinki to be a very cosmopolitan city.

     

    St Petersburg, Russia

    Our cruise included an overnight stay in St Petersburg and was the highlight of our trip.  Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, St. Petersburg is among the world’s most beautiful cities.

     

    Please note that even though you are on a cruise, you can not get off the ship in Russia without a visa or you are not part of a scheduled tour.  I would like to pause a moment to stress the benefit of having a private guide in this country.  For instance, at the Hermitage we went straight to the front of the line. Although the museum was extremely crowded, several times we would walk into a room and have it to ourselves.  We also in the room alone to hear a wonderful men’s group sing and the acoustics were great.  I felt bad that I left my purse in the bus and was not able to give them a tip.

     

    St. Petersburg Day 1  -

    It was not a problem getting off the ship for our private tour.  Outside, we found the SBP Tours (Demurs and Red October guides were all there too) and our guide and driver.  Tim, our guide, is a professor of Russian Literature at the St. Petersburg State University and very intelligent with excellent English skills and a lot of knowledge regarding the history of St. Petersburg and details about the royal families, the architecture and the buildings and interiors.

     

    We wanted to experience “local life” so our tour included a ride on the subway metro station, hydrofoil, and canal ride.  The escalator to the subway descended several hundred feet and the station was beautiful. No pictures allowed. It was rush hour and we had been asked to leave our belongings and passport in the car with the driver. The people on the subway didn't look very happy and didn't smile or make eye contact with us or even with each other.  This began to make me a little uncomfortable so I made eye contact with a woman on the subway and smiled.  After a brief hesitation, she smiled back and other smiled also. We rode two stops and ascended to meet our driver. The stations are elaborate and clean.

     

    Once back in the van I asked Tim if there was prejudice or racial inequality in Russia.  He explained that although the rest of the world thinks capitalism is a good thing, after years of communist rule, it is very hard for many Russian people to adapt.  This helped me to understand the unhappy faces and my perception of coldness on the part of the people in the street.

     

    From there we drove to Catherine's Palace. At all stops, our tour operator pre-purchased our tickets and said the magic words "SBP Tours" to get us past any lengthy lines. The palace was under renovation in some areas, which is understandable when you see the size of the palace. Next we drove to Peterhof town, to visit Fountain Park. Don't miss it. Thousands of tulips were in bloom and there were fountains, ponds, statues and people everywhere. We had lunch at a small restaurant that only locals visit.  We had pancakes, but not the ones we are used to.  I thought they would be like crepes but they were much heartier.  Mine had chicken and mushroom.  Yummy.  Next stop was Yusopov's Palace and then return to the ship.

     

    Day 2 – The next day we met SBP Tours on the pier at 9:00 am and took excursions to St. Peter and Paul Fortress, the Hermitage, Church on the Blood and St. Isaac's Cathedral. Each and every stop was breathtakingly beautiful and ornate. We stopped at a local souvenir shop that had the best deals of our trip.  Just wish I had more money and more time. 

     

    Again we had lunch at a place where only the locals go.  I know this to be true because there was not a tourist in site and I did not hear English spoken.  This time I had hot borscht (made with beet root as its main ingredient which gives it a strong red color, and rabbit pie.  It was delicious and loved it.

     

    Tim was knowledgeable about the history of the families (all the Peters and Catherines and Alexanders began running together that I wishied we had a diagram of a family tree). The Hermitage is so large we were told it would take 8 hours a day for 8 years to see all the exhibits. Original masterpieces by Gauguin, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Matisse, and many, many others. Fabulous rooms with magnificent chandeliers, painted ceilings, gold, mosaics, malachite and lapis vases and tapestries everywhere!

     

    The city is full of unbelievably beautiful buildings and artifacts, and the history is complicated and sometimes tragic with invasions by the Swedes and Germans, wars, murders within royal families and other political assassinations. We can't even imagine how much time and money were spent to restore St. Petersburg after the Germans occupied the palaces and bombed them on their way out.

     

    Tallinn, Estonia

    Tallinn is a beautiful medieval city.  We took the HoHo bus for a tour of the city.  After Bill went back to the ship, I just wandered the cobble stone streets and took copious pictures. No set itinerary, just wandered in and out of churches etc; munching on roasted almonds distributed in the city square by girls in authentic dress, enjoyed the parks and old city walls.  Finland is only 53 miles across the Baltic so this is probably a great weekend getaway for people in the surrounding countries.

     

    Oslo, Norway

    We sailed into Oslo early, passing beautiful hillside and coastal homes and the vegetation is beautiful and green. The Jewel docked downtown across the street from Akershus Castle, situated on a cliff just above us. It looks more like a fortress than a castle, and has beautiful grounds and cannons pointing to the harbor.

     

    We purchased tickets for the local trolley at the local currency exchange booth right on the pier.  It was only a short walk to the train stop and we were on our way to Vigeland Sculpture Park. 

     

    The Vigeland Park is the largest sculpture park made by one single artist in the world.  The park is separated into 7 sections – The Main Gate, Bridge, Children’s Playground, The Fountain, the Monolith Plateau, The Monolith, and the Wheel of Life.  The park houses more than 300 intricately carved sculptures signifying human life on Earth. Very green and graceful and the artwork was fascinating.

     

    We saw lots of families out and about so decided to leave the park and walk through the surrounding neighborhoods.  The first thing we saw was the Greek embassy and walked upon a family preparing for a party in a church converted into a restaurant.  Lots of families pushing baby strollers. A word of caution - Food is very expensive in Oslo. We saw Pepsi for $5.00 and a simple salad for $30.   Therefore we came back to the ship and had lunch in the Windjammer.

     

    Overall Impressions

    We loved this itinerary and thought the ports were scenic, clean and the people friendly. Biggest surprise of all was Tallinn, which we'd expected to be a bit grim but was quite pretty and interesting. The sail into Stockholm was well worth getting up at 6am to see.
    
    The weather in May was wonderful.  We had light rain in St. Petersburg and most of the dreary weather was during sea days.  We have found that late May or early June are great times to visit that region. The weather is warm and the water is calm. The number of tourists is high, but not overwhelming.   I would high recommend this cruise.

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
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