New York day 4: Both Sides of Brooklyn Bridge

Once I had finished my tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, I took the free Downtown Connection from Battery Park to Wall Street.

Wall Street

Click on the photos for enlargements
 
Looking down Wall Street (with Trinity Church visible at the end) and the foot of the Trump Building

Wall Street runs through the heart of the Financial District in Lower Manhattan.  I expected more flash and evidence of the grinding wheels of capitalism but Wall Street is a rather ordinary looking street.

On the other hand, The New York Stock Exchange is anything but ordinary looking.  Majestic was the word that came to mind!

The New York Stock Exchange

This was such a big, grand building and I just couldn’t manage to fit the whole building in the frame!  I loved the detail on the building and would have loved to have gone inside but apparently they don’t allow members of the public anymore.

The Federal Hall National Memorial

Across the road from the New York Stock Exchange is the Federal Hall National Memorial.  The Federal Hall was the first Capitol of the USA and the Bill of Rights was passed there.  It is free to get into the Memorial and they are open weekdays from 9am to 5pm.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realise the significance of the building at the time and didn’t go inside.  I will have to go back there one day!

South Street Seaport

From Wall Street, I took a walk up to the historic South Street Seaport District.  This is the most exquisite and old area where the streets have cobblestones and the area has been around since the 17th century.  Some of the restored buildings are from the 18th and 19th century!

South Street Seaport

You can visit the South Street Seaport Museum for $10 and it looks really worth it but I was a little wet (see the rain in the photo above) and a little hungry so I got on the subway and went to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn

The Brooklyn US Post Office in Cadman Plaza

My immediate impression of Brooklyn is that there is a lot more open space and room to move than Manhattan.  Manhattan is exhilarating and exciting but I imagine a lot of people might prefer the space in Brooklyn.

 
Cadman Plaza Park and the Brooklyn War Memorial

The inscription on the Brooklyn War Memorial reads:

This memorial is dedicated
to the heroic men and women of the Borough of Brooklyn
who fought for liberty in the Second World War 1941-1945
and especially those who suffered and died.
May their sacrifice inspire future generations
and lead to universal peace.

Eventually, I found my way to Grimaldi's Pizzeria under the Brooklyn Bridge where you can find the best pizza on Earth in New York according to Zagat.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria under the Brooklyn Bridge

I had an anchovy, capers and black olive pizza.  A word to the wise, the pizzas are huge, you can’t ask for slices and they are moderately pricey so I would absolutely recommend going to the pizzeria in a group so that you can share.  They don’t accept credit cards either so make sure you have cash.  But yes, the pizza that was Frank Sinatra’s favourite was indeed absolutely amazing and the homeless man I gave my leftovers to called me an angel from heaven when I told him it was Grimaldi’s pizza.

Unfortunately, it was absolutely pouring with rain when I got out of the pizzeria and I got soaked through!

 
The Brooklyn Bridge and the Tobacco Warehouse

I stood in a door way for a while willing myself to find a way up to the top of the bridge.  This particular area of Brooklyn is known as “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Underpass” or DUMBO for short and if you’d like to learn more about this historic and beautiful area, visit the Dumbo, NYC blog.

 
The Tobacco Warehouse

I left the shelter of the doorway and then a kind man let me stand in his parking garage for quite some time as the rain came pounding down.  I eventually left the garage with the intention of finding the steps up to the top of the bridge but then just asked for directions to the subway and decided to make my way to my evening’s destination.  I was too wet and bedraggled by that stage to do much else!

I still  can’t quite believe that I went all the way to New York and to Brooklyn and that I didn’t walk back along the Brooklyn Bridge. 

I definitely have to visit this city again and my husband recently said that the first thing we would do when he got his British passport would be to visit New York! Could it be that I’ll be writing posts about our visit at Christmas 2010?  I hope so.

Carnival of Cities Blog Carnival

Welcome to the August 26, 2009 edition of the Carnival of Cities.  This is a blog carnival that is organised by Sheila Scarborough of Sheila's Guide To The Good Stuff and BootsnAll Family Travel Logue fame and is hosted on a different blog every two weeks.

This post will be a wonderful opportunity to tour the world via one blog post and I encourage you to click on the links below and see the carnival of photos, stories and experiences.  The focus of the carnival is on any aspect of a single city or a fair sized town.  If you are a blogger and you have written a relevant post, why don’t you submit it for possible inclusion in our next carnival?

The next edition (on September 9) will be hosted on the Wandering Educators blog; click here to submit an entry for consideration. If you’d like to take a turn as host, please email Sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com.

Are you all ready?  Starting with Europe and Asia and then on to Australasia and the Americas, it is time to travel!

Cities in Europe

Ljubljana, Slovenia Shannon ODonnell tells a wonderful, colourful story with Street Theatre and Summer Festivals in Ljublijana posted at a little adrift: a rtw travelogue, saying, "The summer atmosphere was quite alive in Slovenia with their annual Street Theatre Festival and summer ballet in the park."

Bristol, England With a flair of colour and adventure, Heatheronhertravels presents I’ve been to the Night Glow at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta - Video posted at Heather on her travels, saying, "Every year my home town of Bristol hosts a balloon festival, and as I'd never been in 20 years here, I though it was about time for me to experience the Night Glow."

Riviera Corniches, France Mick Hart presents Driving Through The Riviera Corniches In France posted at Globe Cheap Travel, saying, "There are literally 1000’s of places worth seeing on this planet in a life time, and just as many things to experience. Since our days in this world are numbered, it’s a good idea to start traveling!!"

Oxford, Oxfordshire, England Rachel Cotterill takes a walk through her Oxford in Beyond The Dreaming Spires posted at Rachel's Ramblings.

Paris, France Andi takes us to the romance capital of the world in  Le Procope Paris - dining in rich history posted at Misadventures with Andi.

London, England William Wallace gives you the best of London with What Is The Best Free View In London Well Let Me Tell You! posted at London Is Cool.

Scheveningen, The Hague, The Netherlands Happy Hotelier presents Postcards from Scheveningen – A Plea to revive the Scheveningen High Back Beach Chair posted at Happy Hotelier, saying, "I really miss those high back beach chairs. Any suggestions of a modern equivalent?"

London, England Travelbug gives presents a fantastic list of Free things to do in London posted at Travelbug's blog.

Cochem, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Jim treats us to a lovely evening in Wandering in Cochem posted at Wanderlust Journey.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands Lena surprises us with 3 Facts: Amsterdam posted at The Colors Magazine., saying “You either fall in love with the city immediately or… a bit later”.

Paris, France Neal Ebbett takes you around Paris in a whirlwind tour in Paris - July 09 posted at Neal and Rochelles Overseas Adventures.

 

Cities in Asia

Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan Sheila Scarborough delights with A magical visit to Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Museum in Japan posted at Family Travel Guide, saying, "If you like the new movie Ponyo, learn more about its creator Hayao Miyazaki at his Ghibli Museum, near Tokyo."

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India AdmirableIndia.com presents sunset on a beautiful beach in Beach near the Shore Temple: Part 1 Tamil Nadu posted at AdmirableIndia.com.

Minato Mirai, Yokohama, Japan Tony Alexander dazzles us with Back In Minato Mirai, Yokohama, Japan posted at The Soul of Japan, saying, "After returning to this city after a short vacation I am reminded of the little things I do like most about this city".

 

Cities in Australasia

Sydney, Australia Mike Bergin presents Urban Cockatoos, Sydney over at 10,000 Birds, saying, "Charlie Moores puts together a beautiful presentation of urban Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in Sydney, Australia."

 

Cities in the Americas

Los Angeles, California, USA Jack Norell presents August 2009 means free gigs in Los Angeles posted at Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips, saying, "During this August, L.A. celebrates the warm weather with loads of free concerts all over the city."

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Glowing Face Man takes you to Vegas with My Vegas Trip: The Stratosphere Tower Hotel posted at Glowing Face Man: Awaken the Badass Within.

Washington, D.C., USA presents Tysons Corner – Washington DC’s Upscale Center for Shopping posted at The DC Traveler – Washington DC travel & tourism information, saying, "While Washington, DC may be known for Smithsonian museums, monuments to presidents and memorials, it also has some first-class shopping at Tysons Corner."

Austin, Texas, USA Collin really stimulates the traveller in me with Summer Fun Activities - Austin,Tx posted at Travel Ideas and Tips, saying, "Submitting post about my charming city Austin, Texas."

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Becky Harris presents The State Fair and Racing Cockroaches posted at One Short Day, saying, "About one aspect of Indianapolis, IN.....the state fair!"

Seattle, Washington, USA Jessie Voigts describes culinary delights in Eating your way through Seattle - with a child in tow! posted at Wandering Educators, saying, "Best places to eat in Seattle - All kid-friendly"

Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico One Family presents Cancun Trip Report posted at One Family's Blog, saying, "A trip report to Cancun with a frugal perspective."

New York, New York, USA NYC, If You Are discusses The Best Part About Getting Evicted posted at NYC, If You Are, saying, "My experience, searching for an apartment on Craig's List after getting evicted. Written by a NYC local."

Tucson, Arizona, USA Kevin Grieves takes us back into the history of Tucson with On this day in history: Tucson, Arizona founded, 1775 posted at The Modern Historian.

Zarcero, Costa Rica Marina K. Villatoro presents an absolute treat with Edward Scissorhands Escaped and Was Found in Zarcero, Costa Rica - Photo Friday posted at The Travel Expert(a), saying, "Fun Town in Costa Rica!"

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Jennifer presents The Insectarium – New Orleans, Louisiana posted at Two Kids and a Map, saying, "The Insectarium is the first new attraction to open up in New Orleans, Louisiana. Even if you don't love creepy crawlies, it is worth a visit!"

Québec City, Québec, Canada Corinne McDermott delights us with Ville de Québec avec un bébé (Québec City With Baby) posted at Have Baby Will Travel, saying, "As a first-time mom, I would never have believed that traveling with such a young baby would be so easy".

Aguascalientes, Mexico Tim Leffel presents Mexico's Museum of Death posted at Tim Leffel's Cheapest Destinations, saying, "A bizarre museum in the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico".

Lima, Peru Timothy Scott presents Lima on the Upswing posted at Luxury Latin America Blog, saying, "Maybe there's a reason or two to hang around Lima after all..."

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Wendy presents Santa Fe's Oldest posted at Escape From New York, saying, "Santa Fe, New Mexico the USA’s oldest state capital also boasts the oldest church, house and continuously occupied building."

New York, New York, USA Christina kicks off her New England trip with New England Trip- NYC posted at Travel Girl.

Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA Christopher Kendalls presents Virginia Beach Set to Buy Old Circuit City Property; Expect to See Expansion of Town Center posted at Associated Content, saying, "What will happen to Town Center, aka "downtown" Virginia Beach now that the city may purchase the old Circuit City property?"

Monterrey, Mexico Silicon Valley Blogger presents Why Study Abroad? Get Educated In A Foreign Country posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "I discuss studying abroad a place such as Monterrey, Mexico, for example!"

That concludes this edition. Thank you for visiting Emm in London and I hope you stop by again if this was your first visit.

Submit your (one, non-spammy) blog post about any aspect of any SINGLE city to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Please Support "Jamie's Phuket" - Spread The Word!

It's been over 3 years since the first posts on this blog, and also over 3 years that I've been doing the Phuket Weather blog. The "Jamie's Phuket" blog started as a means of showing "my" Phuket. As a family we tend to not do the "touristy" things.. yeh, sometimes, but more often we prefer quieter places. I figure there are people looking for another side to Phuket, away from the main beaches, away from the tailors, tuk tuks, fast food and fast women. There's plenty of information online and in guidebooks about all the normal things to do in Phuket. I still try to focus on the other Phuket, although for sure there is some crossover, but recent posts such as kayaking in the mangroves and the Kathu village festival show that Phuket has way more to offer than the obvious attractions. It is my intention to keep the blog focused on the Phuket that exists off the beaten track, although it has been pointed out to me that a few posts on nightlife, ladyboys and bars might be welcome at some point... but,

I prefer this:



or this:



At some times, I get a bit stuck on what to write.. I'm normally working 6 days per week, so blogging time is at a premium, and time to explore even more so. Nevertheless, I have been encouraged over the last year by increasing numbers of visitors to the blog, a growing Facebook group and plenty of comments on the blog and emails to say thanks for the information. Keep them coming!

This little post is to ask your help. Please spread the word. If you like this blog, please do tell others, please do add a link onto your own blog or website, please do Digg or Stumble this blog.... Here's a bunch of ways to help:

1. Please do add a link to Jamie's Phuket or add this blog to your "Blogroll". The blog url is http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com, or you can use http://www.jamiesphuket.com. If you have a "Blogger" blog, it's easy to add a link. Maybe you know some html and can do it yourself easily, or if not, just follow the instructions on the Help page, or this useful Dummies guide. For Wordpress, all the information on linking is here.

2. Bookmarks! At the bottom of every blog post you'll see some links to social bookmarking sites - StumbleUpon, Delicious, Digg, Reddit and Facebook. If you have signed up for these sites you can click these links to share that page with other users or bookmark it yourself for future reference. Stumbling and Digging are apparently quite trendy these days!

3. Facebook - if you are on Facebook, please do join the Jamie's Phuket group - there are over 500 members already, there's an active wall and discussion board - please do ask questions! You can also post your Phuket photos or videos or add links. See you there! If you are not on Facebook, join! It's harmless, well.. mostly harmless.

4. Help! If you really like this blog, found the information useful, discovered something in Phuket that you otherwise would not have known about... please do click on the Donate button (left of the page), or click here and you can donate a little something via PayPal to help the blog grow. Just a few dollars, a couple of Euro... Pretty please with sugar on top? Hey, if enough people do that, maybe this can be a full time blog with even more information!

5. Twitter - OK, well Twitter is something that some people just don't "get". Not sure if I do either, but personally I follow some bloggers and newsy people who post interesting things about Thailand. I tweet most days, maybe adding some links to the blogs, maybe commenting on the weather if I have not already updated the weather blog. More than 200 people are following my tweets already. So if you are a Twit, please do follow me! See here: Jamie on Twitter.

6. Help to improve the blog! As I said, sometimes I feel a bit stuck.. what to blog next? I do intend to try some new restaurants in the next few months, I think tips on eating out are important, but if there is something you'd like to see on this blog, please add a comment below, or on the Facebook group.

7. Keep reading! There is normally something new here every 5 - 7 days. Wish it was more often, but... time is limited. Please do bookmark this blog and come back!

8. If you are reading this blog and you work for Lonely Planet or Rough Guides or the BBC or Nat Geo or the Travel Channel or if your name is Paul Theroux or if you are Michael Palin and you're considering a Thailand trip... do get in touch!

9. COME TO PHUKET!

:)

Blog carnival: Carnival of Cities

If you are a blogger and you have written a post about any aspect of any single city then please submit a post for the Carnival of Cities Blog Carnival that I am hosting on Wednesday.

There are loads of people that have signed up already and this is such a good carnival. 

For those of you that won’t be participating, make sure you reserve some time in your calendars on Wednesday to take a round the world trip with me!

London: The City, the Monument & the Bridge

Last year I took a rather hectic course in Health and Safety and I promised myself that I would reward myself with a photography course when it was all over.  Of course, that was followed by a rather hectic nine months (some of which you can read about here) and suddenly it was August and I hadn’t done anything about it!  Well, luckily I found out about The Photo School through meetup.com.  The Photo School offers an introductory composition workshop which is currently only £20 for three hours. 

I attended the workshop on Saturday and I found it to be massively informative and helpful.  The class was a nice mix of people who ranged from absolute beginners to a portrait photographer.  There were only two of us with “point and click” cameras and everyone else had SLRs. 

We met at The Crosse Keys Pub in Bank which is across the road from the old Victorian Leadenhall Market.  What an amazing place!

Click on any of the photos below for an enlargement.

 
Interior of the Crosse Keys Pub

The Crosse Keys Pub is exquisite.  I am starting to think that I need to go on an introductory architecture course or something as I would love to place the styles inside the pub.

 
Leadenhall Market, London

One of the things they told us about on the workshop were lines and perspectives.  The Leadenhall Market was great for that.

  

As I left the market, I came upon the ugliest building I have ever seen in my life.

This is the Lloyds Building, also known as the “Inside Out Building”.  I’m not entirely sure the building has any redeeming qualities to be honest and I am a huge lover of architecture of all types and styles.  I was trying to play with perspective again in this photo and using my corners.

I thought it looked quite nice reflected off the Willis Building though.

I found a British flag!!  I might have to ask Lloyd’s of London why it was flying at half mast though.  (In case you’re confused, we were talking about flags in this post).

 
St Andrew Undershaft Church contrasted against "The Gherkin"

We learnt about contrasting old and new in the course and I just love this photo.  The proper name for “The Gherkin” is 30 St Mary Axe. 

We also learned about the rule of thirds.  This couple was having their wedding photos taken at the foot of “The Gherkin”.

I thought this was the archetypal London photo!  I liked the flags too.

 
The Crosse Keys Pub from the outside

More flags!  We all agreed this photo would have been better if the car were further on into the photo. 

Our teacher liked this photo.  It made me want a better camera so that I could get the depth of field right.  I promised myself that I would learn to use my camera first before I got a new SLR camera though.

After the workshop, I decided to walk to London Bridge station.  It is approximately a fifteen minute walk.  I got to see The Monument with my own eyes for the very first time!

The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built to commemorate the lives that were lost in the Great Fire of London in 1666.  It was built between 1671 and 1677 and was a celebration of the rebuilding of the City.

It is lovely and I would certainly like to go back one day when it is open.  They have an observation deck at the top which only costs £3 for adults and £2 for children.  Can you imagine how beautiful the view must be of the grand old City of London?  Oh look!  You can see a webcam of the view!

How beautiful is that detail?

It was just a short walk further until I arrived at the Thames.

That is the Southwark Cathedral you can see there in the distance.  I have a real soft spot for the cathedral as I photographed it on the day I first interviewed for my job in 2007.  I got the job and in fact, started there two years ago today.  The cathedral is therefore a sort of good luck charm for me.

I walked under London Bridge and took one last photo of Southwark Cathedral before taking a little corridor back up to the top of London Bridge.

Creepy ancient corridor and Southwark Cathedral

London has such beautiful structures and buildings and I was glad to have a chance to appreciate it.  Despite my insistence that I work in central London, I still find myself taking a lot for granted.  This little excursion on the weekend really opened my eyes again and I can’t wait to go on my next adventure.

Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast (peeking out behind the cruise liner) and the Mayor's Office

I wonder if the day will ever come when I tire of taking photos of Tower Bridge?  I doubt it and I certainly hope not!

Cultural Street Festival in Kathu Village

A couple of weeks ago there happened one of those local events that (for me) makes Phuket special. The area of Phuket where we live is called Kathu, located between Patong Beach and Phuket Town. It's a big residential area with lots of sub districts (Tung Tong, Ket Ho, Bang Tong etc). We live close to the Baan Kathu area, the old village of Kathu. A walk around this area reveals an older, traditional side to Phuket and a mixture of cultures as demonstrated by the Buddhist temple and the Chinese shrine in Kathu. The area was the center of the tin mining industry which was very important in Phuket from the early 19th century up until recent years.



Anyways, in the last week of July I saw this sign (above) in several places in the locality at main road junctions. I am sure many other people saw the signs too. So on 5th August in the early evening I headed to the village to see what was going on. The answer? Plenty going on. On that evening only, there was a street procession through the village celebrating the history of Kathu, in particular the Chinese influence and the tin mining industry that made the area rich. The procession started with some kids from the Baan Kathu school (see photo below), but then was held up as everyone was waiting for a visiting dignitary to arrive and officially open the festival.



While waiting I was able to wander around the painted faces and costumes of the people taking part, and I have to say I was not expecting such amazing costumes! There were quite a few people around taking photos, but I was very surprised that during the whole event I did not see one single other foreigner. I think probably most of the people from Kathu village were there, though!

Here are some of the faces. The elaborate Chinese style face painting and costumes are in the style of old Chinese opera. It was back in 1825 that a Chinese opera troupe came to Kathu and became sick. They healed themselves by strict adherence to a special vegetarian diet, and thus began the Phuket vegetarian festival.







We kept waiting for local top dog to turn up and set the procession on it's way. Meanwhile, dark clouds gathered and we all hoped it would not rain. Local kids were waiting too...





The long wait for the "official" start to the 3 day festival meant I had more time to take photos of the participant in the procession. Good thing I had gone that evening as the procession was a one off event. These local events are so easy to miss. You have to keep eyes open for signs and posters or just be in the right place at the right time.



This boy was trying very hard to be patient, waiting for the procession to start so he could put on his mask. The girl below was one of half a dozen dressed as "coolies" - Chinese tin mining workers.



(below) These costumes and painted faces were great. Must have taken a lot of time and effort to create the effect, which is quite stunning.



Finally the top brass arrived, by which time it was getting rather late. A couple of speeches followed and a ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. This local event had attracted a number of photographers and a TV news crew too. I think the photo below gives the idea. Lots of cameras for the opening ceremony.



And after all that.... the procession did not last long, only walking about half a kilometer past the Chinese Shrine and to a field at the local health center. Was getting a bit dark for decent photos. I was glad to have had the time to mingle with the people all dressed up. Planned to go back next day to see more of the street stalls, but had no time. It was rather odd to have the festival mid week!





I followed the procession along the road lined with food stalls and stalls with information about the history of the Kathu area. The local school band (above) were playing with dark skies behind them. The rain somehow held off. I love this kind of local festival, full of colour and history. Anyone who thinks Phuket has no culture... well, think again. When I started this blog 3 years ago, part of the idea was to show something different. The "other" Phuket, not just bars, beaches and shopping. Phuket has way more to offer, but you do have to get out and explore. If you sit on a sunlounger, the local culture is not going to come to you. It's "out there" waiting to be found. Sometimes not far at all... Kathu village is only 10 minutes drive from Patong Beach.