London – Day 3 – Part One

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Mama Cormier

…one of my favourite days

One of my colleagues from bread making suggested that while we were in London we might want to check out the Highgate Cemetery where numerous famous authors, actors and politicians were laid to rest. It sounded interesting and it was an opportunity to take our first double decker bus ride.

We sat at the front of the bus for the best views of the neighbourhoods as we ascended the uphill climb to Waterlow Park.

It was a short walk through the park along paved pathways and over small footbridges to get to Highgate Cemetery.

Highgate Cemetery is divided into two separate areas: the East Cemetery is open daily to the public for a small entrance fee and one is able to roam through the grounds freely; the West Cemetery is only open to guided tours (unfortunately no tours were available on the day we went).

The eastern part of Highgate is a fascinating place to visit. The tombstones and gravesites along the paved pathways are very well cared for while deeper into the woods many stones are overgrown with ivy and falling over. In some ways the latter sites are the more interesting ones to look at. Many of the inscriptions have been worn away with time but some are still legible and give some insight into the lives of the families buried there.

One of the most famous ‘residents’ of Highgate is Karl Marx and most visitors who go there specifically look for his tombstone. He was originally buried in his wife’s grave on a small side path, but in 1956 a new monument featuring a gigantic bust by the socialist sculptor Laurence Bradshaw was installed in a more prominent location. Funds were raised by the Marx Memorial Fund, set up by the Communist Party in 1955.

It would take me too long to list all the famous people who are buried at Highgate. Many soldiers who died in both world wars are also buried here and the cemetery continues to serve the residents of north London to this day. George Michael, the English singer and songwriter who died in 2016 is buried in the west cemetery at Highgate.

Here are a few more gravesites that you may or may not recognize.

….to be continued.

October Photo a Day – Pumpkins

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to City Sonnets for hosting the October Photo a Day Challenge

This challenge couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. On Thursday my husband and I drove to the cottage and passed a couple of farmer’s stands that were loaded with pumpkins and yesterday my granddaughter and I decorated one that I bought for her.

Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge – Tongues and Tails

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Cee for hosting the Black and White Photo Challenge

London – Day 2 (Part 2)

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….Day 2 was jam packed with activity

We ended our site seeing day at Liberty London where we admired the beautiful fabrics that Liberty is so famous for and went upstairs to the Christmas Department. Yes, Christmas. October is the beginning of the Christmas season in England. I couldn’t help myself but I had to purchase a little Christmas gnome for our granddaughter’s Christmas tree. I wish I had taken a photo. Sorry about that.

One of my daughter-in-law’s must do items for this trip was to experience a Sunday roast. Our son booked a table at the pub where he and his wife celebrated their marriage after the civil ceremony over two years ago. Since none of us were at their party (we celebrated with a Persian wedding a month later with all the families in Italy) Brendan really wanted us to see the place and he pre-ordered a traditional Sunday roast for six.

London-Day 2 -(Part 1)

Posted on October 5, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….from Buckingham Palace to Soho

Sunday and Monday were hugh walking days – 21 000 steps and 20 000 steps respectively.

On Sunday we had prebooked tickets for a tour of Buckingham Palace. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside but the audio tour was excellent and I think trying to take photos would have spoiled the experience. Once we were in the gardens we were allowed to take out our cameras out and shoot as many photos as we wanted. I would highly recommend the tour. I thought it was well worth the money.

From Buckingham Palace we walked along The Mall and through St. James Park. Near the end of the mall we went into the Institute of Contemporary Art and enjoyed a light lunch.

From there we went to Trafalger Square, Soho and China Town.

London – Day 1

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Mama Cormier

……settling in

We arrived at Heathrow one hour earlier than expected. I actually managed to get some sleep on the plane so I wasn’t a complete zombie when our son picked us up. We had a quick coffee and then took an Uber drive to our accommodations. It took about an hour to get there but it was a wonderful introduction to the enormity of London.

After unpacking we walked to the corner convenience store and bought a few things to make a light lunch. Josie kindly made us eggs and toast. I had a quick power nap when I finished eating.

Our son, Brendan, came by later in the afternoon to walk us over to his flat so we we would know how to get to his place in the next few days. Both Azadeh and Brendan made us a wonderful meal to celebrate our arrival in London. A great way to start our vacation.

On Vacation

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….I’m leaving tonight for London, England

I’ve scheduled a few posts ahead of time so you’ll see some activity on my blog until Oct. 2. I’m not taking a laptop with me and I’m not sure I can post from my iPhone. I’m sure I will take a ton of photos but you might have to wait a couple of weeks before I can share them with you.

I’m very excited about this trip. It’s my first time to England and I’ll finally get to see where our son and daughter-in-law reside. My husband and I are travelling with our oldest daughter and her wife and we’ll be staying together for the first eight days. After that Andrea and Josie are taking the train to Scotland and we’ll stay in London.

The only thing that we’ve booked so far is a tour of Buckingham Palace and on the second of October we’re going out to a nice restaurant to celebrate my husband’s birthday. There are lots of places we want to see and and things we want to do in London. I expect that we’ll take some bus tours and definitely walking tours and of course we’ll check out the art galleries and museums.

We haven’t booked things ahead of time because of my husband’s condition. He never quite knows when he can leave the house safely without having to rush to a bathroom. With the time change and jet lag the first few days could be tricky. We’ve done this before and it’s not ideal but spending time with our son and his wife is more important.

The only thing I’ll miss when I’m away is being able to spend time with this sweetie:

Thursday Doors – Sept.27, 2018

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Jolene for hosting Thursday Doors this week

After dropping my father off at Union Station this morning I went outside the train station to snap a few shots. The doors are from Union Station and the Royal York Hotel which is right across the street (first place where my Dad took a job when he first arrived in Canada in 1954).

My dad loves to tell the story of how he got off the train at Union Station and asked someone where he could get a job as a waiter. It was his first day in Canada. They pointed across the street and told him that the Royal York Hotel was the largest hotel in Toronto. He walked over, introduced himself and they hired him on the spot.

Labour Day – The End of Summer?

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….I think not

For many Labour Day signals the end of summer; children return to school, cottages are frequented less often, new TV seasons begin, fall classes are opening up and the days are becoming shorter. The weather, however, is anything but fall like. In fact, we’ve been experiencing very hot and humid conditions. I feel sorry for the teachers and students who returned to school this week without the benefit of air conditioning (most schools here don’t have it).

Traditionally the Labour Day is the final day of the CNE and the last day of the Air Show. I attended the CNE on opening day and I watched the Air Show from the park at the end of my street, along with dozens of people from the community. It wasn’t the best day to watch it but I had been at the cottage for most of the 4 day show.

Here are some photos from the last official weekend of summer (maybe not official, summer doesn’t end till Sept 21) from the cottage and the Air Show.