Tuesday, June 27, 2006

The dreaming spires of Oxford

This post is a result of a friend coming over to my desk and threatening me with dire consequences if I missed mentioning Oxford in my Blog, :P So here it is.
Oxford almost did not happen, we had been to Cambridge....and colleagues told us "If you have seen Cambridge then Oxford will fade away in comparison..", however an intense desire to cycle through the countryside complelled us to go to Oxford. (why Oxford??...well, Why not?).

After a week of rain, it was a glorious day and once we had the cycles...it was heaven ! Cycling by the 'Thames', just following the river upstream and then downstream, taking diversions into the countryside and then back into town....to look at the "Dreaming Spires", Oxford indeed is the most beautiful thing I have seen in England. Everything else, every other city/Town I had been to faded away in comparison to this beautiful university town.

My motivation to go to Oxford was for more literary reasons....Colin Dexter 'Inspector Morse' (one of my favorite fictional characters) solves crimes in and around Oxford!, Two of my all time favorite books 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Through the looking glass' were written in Oxford. I was most happy that the visit happened :)

Whatever said and done, I think "Small Faces" say it best in their song "Itchycoo Park"

Over bridge of sighs
To rest my eyes in shades of green
Under dreamin' spires
To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been

What did you do there?
I got high
What did you feel there?
Well I cried
But why the tears there?
I'll tell you why
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful
It's all too beautiful

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford

Oxford


Oxford

Oxford

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Status report...

I am back home...feels good, a month long stay in London has made me wonder how people manage to settle down abroad...leaving ones country. When I was in there I was not homesick, nor was I lonely, I had a gang of friends and colleagues there, all the comforts (including a huuuuge room with a king size bed), but what was missing was India itself. Maybe as you read this you feel, this is some kind of stupid patriotism that I am talking about...well whatever you call it, I am glad I am back home :D

Music I am listening to

As I type out my post on a notepad, to be transferred onto the blog tomorrow...the time is 10:30pm on a cloudy wednesday night and I am listening to

The soundtrack of "The Phantom of the opera"....I watched the musical at "Her Majesty's Theatre" London. We got "Cheap" tickets 32 (pounds!!) for balcony seats (supposed to be the not so good ones, quite contrary to movie seating) but the performance was worth every penny! it remains etched on my mind to date, the music by Andrew Loyd Weber - brilliant, the sets - out of the world, the special effects- breathtaking. Truly an experience to cherish. My original plan was to watch a musical and a play (Agatha Christies "mousetrap" maybe) but the play did not materialise. Glad I got to watch the musical....better than watching a movie anyday

In sleep he sang to me,
in dreams he came . . .
that voice which calls to me
and speaks my name . . .

And do I dream again?
For now I find
the Phantom of the Opera is there
inside my mind . . .

Songs in my head....

Once I was the king of Spain
Now I eat humble pie
ye palatial palace that was my home
now I eat humble pie...

-'King of Spain' Moxy Fruvous


Heey Matilda Matilda Matilda
she take me money and run venezuela..
well the money was to buy me house and land
then she got a serious plan
hey matilda she take me money and run venezuela

- 'Matilda' Harry Belafonte

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Bush: Bloody Sunday

This is supercool.


Listen....

p.s: I was coerced to take the video out of here :) the link may still take you there.

Monday, June 05, 2006

To the Tower of London

Cool Structures

Cool Structures

Cool Structures

Cool Structures

And my favourite
Cool Structures

In Greenwich

Like most places in UK Greenwich is not pronounced as it is spelt (I wonder why this is so) Greenwich is pronounced as 'Gren-itch.

I had to visit the place where the longitude is 0 0...the place where time begins...

This is a wonderful little town an hour by the boat cruise that we took or 30 mins by Bus. Lovely Gardens surround the "Time line". it also has a beautiful market that sells all kinds of things :)

Timeline
the timeline !

view
View from the hill

Whew

hmm

market
Open market at Greenwich

River Cruise down the Thames

We wanted to get to Greenwich and decided to take the boat there !! it was wonderful indeed...


Cool Structures

thames

Cool Structures

Cool Structures

Random Shots

The Ben

Me!

Greenwich Market

Hmmmm

Thursday, June 01, 2006