Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
April 19, 2011
April 13, 2011
February 6, 2011
LONDON: Touring lesser-known sites in the Capital
I thought I would bring five images to my readers’ attention. They are photographs of lesser known sites in London. Perhaps we must surface these images in hopes of bringing greater attention to little-known locations. Very interesting, I think. I had a reader email me to say that he knew London well but that I am uncovering information which was unfamiliar to him. I felt wonderful about his comment. But please remember, I receive emails from readers almost daily putting me in the direction of something new. Keep the emails coming; I love to receive the information and direction. Let me post these five images. Very interesting. And thank you, Mr. Larry Clinger.
What a lot of new places to visit and becomes friends with! Wow! London is unending.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
February 4, 2011
THE MICHELIN GUIDE TO LONDON — MY OLD FRIEND
One of my favorite tasks assigned to me by my company THE LONDON CONNECTION is to inspect the flats we offer to the public twice a year. Thomas Jr. checks on them twice a year as well. So, we are in London often, sometimes for rather long periods of time. We meet with our fabulous London team headed by Cristina Teixera whose capable organization cares for a remarkable operation. While I am in the flats, I note the many travel books that clients leave behind them in the flats for future visitors to these properties. In some flats, there may be as many as ten guide books which have been kindly left. From time to time, I find a stack of pages which have been ripped out of a guide books (pages of the particular places a visitor wishes to put in their itinerary) because travelers don’t wish to carry unnecessary weight. I read these guide books year after year, and I have concluded that I do not prefer editorialized travel guides. I prefer the hard facts, and I will search further if I wish to. The rows of guide books at Barnes and Noble seem all fluff to me and lack real depth. Knowing London as I do, I understand the wonderful information which these publications leave out.
When Stephanie and I were very young, we went to England and France with the great J. Reuben Clark III whose father was the under-secretary of State. Dr. Clark held a Ph.D. in the Classics from Columbia, and I was a Renaissance scholar studying with Rocco Montano from the University of Padua. You can imagine how a young scholar would thrive in such a learning situation. Our parents felt that such an experience was really necessary for a good education, and I am sure Stephanie and I had no objections–none whatsoever. The Clarks and my wife and I traveled extensively all over Europe, and I taught a few classes at the University of Grenoble where we had our apartment. During this long visit, I learned to use the early MICHELIN GUIDES. These were the days when books like EUROPE ON $50.00 A DAY were all the rage. I grew to love the Michelin Guides because the information was so precise and complete without a lot of editorializing from travel guides who really had a superficial knowledge of their subjects.
When my children came along, I took them to Europe every summer; we traveled from Cairo to Jerusalem to Athens, to Rome/Florence/Venice/, to Munich, on to Paris, and finally arriving in the United Kingdom rather tired and exhausted. Sometimes we made our way to Budapest or Madrid, and reluctantly to Switzerland. This trek usually took five or six weeks, and I was the guide. We had our bus and our driver, and I had arranged housing before we left the States. But, I relied heavily on my MICHELIN GUIDE which never let me down. When we arrived home in London, we evaluated our trip and talked about what we could have done better and where we might go the following year. We consulted our pile of MICHELIN GUIDES as we put these vacations together. Every couple of years, I buy a new guide; but, I rely on my old green one which I bought in 1990. It is filled with my notes and comments. I study the diagrams and engravings. I appreciate the details and specifics rather than “comments” about various places to visit from other guide books.
I decided that I would write this post because I think my visitors to our flats can have a better trip if they rely on a better source of information. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE MICHELIN GUIDE TO LONDON. I need a new one from time to time because times and places change, and the careful information gets better and better. I find myself using it as a research source, particularly when I am double checking facts when writing my articles for the blog.
Another benefit of the Michelin Guide to London is it concise and easily packed in your hand luggage so you can read it during those hours in flight. When you arrive at the British Museum, why just wander around. Why not have a pictorial guide to the museum which show where to locate items of particular interest. As I get older, I have to admit that I forget details which I used to recall immediately. I just pull out my MICHELIN GUIDE, and the name/place I am thinking of is readily located. When I was young, I used to be able to name the Presidents/vice-Presidents and their dates in office as well as the sovereigns and consorts of England from William the Conqueror to the current sovereign. I don’t think I can do it any longer, so I just turn to my Michelin Guide. My father adored teaching us to memorize such trivia; he said it was good for the brain and a good way to entertain our teachers. Ha! Well, all I can repeat back these days is the alphabet–but said backwards; it amused my father and aunts immensely. In grades school, I had to write the alphabet like everyone else, but I had to start at the bottom of the paper with the letter Z. When called on to say the alphabet before the class in the first grade, I raced through it backwards to the teacher’s dismay and to the applause of my classmates. When I traveled with my father, he had us recite the alphabet backwards to his business friends who roared, but I felt like an entertaining monkey. Even now, I have to look up a phone number in the book from the back of the book forward! So, you can see how such a simple soul has to rely on a scholarly travel book like the Michelin Guide to London.
I would not travel to London under any circumstances without my Michelin Guide, and I strongly recommend this publication to my readers. It is a scholarly work. It is my old friend!
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
December 20, 2010
MAY I HELP YOU PLAN YOUR TRIP TO LONDON?
I am off to London for the winter where I will be looking at properties for our London Connection visitors. While there, I will be writing about my experiences on this blog, posting as often as three times a day. Hopefully, the articles will be helpful to my readers. I will try to find several new suggestions for your trips. If any of you have places you want me to check out or locate, I will be happy to do this. Just send me your requests and questions, and I will go to work. I love doing this. Last January, I checked out 62 requests, and I learned a great deal. I am always amazed by the hospitality of Londoners; they are so helpful! Let me know, and your requests will be a priority during my London stay. If I can’t find the answer to your question, I know several people who can help. what a lot of fun!
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
November 7, 2010
HEADS UP! THE LORD MAYOR’S SHOW — SATURDAY 13 NOVEMBER AT 11:00AM
This post is just a reminder that the LORD MAYOR’S SHOW will take place this Saturday 13 November at 11:00 am. The procession begins at the Mansion House and goes to the Royal Courts of Justice where the Lord Mayor will swear Allegiance to the Sovereign. The route of the profession is posted on the Internet.
The parade starts at 11:00, but you should be positioned by 10:00/10:15 to have a good view. It is a colorful event with lots of history.
If you are in London, don’t miss this fun and historic event.
Wonderful.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
October 1, 2010
LONDON: THE SOUNDS AND NOISES OF LIVING IN THIS CITY
For me, London is the most fascinating city in the world. I have traveled around the world since I was a small child, and I love to be in a city experiencing its food, its museums, its architecture, shopping, and its people. I know what to expect, and I don’t try to make the city fit my mold and requirements. The fun part of traveling is being flexible and being able to become a part of what makes a city great. I run into tourists in London who say that it is a noisy city. I meet visitors who say that it is very ethnic with all kinds of restaurants that smell funny. I even run into travelers who can’t believe that there are so many FOREIGNERS on the streets of what is supposed to be an ENGLISH city. My point is that people who really enjoy a city are those people who seek out all the sounds, smells, and cultural variations which make the fabric of a city fascinating.
My first suggestion for travelers is to forget the line AT HOME WE……… A visitor is not traveling to bring home with them. A traveler should be eager to see how other countries live in their cities. We in the States have learned to live in our suburbs and allow city centers to die. We are making efforts to revitalize our city centers; but all in all, we in this country prefer to work in the city but live in the outer lying areas. It is very different in our large cities like New York and Boston, but even there it takes a different kind of animal to thrive in the “happenings of a city.”
At least once a week I have clients call me to book a flat and the first requirement they have is they want their apartment to be in central London but in a quiet location. The minute I hear the word QUIET as a request, I start to suggest more residential areas like Knightsbridge, Belgravia, and parts of Mayfair. Then the client tells me he wants to be in walking distance to everything. Then the red flags fly up in my mind. It is not unusual for these same clients to tell me their friends like to be in central-central London like Covent Garden or anywhere around the theater district. So, I change gears and begin a rather frank discussion.
If a traveler wants to be in walking distance to all the historic sites, theater, and restaurants–yeh, all three!–he will encounter the noises of the city. Remember, Londoners LIVE in their city; it is not a Friday/Saturday night event only. Clubs are thriving. Restaurants are fantastic. Ethnic cultures are contributing enormously to the excitement of what is today modern London.
I have been prompted to write this post because a visitor called me today from London to tell me she loved the flat, loved walking everywhere, but there is too much noise. I reminded her that she asked me for a flat in central London, easy to walk to everywhere, and close to theaters. I reminded her that she asked for Covent Garden and the theater areas. Again, I reminded her that this would mean that she would be in the center of everything. I reminded her that she said: THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE I WANT TO BE.
The city is alive sometimes until 2:00 IN THE MORNING. Clubs are in full swing until early hours in the morning. I remember taking my grandchildren when they were small to New York City. I was going to take them to a show, to a few museums and to several good restaurants. My grandson ALEC said: GRANDPA, THIS CITY GOES ON ALL NIGHT–DOES IT EVER SLEEP. Well, he lives on 10 acres, high on a hillside overlooking Park City/Deer Valley, Utah, where he sees the deer and wildlife cohabit with his sking-hiking country life. Now Alec is older, and when we are in London, he thrives in the center of the city. He gets a giggle when the morning pub trucks wake him up with their noise from loading all the empty bottles of the night before’s pub crowd. He has learned that he must bring himself to the city, because the thriving culture of London is not going to change for him. He takes a nap to fit his new lifestyle, and his expectations are realistic.
My point here is London is eager to welcome you to join its great city life. This city is very inclusive. Pubs are alive with strangers. The restaurants are filled with people speaking every language on the planet. The city lives and vibrates 24 hours a day. THE CITY SCINTLLATES.
When I am in London, I want to be right in the midst of everything. I like to walk all day long through the little streets, down the lanes, and across the great avenues. But, I know that to have all that, I perhaps have to bend a bit, to get out of my skin, to enjoy one of the most fabulous cities in the world. I WANT TO WALK EVERYWHERE, I DON’T WANT TO LIVE IN THE SUBURBS AND SPEND MY DAYS ON THE TUBE OR BUSES. I want to walk!
Bring on the city’s noises and smells. THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE I WANT TO BE. I encourage my visitors and readers to talk to themselves about leaving some of their requirements for comfort home and to wrap up in the noises and sounds of this brilliant city….this London.
London is to be enjoyed. Remember the saying: WHEN YOU ARE TIRED OF LONDON, YOU ARE TIRED OF LIFE. So, let’s get noisy and have fun in central London.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
September 22, 2010
DRIVING IN BRITAIN — Do you think this would work?
My reader PATRICIA PETERSON in California was in England during the summer. I suggested traveling by trains rather than renting a car. She finally decided to spend a week in London and then drive through the English countryside. Her report upon her return was: YOU WERE RIGHT, TOM. THE TRAIN NEXT TIME. She included this image which she found on the internet; it amused me. I wanted to share this photo with you. I KNOW HOW SHE FEELS.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
September 16, 2010
LONDON MAYOR’S SKY RIDE — IT IS A FUN RIDE FOR FAMILY AND PRO
On 6 September, I was walking past Westminster Abbey on my way to our home in St. James’s. As if out of nowhere, thousands of cyclists filled the streets of Westminster. Everyone was wearing SKY RIDE vests. I had noted the tents in St. James’s Park the week before, but I really had no idea about this event. Well, I learned quickly.
THE MAYOR’S SKY RIDE was a fun ride from Buckingham Palace on the Mall, through St. James’s Park past Horse Guards, around Westminster Abbey over Westminster Bridge and back, up Whitehall, and through much of the central city. There were 85,000 + riders: families, children, pros, old people–everyone. No one was in a hurry, but everyone was having a great time.
The minute I saw what was happening, I grabbed my camera and started to shoot photographs. I spoke to one of the guards/directors who told me that there is a real emphasis on health, cycling, clean air, and LONDON. Boy, if I had had a bike, I would have joined them. Imagine, riding all over central London on a bike–in the middle of the streets where traffic usually confuses, enjoying your neighbors and other people from all over greater London.
I am posting some photographs and the schedule for rides that are still to take place. I think London’s emphasis on better transportation is commendable. On another note, The Barclay’s Bike Program is a great success. I saw the bikes all over London.
Several of our visitors to London ask about running in the parks, gyms, and other types of health locations. Well, I would certainly add the LONDON MAYOR’S SKY RIDE to your planning. Check the schedule. I understand there will be a larger selection of dates since this event has been so successful.
Really fun.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
September 2, 2010
LONDON PICK-POCKETS ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE
This early morning, I wanted to photograph the LAMPOSTS ON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE which were designed by PUGIN to Commemorate the contributions of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria who were deeply involved in the planning of the new HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT after the old PALACE OF WESTMINSTER had burned to the ground.
While I was photographing the emblems–which I will blog about in a moment–I heard a bit of a disturbance quite near me. I turned around, and OFFICER DANIEL was handcuffing a gentleman who apparently was setting his sights on my camera bag which was hanging over my back.
I told OFFICER DANIEL I was grateful for his surveillance because I know that PICK-POCKETS work this area a great deal. People are concentrating on their boat ride down the River Thames and are not paying attention on their wallets.
It turns out the man who had my bag in mind spoke no England was working London crowds; he had two passports and a lot of cash in his cargo pants which he had pinched from some unhappy victim. When I opened my camera bag and showed him my three red apples I had just bought to snack on during my walk, the police officer and I had a bit of a chuckle. But, the point is, PEOPLE MUST BE CAREFUL WHEN VISITING HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS FOR TOURISTS IN ANY LARGE CITY IN THE WORLD. LONDON IS NO DIFFERENT.
My father gave good advice to my brother and me when we teenagers traveling the world: PUT YOUR VALUABLES IN YOUR FRONT POCKET; IT THEY GET YOUR VALUABLES THERE, THEY DESERVE THEM. Well, these days, we have money belts which are excellent. Handbags with straps are useless. Put your lunch in your handbag, and put your valuables in your money belt.
Anyway, it felt like a morning TV show, and I was the HYACINTH of an episode. I shook hands with OFFICER DANIEL and gave a stern look at the Hungarian who said he spoke no English.
That’s an episode. We will call it THE TRIUMPH OF THE THREE RED APPLES.
