London and S. E. England (Nov. 15, 1999)

I took so many pictures of Dover that I didn't take enough of London to justify its own page. I guess I'm photographically inclined toward landscapes. So, I've included some city escapes with the cityscapes.

Canterbury

I think that one of the single most beautiful places in England is Canterbury Cathedral. I particularly like the stained glass windows...

The whole interior has the patina of the rich, varied, and distinguished history of England in one place.

And the exterior exudes history as well.

It's the site of the martyrdom of Thomas a Becket, the center of the Church of England, and the burial place of many English nobles and notables.

Hastings

We visited 3 battle sites during our trip: two in Scotland (Culloden and Bannockburn) and Hastings. In 1066, William the Conqueror came from the south upon King Edward of England. After an afternoon's battle, Edward was dead:

England was thereafter ruled by the William and the Normans. Nowadays, we'd have a parade for such a victory, but William put up an abbey. During the Wars of the Reformation, the abbey was sacked and the ruins still remain. There's also a school at the site - I'm not sure if that was founded by William as well, but the school is still operating.

A Few Pix Of London

I ran out of disks (i.e. film) in the middle of our visit in London, so I only took a few pictures. Well, you've seen a bazillion pictures of the place anyway. Here's a couple of shots of Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards,

an off-kilter view of Big Ben,

and a shot of Green Park - JD thought it was one of, if not the best place in London, and I'd definitely put it in my top 5. It's a calm island in a bustling city...

Rye

Rye is town that jealously preserves its medieval heritage. I particularly liked the church tower clock.

It's a neat place to walk around. I found it interesting how the old and the new are intermingled. One of our first views of the city was this ancient gate:

But take a few steps back and a surf shop surfaces...

And on we go...

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Tom Loos